Architectural Portfolio

A rc h i te c tu ral P or tfolio Ali Alaithan

“My curiosity and passion for architecture keeps motivating me to enrich my knowledge in various, distinct subjects. I have found my incredible interest in the importance of spatial quality and buildings’ affect and relationship with the surrounding context. Mostly incredible is the architectural effect on human behaviour, mentality and interaction with both animate and inanimate objects. How architectural designs change the overall atmosphere of a place, urbanly and architecturally.

As an architect, I believe, we could change our cities into better places. A country is defined by its cities; a city is defined by its buildings. In the past four years, working as an architect designer I desired to bring the global thinking of architects into my country, simultaneously respecting my culture to enhance the architectural projects.�

SELECTED PROJECTS ACADEMIC 01 The Psychaitry Hospital

4 - 15

02 Urban Housing

16 - 27

03 Elementry School

28 - 33

PROFESSIONAL 05 The Open House

34 - 37

01

THE PSYCHAITRY HOSPITAL IAU University Spring 2016 | Design Studio X | Thesis Individual Work Project Location: Saudi Arabia Instructor: Dr. Rafiqul Hussain | rafiqhus@gmail.com Mentally ill people were neglected and marginalized in our community in the past. They are not only ignored as patients, but also the psychiatric hospitals are poorly designed to support treatments methodologies. Nowadays, the knowledge and understanding of mental ailments is increasing. The design approach of psychiatric hospitals shifted to be part of the healing process; however, in my country still the design of psychiatric facilities resembled a prison not a hospital! For that exact reason, I wanted to select a project that needed reformation to its existing architectural characteristics.

Therefore, to understand the principles of designing psychiatric hospitals I started by studying the history of psychiatry and psychiatric hospitals. Subsequently, I chose three different case studies, in three different locations. My thesis was conducted through two stages. First stage was the thesis, where I selecting three different case studies in different locations, national and international. I visted a project in Sweden, which is one of the scandinavian prominent countries in designing psychiatric hospital, to fully understand the principles of designing a proper psychiatric hospital. This was an open-eye experience in recognizing the key factor of design.

The project design follows the modern notion of mental health facilities design principles. The design focuses on creating healthy spatial qualities and environment. The psychiatric hospital consists of 160 beds connected to Alkhobar Central Hospital, and include various services: outpatients clinics for daily appointments, nursing units for patients that require sleeping and observation in the hospital, rehabilitation center is chief unit that helps patients to be able to work and interact with the community, emergency department for pressing patients conditions.

Middle Ages

The Renaissance Hospitals in the renaissance era are a place that encompasses various activities: religious, assistance care, commerce and artistic work. These pursuits make the hospital a city within the city. They played a big role in the urban fabric; they were built as royal buildings, such as Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence.

Mental illnesses were considered either as punishment from God because of a sin or possession by the devil. Religious activities were the cure of illnesses. In addition, people with severe mental illnesses are locked in prison or other isolated confinement.

From the 16th to the French Revolution Between the 16th and 17th centuries, the royal powers were seeking to reduce the number of vagabonds. Therefore, in 1575 England ordered the construction of a house of correction; in 1620 the German followed by constructing Zuchthaus; in 1656 under Louis XIV’ regency, the first general hospital was found in Paris. Those general hospitals never had any medical function, but they were a place of confinement and of forced work for the poor, the vagabonds and the mentally ill.

The End of The 18th Century – The Moral Treatment Two reasons were behind the evolution of mentally ill facilities from prison to asylum. First, a surgeon called J.R. Tenon said “The fool should not be peevish during his treatment and during monitored moments he should be able to leave his loge, browse the gallery, go on a promenade and do an exercise that dissipates and that nature commands him”. Second, The moral treatment noticed that madness considered as a mental disorder rather than a mental loss.

The 19th Century – Construction of the Asylum The Early 20th Century – Decline of The Asylum In 1920, the idea of treating mentally ill was altered for two reasons: the geographical location of the asylum, the overcrowdedness of patients. The new treatment idea was to take care of the patient outside the big institution, therefore avoiding long separation from the patient environment.

Two beliefs by Jean-Etienne-Dominique Esquirol were behind the creation of Asylum.

First, in order to treat mentally ill people is to separate them from the environment that caused the disease, this generated therapeutic procedure. Second, the moral treatment which is the psychiatry interaction with the disturbed mind. Therefore, the asylum was built outside the city where there is fresh air and nice surrounding landscape, in addition to land price and mentally ill people are unwanted by the community.

Deinstitutionalisation Hospital-Village in France – A Short Intermezzo In the 1960s the older hospitals were modernised to become more like a separated society where all the services are available to serve the mentally ill people. This approach aims to create a society fitted for the mentally ill; however, this resulted in similar problems with the asylum design, which is patient segregation from the society.

After World War II, the policy of deinstitutionalisation started, which is minimizing the rigid relationship between the psychiatric treatment and big institutions. Therefore, enabling treatment that is close to the patient not in an isolated community. Most importantly, the discovery of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs created the possibility of making patient treatment within society. It was a reason to shorten the stay of patients in the hospital. However, they return to the clinic because of lack of rehabilitation after treatment. This created the importance of having intermediate structures such as day care hospitals

Psychiatry & Psychiatric Hospitals Nowadays Psychiatry now has four different facility treatments: stationary clinics, intermediate structure and Ambulatory, lastly long-term structure. Equally important, Psychiatric hospitals became part of the healing process by improving treatment and reducing patient stay through mitigating patient stress, creating a friendly, secure and safe environment.

THE EVOLUTION OF PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL This is a brief timeline of the history of mental health treatment facilities and people’s perception of mentally ill people. Hospitals change from a regular place of confinement which is a prison to a proper place for treating individuals with mental ailments. Communities recognition of mental illnesses changed from being a punishment from God to acceptable disorders that need to be treated.

6

CONCEPT The concept of the project is about creating a healing environment. An environment that follows the new studies of modern psychiatric hospitals, achieved by generating calm, friendly, safe and secure conditions. According to up-to-date theories, this will reduce patients’ stress, therefore, it will be easier to treat and deal with patients. Equally important, it will reduce patients’ stay.

The calmness of the interior spaces achieved by having greenery views and natural light; the friendly atmosphere accomplished by having a socializing interior spaces between the patients inside each unit; the secure and safe environment created by having courtyards for each unit, used by the patients to freely enjoy the natural air, simultaneously observed by the hospital staff for security issues.

STRATEGY

01 CONNECTIVITY

02 FORM

03 SEGERGATION

Having a main spain that connects the Psychiatric Hospital with the central hospital to avoid isolation from the community and to benefit from the central hospital facilities.

Creating a simple form that best serves its function with low-rise, small scale to achieve home-friendly atmosphere.

Separating each unit mass to increase beautiful views and natural light in the interior spaces, resulting in better spatial qualities.

04 COURTYARD Creating courtyards for each unit serve as private outdoor space for patients to enjoy and practice their daily actions, in addition, improving daylight and views to the outside.

05 ROTATION Rotating each nursing unit mass to create a variety of views and increase daylight inside interior spaces.

7

Existing Buildings Of Al Khobar Central Hospital 8

SITE PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

Administration

Rehabilitation Therapy

Services

Outpatient

Administration

Emergency

Day Care

Nursing Unit

Nursing Unit

Nursing Unit

9

2

2

1 5 8

7

8

7

1

3

4

9

5 4

9 3

2

NURSING UNIT The concept behind the design of the nursing unit is to encourage independence by accommodating only one patient per room and having multiple communal spaces that patients can use freely.

Each patient could enjoy his private time; laying on the bed watching the outdoor gardens; reading inside his private room; socializing with other patients. This motivates participation while increasing patients’ personal space. Equally important, is to surround every interior space with gardens to increase natural light and beautiful views, this will create a calm and friendly environment.

10

1

6

1 6

1

Patient Room

2

Patient Lounge

6

Nurse Station

3

Patient Dining Area

7

Staff Offices

4

Kitchenette

8

Meeting Room

5

Group Therapy

9

Utilities

View of nursing unit courtyard

View of the courtyard from the atrium

View of Pateint lounge 11

01

02 WORKING DRAWING OF PARTIAL GROUND FLOOR PLAN

12

Visual co

The cou connect

onnectivity with the surrounding greenery inside the nursing unit

urtyards are the heart of the hospital providing natural light, greenery, privacy, easy observation and visual tivity between the main spine and other units.

13

AXONOMETRIC PLAN

Main Horizontal Circulation

CIRCULATION Way-finding is one of the key factors of designing a hospital. It is essential to create an easy circulation, which is a chief principle of healthcare design. The main atrium works as the main spine connecting all different units inside the hospital, horizontally and vertically, splitting the three main rectangular shapes masses into two units. It creates a public indoor socializing and interactive space that could be used by staff, patients and visitors. Furthermore, it is visually and physically connected to the courtyards creating a pleasing view and allows substantial amounts of natural light to enter the interior space, resulting in better spatial qualities.

14

Vertical Circulation

View of the bridge

View of the main atrium

15

02

URBAN HOUSING IAU University Fall 2015 | Design Studio VII | Housing Studio Individual Work Project Location: Saudi Arabia Instructor: Dr. Rafiqul Hussain | rafiqhus@gmail.com This design studio focus in resoponding to housing proplems by propsing various architectural solutions. Situated in the gridiron urban fabric of North Alkhobar, a conglomeration of mixed-use buildings with dense multicultural residence. The project is a two separated apartment buildings that follows the same design typology segregated by a street, each plot is 2400 square meters, currently , a parking lot.

It consists of various types of apartments to accommodate and attract different neighboring dwellers: three bedroom apartment, two bedroom apartment, four bedroom duplex. The problem with the site, it is surrounded by buildings with no public spaces could be used by the neighbors or residences. Therefore, The project introduces a new way of design to the area, a housing project that is connected to the surrounding area with a shared park, creating a socializing , friendly and lively atmosphere, a proposal that could be applicable to transform all parking lots in North Alkhobar.

THE SITE The grid fabric of North Alkhobar was influenced by the old urban planning of American cities, such as New York; However, the application was unsatisfactory in terms of livable towns. It is a conglomeration of buildings only, without considering the importance of parks and vegetations for occupant.

The site is more than 30 years old, mostly, accommodated by imgirates. There are extremely few empty lands, most of the buildings are mixed-use; shops in the ground floor, apartments in the upper floors used by the store workers. The roads are narrow; buildings are adjacent to each other, providing shade for pedestrians leading to a more walkable urban environment in our sunny and hot climate. The site possesses a compelling potential to grow as an attractive residential area for foreigners; however, it has been neglected by the local people for years resulting in bad building conditions, an unlivable environment that corresponds with urban slums’ environmental qualities; crowded with people and squalid. Most importantly, it misses greenery and public parks that create a more friendly atmosphere for the occupants.

EXISTING AREA STATE

20

BUILDING USE

SOLID & VOID

BUILDING HEIGHT

2 Floors

3 Floors

4 Floors

Mixed-use

Good

BUILDING CONDITION

Retail

Governmental

Acceptable

Bad

5 Floors

ROAD NETWORK

Main Roads

Secondary Roads

VEGETATION

Tree

21

CONCEPT After analysing the site condition and the surrounding, I started to realize some problems need to be solved. First of all, the town lacks interactive and socializing outdoor spaces because of the unstudied urban fabric and surrounding architectural designs. Second, all adjacent buildings block the sea breeze and cross ventilation. Third, lack of vegetation in the area. Fourth, Providing efficient underground parking for the residence without negatively affecting the network circulation.

I think of this project as a remedy to the lack of architectural and landscape qualities in the area. This will attract people to the project by having outdoor places could be used by the residence and the public. Therefore, the concept was to elevate the building on columns inspired by one of Le Corbusier design principles to create an open park on the ground level. In addition, playing with the masses to create cross ventilation and increase landscape in various floors to improve the landscape quality of the area.

STRATEGY

01 PARK

02 FORM

03 Massing

First, lifting the building on columns to create a foreground park connecting the site with the adjacent streets and pedestrian walks as a socializing area, most importantly, adding vegetation on the site to improve the view into the site and having a more friendly environment.

Second, the form of the building is affected by the different types of apartments connected together by two cores.

Third, creating voids in different floors for cross ventilation and increasing vegetation space on the building.

22

SITE PLAN

1

UNDERGROUND PARKING

1

1

1

1

Core

23

1

1

1

1

A

A

1

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

1

1

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

SIXTH FLOOR PLAN

THIRD FLOOR PLAN

SEVENTH FLOOR PLAN

FOURTH FLOOR PLAN

EIGHTH FLOOR PLAN

NINTH FLOOR PLAN

UPPER LEVELS PLAN The design of the typical two apartment buildings upper floors is similar to a lego game, each apartment is considered as one piece of the game, where some floors one apartment have been removed, this resulted in three benefits: outdoor spaces in various floors to be used by the residence as a private activity area, using these terraces as a greenery area to increase the vegetation in the area and provide better views from the adjacent buildings, providing easy prevailing wind flow.

24

FIFTH FLOOR PLAN

Core

APARTMENTS PLANS

THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT

FOUR BEDROOM APARTMENT

6

5 3

4

6

2

1

6 6 1

2

4

6

3

6 6

TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT

5

FOUR BEDROOM DUPLEX FIRST FLOOR

FOUR BEDROOM DUPLEX SECOND FLOOR

2 4

4

5

1

3

6

3 5

6

1 2

6

4

1

Guest Living Room

4 Living Room

2 Dining Room

5 Maid Room

3 Kitchen

6 Bedroom

SECTION A-A 25

View of the site entrance from adjacent streets

View of the building massing and various terraces used as outdoor activity and greenery

03 ELEMENTRY SCHOOL IAU University Fall 2013 | Design Studio V Individual Work Project Location: Saudi Arabia Instructor: Dr. Mohammed Alqahtani | mhapallas@iau.edu.sa Located in South Aldanah facing Dana Hills Park, surrounded by residential buildings. The project comprises various facilities: library, classes, labs, workshops, multipurpose hall, prayer hall, administration department,; accommodates 168 students. I was interested to take advantage of Dana Hills to improve the quality of outdoor places, interior views to the outside. This will enhance students’ mentality, increase the thrill of coming to school and enjoy the outdoor facilities and beautiful views, most importantly, generating helpful interior spaces for study. The design was affected by the functional zoning of a school.

CONCEPT The concept of the project was to locate the school in a place to create a nice outdoor park facing the hills that could be used as a playing ground and outdoor classes. Furthermore, having fenestrations oriented toward the outdoor park. The form of the school was affected by Louis Henry Sullivan quote “ form follows function�.

STRATEGY

01 LOCATION Placing the building at the back of the site to maximize the outdoor area facing the Dana Hills.

30

02 FORM Dividing the building into two forms each form serves different functions. Two rectangular forms, one serve the students functions, second one the administration and other related functions. The entrance triangular form emphasises the welcoming character.

03 ROTATION The building is rotated toward the Dana Hills to amplify better interior spaces views.

SITE PLAN

2

9

7 8

1

3 4 5

3

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

6

2 Administration 1 Lobby 9 Multipurpose

3 Class

4 Library 5 Lab 6 Workshop 7 Canteen

8 Prayer Hall

SECTION A-A

MAIN ENTRANCE FACADE

NORTH FACADE

31

View of the main entrance emphasized by the extended roof

32

View of the school exterior

33

04 THE OPEN VILLA Architect Ammar Nasser Office 2020, July Leading Architect: Ali Alaithan Responispility: Full Architectural Designs and client meetings Project Location: Saudi Arabia Supervisor: Ammar Nasser This project is a rejection of the traditional house design in Saudi Arabia. It breakdowns all the privacy and segregation rules between guest and family owners. The concept behind the design is to centralize the pool deck creating an inseparable physical and visual relationship between the exterior and interior spaces for both the family and guest section; the pool area is the heart of the house, where various events could be held. The interior living spaces are totally open and simple, yet rich with its spatial qualities of interior natural light and visual connectivity. The concept of the facade is an extension of the simplicity of interior spaces, a monolithic white mass without any fenestrations from the west side, therefore, it is evocative and symbolic in the old neighborhood of alhanouf city.

STRATEGY 01

02

04

View of the heart of the project, the swimming pool area

Interior perspective depicting the interior exterior connectivity 36

03

05

3

4 1

5

2

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

7

1

7 7 7

6

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

9

8

1

Living Area

2

Guest Area

3

Guest Dining

4

Kitchen

5 Guest Bedroom 6 Master Bedroom

ROOF FLOOR PLAN

7

Bedroom

8

Gym

9

Maid Section

MAIN ELEVATION

SECTION A-A 37

Th an k You