ALAA BAKHIET
This row gathers visual references from contemporary fashion shows such as Saint Laurent Men’s SS23, Bottega Veneta FW23, Zegna FW24, Balenciaga Winter 22, and the Free Larry Hoover concert. These events use elemental landscapes—sand, fog, light—as immersive backdrops, turning fashion into architectural performance.
Historical Foundations
Here, iconic Roman landmarks—the Roman Forum, Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, and the Stadio dei Marmi—serve as the historical framework of the project. Each represents a different facet of Rome’s identity: civic, sacred, and athletic. Their enduring forms become the stage for a fictional transformation.
Triptychs
Narrative: In a distant future, Middle Eastern sands have overtaken Italy, burying Rome beneath shifting dunes. Once a symbol of Western power, the city now surrenders to nature’s quiet force. What was built to last—monuments from antiquity to modernism—now lies eroded and half-submerged. This is not decay, but reclamation. As the East moves West, history is inverted. Rome becomes a reminder: nature outlasts civilization.
Dioramas
These 8"x8" dioramas imagine a future where classical architecture is buried beneath sand and time. Sant’Ivo, the Roman Forum, and Stadio dei Marmi emerge as theatrical ruins—stages for a narrative of erosion, memory, and rediscovery. Shifting light from day to night reinforces the passage of time, framing architecture as both relic and spectacle.
Erosion of Eternity
Erosion of Eternity began with a single narrative gesture: sand, carried by wind and time, drifting from the deserts of the Middle East to the ruins of Rome and finally to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Along its journey, this sand becomes both symbol and substance—nature’s quiet force reclaiming the built world. As it settles over Rome, erosion reveals rather than destroys: fragments of the Roman Forum, and marble figures from the Stadio dei Marmi emerge, half-buried, as if civilization could expand no further east, but nature kept moving west. This tension between human achievement and natural time is central to the thesis. Rome, chosen for its historical weight as the cultural and political capital of the ancient world, meets its contemporary counterpart in Los Angeles—today’s empire of entertainment, fashion, and spectacle. The project frames LA as the “new Rome,” where the ruins are not of stone but of image, experience, and desire. In this collision between eras, Erosion of Eternity reimagines architecture as a vessel for memory, spectacle, and impermanence—where nature and culture converge, and where time is not linear but sedimented.
A temporal spectacle unfolds at the LA Coliseum: archival Prada collections meet Fall/Winter 2025 in a four-act runway performance—Walking Down Sand Dunes, Statues & Stillness, Disappear Through Billowing Fabric, and a Final Walk on Bleachers. As the show ends, James Blake takes the field for a live performance, followed by an immersive pop-up experience beneath the arches—where fashion, memory, and atmosphere converge.
This solo project focuses on a sports and wellness facility in Watts, Los Angeles, featuring two basketball courts oriented south-north to reduce sunlight impact. A twisting concrete envelope shields the glazed façade—on the west side of the south court and the east side of the north court.
while the rotated second floor provides additional shading on opposite sides.
The program features a gym, a café/ bar on the terrace with scenic views, a wellness center, and a mezzanine for storage and staff accommodation. These spaces are carefully designed to meet both athletic and social needs, providing a variety of experiences for users of all ages. The café/bar serves as a communal gathering space, while the gym and wellness center offer fitness and relaxation opportunities. The mezzanine provides additional functional space for staff and storage, ensuring smooth operations and flexibility.
The building’s design incorporates a steel-frame structure with expansive glazing walls, allowing natural light to flood the interior. This dynamic contrast between the transparent surfaces and solid concrete elements creates visual interest and enhances the architectural experience. The courts are positioned with care, surrounded by gardens and walking paths that integrate the building with the local community, fostering both recreational and social interaction.
This studio challenges students to ex- periment with architectural additions to the Neutra house (Koblick Duplex). I chose to create a library. The con- ceptual foundation of this project originated from a spontaneous sketch that captured the fluidity and elegance of curvilinear forms.
One of Neutra’s key principles is connecting with nature, so I aimed
to achieve this sense of connection between the human and the sky, as well as by linking a pool directly with the Silver Lake. This design prioritizes aesthetic fluidity and harmony, cele- brating both contrast and continuity.
This was a team of two project focused on the design of a new, national steel construction innovation center, to
be located in the heart of St.Louis, MO, where members of ACE could research, exhibit, integrate, and teach construction innovation.
The design embodies a bold explo- ration of form, function, and artistic inspiration, harmonizing the strength of steel with abstract fluidity. Drawing from composition, it reflects direct inspiration from El Lissitzky’s abstract art.
Our concept entails consolidating soft programs within a ‘funnel’ layout, where the floor plans boast expansive open spaces. Subtle cuts delineate programs on levels 3 to 6, drawing inspiration from OMA’s Project Sea Terminal.
Hard programs, including fabrication areas and workshops, are strategically positioned on the ground floor.
Students began by individually studying and diagramming precedent caryatids, focusing on their geometries, proportions, and functions. This deepened their understanding of these ancient architectural elements. Next, they manipulated their systems into collages, expressing their vision of modern caryatids incorporating assigned mechanical systems.
Then as a team of five, pairs of students collaborated to create three hybrid systems, which were then integrated to form the final system (Caryatid 09). This project combined historical insight with contemporary design through descriptive geometries and annotations.
We investigate control systems within cyclical dynamics, focusing on the tension between fluidity and rigidity. The caryatid embodies this duality—luxury and oppression—and reflects how societal expectations, especially toward women, condition the body and mind. While environmental conditioning is a modern luxury, social conditioning limits individuality through inherited cycles. Our work challenges these ideals, rethinking beauty and striving to break the mold.
Untitled Profile
About Me
As an architectural designer, I am a creative professional passionate about innovation, storytelling, and pushing the boundaries of spatial design. With a strong foundation in concept development and hands-on fabrication, I bring a track record of successful projects that merge technical precision with atmospheric vision.
My work sits at the intersection of architecture, fashion, and visual culture — often drawing inspiration from set design, sculpture, and high-end interiors. I’m particularly interested in spatial experiences that evoke emotion and memory, whether through luxury retail design, immersive show environments, or single-family residential projects that balance refinement with a sense of place.
I thrive on challenges and see them as gateways to growth and experimentation. Collaboration is central to my process — I believe in the value of shared knowledge, open dialogue, and collective creativity.
Education
Woodbury University _ B. Arch
Diablo Valley College _ A.S in Architecture Design
Contact
Email: alaabakhiet1@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alaa-bakhiet
IG: Mostlikelyalaa