Selected Works
ALAA BAKHIET
ALAA BAKHIET
About Me
I am an architectural designer interested in how spatial, material, and systemic decisions shape experience and performance. My work is grounded in concept-driven thinking and supported by hands-on fabrication and technical exploration, allowing me to move fluidly between design intent and execution.
My background spans multiple scales and modes of practice, from spatial and experiential design to research-driven and technical investigations. I draw from architecture, visual culture, and emerging design technologies, with a focus on clarity, rigor, and adaptability rather than a single stylistic or typological niche. I am particularly interested in design as a problem-solving framework where form, systems, and workflows intersect.
I approach design as an evolving practice shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning. I value interdisciplinary environments and see each project as an opportunity to expand my technical skill set, strengthen design judgment, and contribute meaningfully to complex, real world challenges.
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
TABLE OF CONTENT
Contemporary Inspiration
This gallery 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 imagines sand carried by wind and time from the deserts of the Middle East to the ruins of Rome and finally to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. As it settles over Rome, fragments of the Roman Forum and statues from the Stadio dei Marmi emerge half-buried suggesting nature slowly reclaiming civilization.
The project links Rome, once the center of the ancient world, with Los Angeles, today’s capital of entertainment and spectacle framing LA as a “new Rome.”
The narrative culminates in a four-act runway performance at the LA Coliseum featuring archival Prada collections alongside Fall/Winter 2025, followed by a live performance by James Blake and an immersive pop-up experience beneath the Coliseum arches.
The project links Rome, once the center of the ancient world, with Los Angeles, today’s capital of entertainment and spectacle framing LA as a “new Rome.”
The narrative culminates in a four-act runway performance at the LA Coliseum featuring archival Prada collections alongside Fall/Winter 2025, followed by a live performance by James Blake and an immersive pop-up experience beneath the Coliseum arches.
Concrete Flow
is a sports and wellness facility in Watts, Los Angeles. Two basketball courts are oriented north–south to reduce direct sunlight. A twisting concrete envelope shields the glazed façades—protecting the west side of the south court and the east side of the north court while the rotated second floor provides additional shading.
The program includes a gym, wellness center, terrace café/bar, and a mezzanine for storage and staff. A steel-frame structure with expansive glazing brings natural light into the interior, contrasting with the solid concrete shell. Surrounding gardens and walking paths connect the building to the community and encourage recreation and gathering.
is a sports and wellness facility in Watts, Los Angeles. Two basketball courts are oriented north–south to reduce direct sunlight. A twisting concrete envelope shields the glazed façades—protecting the west side of the south court and the east side of the north court while the rotated second floor provides additional shading.
The program includes a gym, wellness center, terrace café/bar, and a mezzanine for storage and staff. A steel-frame structure with expansive glazing brings natural light into the interior, contrasting with the solid concrete shell. Surrounding gardens and walking paths connect the building to the community and encourage recreation and gathering.
Contrast Library
This studio challenges students to experiment with architectural additions to the Neutra house (Koblick Duplex). I chose to create a library. The conceptual 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, celebrating both contrast and continuty.tinity.
Steel Canvas
Steel Canvas is a collaborative project proposing a National Steel Construction Innovation Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Designed as a hub for research, exhibition, and education, the building supports members of ACE in exploring new methods of steel construction.
The architecture investigates the relationship between structure and composition, drawing inspiration from the abstract work of El Lissitzky. Soft programs are organized within a “funnel” layout with open floor plates, while subtle sectional cuts define program across levels three to six, referencing OMA’s Sea Terminal. Fabrication spaces and workshops are located on the ground floor.
Caryatid
This project began with individual studies of historical caryatids, analyzing their geometry, proportion, and structural role. Students translated these observations into collages that reimagined the caryatid through contemporary mechanical systems.
Working in teams of five, three hybrid systems were developed and integrated into the final proposal, Caryatid 09. The project explores the tension between fluidity and rigidity, using the caryatid as a metaphor for control, beauty, and societal expectations—questioning how cultural and environmental conditioning shape the body and identity.