By MubMaj
Its Lovely to be in Jeddah after an year, stay with parents and dig into all the Arabic food and Mom’s food I’v been missing. Muthabak…shawarma…humoos… Mom’s delicacies…YUM!!
Meanwhile I am having to decide a THESIS topic for my final semester of Architecture. The one I have in mind is called ‘Alternative Community Centre’. Its inspired from the talk by Sheik Abdullah Hakim Quick (You can read more about him here) and suggested to me by our brother Rameez.(Ramz u gotta treat me for this!! 
)
The synopsis I have prepared (Also mostly in ramz’s words!) is below. But I would like all you readers’ honest comments on the idea, what better facilities to be provided, or if such a place would work at all! Time is running out for me…so please let your comments coming!
Thesis Synopsis
Alternative Community centre
Man is a social animal. It is in the human nature of man to socialize. Especially in the youth (age between teens and 20’s), peoples spend more time with their friends than their family- what is called ‘Hanging out’.
In present time, where are the best places to hang out? Pubs, nightclubs, disco etc which are breeding places of immorality. In today’s ‘Work hard, Party harder’ culture, one craves for some place to relax, and whether one likes it or not, they are led to these above mentioned places because one doesn’t have another choice!
An Alternative Community Centre, as the name suggests itself, is an alternative. A place where all the positive energy of the youth (educated or not) can be utilized in a manner that is beneficial for each individual and the society as a whole.
SITE : Located where there is close proximity to maximum number of colleges, and hence easily accessible to the youth.
BRIEF REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROJECT:
- Commercial Centre (Grocery, retail stores)
- Gym
- Restrooms
- Interactive spaces like parks.
- Basket ball ground/ Cricket ground
- Facility for karate classes
- Art classes.
- Swimming pool and swimming classes
- Indoor games like Table Tennis
- Open air theatre
- Internet facilities
- Reading room for journals etc
- Jogging track
- Restaurants
- Prayer rooms
HishMaj
MubMaj
The relevance of such a project depends upon where you’d intend to build it. I mean what country.
Here in America, we have what are called “colleges towns” in which all the aforementioned facitilites are available in close approximation.
Your concept could be applied to the Middle Eastern countries, of course, but you’ll have to address the topic of segregation. That would be a challenge, but well worth the effort, I think.
I intend to build it in India, Kerala in particular. But i intentionally did not mention that for a reason.
Such an idea came up coz such centres are not seen in this place. I could design it with Islamic principles in mind, and yes it would be challenging…and interesting!!
Have fun in Jeddah
Thanx Mr. Qusay!..but the countdown has already begun..
hooohaha! treat for what, exactly, mubz?
glad to see you’re working on it.
all valid ideas, but i have some suggestions to make.
i think you can do without the cricket ground and park. That would make this such a colossal structure – I mean, if you want to get someone inspired by the idea and convert it into reality.
The concept is to incorporate one facility of its kind, so you’ll need the basketball court only, as a space for a game.
A cricket ground will take up a lot of space, and even though I love cricket, I dont think it is worth playing as a means of exercise or something…
Just my views, k?
more of them in pipeline.
so, enjoy your time in jeddah.
Hmm..ur suggestions considered…
I’d like to make this a place where a student comes in and he/she has a lot of choices to choose from.
Nice idea…you could have a green park area in the middle with all the facilities in a building surrounding it …a much bigger scale of ummamma’s nadumittam…and also, bowling alleys could be added somewhere…
I see i am very late in putting up a comment, but anyways, might do good (4someone)..
Football field would have a been a good addon too…since u got a cricket field on..
(i hate cricket btw..so.. 
)
I think you have got all the things necessary to make a great hangout. But the challenge lies when you consider the Islamic Principles.
and btw.. where in kerala do u propose to structure this fruit out?