JEDDAH — Dar Al-Hekma University hosted the 3rd Hekma Design Week under the title “Reinventing the Vernacular” on the university campus. The five-day event came to an end on March 5 with an array of students' workshops and a symposium that was designed to expose the 700 design and architecture students at the university to a collection of local and international design activities. “The objective of Hekma Design Week was to enhance the cultural awareness and increase educational opportunities for students and the community. The activities offered provided for local and international collaboration and knowledge exchange,” said Dr. Suhair Hassan Al-Qurashi, university president. The Hekma Design Week is a biennial event that is experienced by Dar Al-Hekma students twice during their academic journey. The event was organized by the Hekma School of Design and Architecture. This year's theme focused on “Reinventing the Vernacular” by considering traditions and heritage of the local as areas of academic deliberation and was transformed from a symposium to a research-centric design week since it is the first event after the institution received university status. “The new image for this year's design week focused on research, thus ‘Reinventing the Vernacular' research was first launched in Asir on Feb. 18. This research argues that true identity emerges from both the past and the future, and memory and invention. Hence, the challenge becomes how we can reinvent the vernacular in unexpected ways to bring the past into the future to create a continuum. By redefining the experience of the vernacular through contemporary design applications and sustainable technologies, our aim is to start a movement of awareness and engagement,” said Dr. Effat Fadag, dean of Hekma School of Design and Architecture. The first three days were dedicated to students' workshops that were facilitated by internationally known practitioners and educators as well as some of Dar Al-Hekma's own faculty members to provide students with the knowledge and skills that complement what they learn inside the classroom. The skills and knowledge were provided through 30 workshops that bridged multiple disciplines ranging from architecture, to interior, graphic and fashion design. The symposium deepened the appreciation and understanding of design and encouraged using it for innovation and productivity. On March 4 and 5 Hekma Design Week enhanced the synergy among its design partners and boosted the attractiveness of Jeddah as a global city for design and architecture. This event was open to the design community, businesses, design students and the general public.
