Welcome to the personal portfolio of Zeinab Rahal.
This website is a place to house a preview of my portfolio and my CV. It provides a quick and easy access to the work featured, which includes architectural and design projects done as a student at London Metropolitan University, as well as my art work and photography.
All of the work on this site is the product and property of Zeinab Rahal and may not be distributed or reproduced in any way without the consent of the author. For most educational purposes, some work may be used with proper citation.
About
I am a bright, passionate and hard working Part 2 Architecture student, Designer & Artist. Interested in Fulltime Employment and Freelance Projects
AIMS: To further enhance and develop my skills and talents by producing designs and contract information to support the development process of assigned projects from inception to final completion, ensuring that these are completed to quality, programme, specification, and budget.
AFFILIATIONS: -Member of RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)
Architecture
“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep.”
Le Corbusier
Masterplan + Mosque and Housings design
Masterplan + Mosque and Housings design 2011. (4th year final project)
MASTERPLAN DESIGN for the regeneration of the riverside area of Fontainhas in Porto, Portugal
The site is on political as well as physical boarder point to the city. Since the construction of Ponte do Infante, this important point has become a road, a loose boundary with a constant flow of traffic that has resulted in a loss of place. It is the aim of the masterplan to rectify this and restore a sense of place. The masterplan forms a serial of spaces that draw a narrative as you approach the site from the street first and then up to the upper part of the city. The design presents evident desire to make a connection across wide spaces. The program includes a mosque, residential units (live/work typology), and a market with housing above. The corner building within the masterplan acts as a new city gate, both to Sao Lazaro Gardens and also mediating the scale of the bridge with the upper part of the site and the residential square that looks back down the valley towards central Porto. The masterplan supports the role of the Gate as a place of transition between these two scales. The scale of the volumes on the site graduate gently up the steep topography of the site, marking out public and private squares, as well as defining its limits.
Zeinab Rahal, Robert Chandler
MOSQUE and HOUSINGS design. Designing and exploring architecture that facilitates the tension between civic and spiritual spaces.
The architecture presents a sense of elasticity as a whole; the hierarchy of the serial of spaces and volumes simplifies the tension and rigidity between what is civic and spiritual. There is an “intellectually radical” approach to the mosque’s design. The mosque has a dominant presence and is remarkably grounded in the urban proposition; it is buried in the city between public and residential buildings. The building’s open facilities, such as restaurant, exhibition spaces and conference rooms, enrich the program and welcome the general public to get involved.
Zeinab Rahal
Masterplan + Library design
Masterplan + Library Design '08 - '09
My third year design project was based in Spitalfields, London. The design strategy consisted of designing a piece of city within a city. The new scheme has a unique and strong character and communicates with the existing urban context. The most intriguing and interesting spatial qualities of the surrounding urban framework are reflected in the new collection of buildings that brings back to the site what was before lost and neglected.
The design process focused on analysing the site’s existing conditions, and celebrating its hidden potential by imposing particular prescribed spatial figures that allow it to engage with its surroundings. Also, precisely defined design decisions aimed to achieve sustainable and environmentally friendly conditions.
The master plan includes the strategic design of a public library with a humanities program. The building’s overall volume was given by the urban design, and marks a strong presence on the facing busy commercial street. The library’s structure consists of a diaphragm brick wall around the perimeter and an internal lightweight concrete structure. The brick creates an interesting relationship with the existing Georgian buildings on site, while the internal concrete columns are celebrated and become a main feature of the interior space. The very enclosed cloister-like study areas surround the library’s private courtyard, and contrast with the big overwhelming spaces at the very front of the building where people can enjoy transparency, and dramatic views of the city and Christ Church to the east. Users can experience diverse and contrasting spatial qualities in the different library spaces.
'The London Library' case study
The London Library '08 - '09
The focus of the studio addressed lighting, and the study and design of libraries.
The project consisted in surveying an existing library. I have investigated and documented 'The London Library', the world’s largest independent lending library. The main aim was to analyse the diverse light qualities in the space as well as framing particular instances, capturing experiences, and understanding the spaces' program, function and arrangement.
Reading Light Design
Reading Light Design '08 - '09
The project was to design and make a reading light. My aim was to create an intimate atmosphere in the library’s study spaces, and I was mainly interested in achieving soft qualities of light. I used porcelain for the lampshade as I was intrigued by the translucent properties of the material. The lampshade is a precious and delicate piece that gradually changes in thickness, and therefore allows a different intensity of light passing through the material’s surface, creating an illusion and surprise effect when the light is switched on. The porcelain becomes a transformative art that has the unique ability of expressing itself through beautiful warm light tones structured into three horizontal sections. The shade has a fine and soft texture akin to human skin, and contrasts with the roughness and heaviness of the metal used for the lamp’s body. This draws a sensuous curve that resembles the slim stem of a flower, and creates continuity and balance between opposites.
1st prize - Lamp Design
31a Mostra dell’Artigianato Lariofiere-Erba, Italy 2004
1st prize - Premio Nazionale Prodotto Artigiano
A competition where the creativity and potential of students is recognized in the world of design. The brief was to design an original piece of furniture for office or household. I won the first prize with the innovative design of the lamp ‘Aurora Boreale’. This was then manufactured from the company ‘Mario Sampietro’ (S.N.C.), Lipomo, Italy.
Various Projects
Learning Spaces '07- '08
(ar)resting moment(s) '06 - '07
The project was to design a good-looking object that immediately catches people’s attention. The very unusual design reflects an imaginative understanding of the spatial, material and cultural qualities of a previously allocated fragment of London along Holloway Road. The site is translated into a 3-dimentional object through creatively exploring materials. The enclosure and intimacy of the site can be experienced when sitting on the beautiful old Victorian chair. You can find yourself caught into an intimate condition, tasting the powerful smells of the mint curtains that surround you.
ARTgraphics
I offer commission work. I am open to discuss any ideas or wishes you may have regarding a wanted piece of work, please do not hesitate to enquire.
Portraits
Still life
Graphic designs
Various
Resume
ZEINAB RAHAL
Nationality: Italian Birthyear: 1987
EDUCATION:
2010 – 2012 RIBA Part 2 Professional Diploma in Architecture London Metropolitan University, London, UK
2006 – 2009 RIBA Part 1 2:1 BA Hons Architecture London Metropolitan University, London, UK
2005 –2006 A Levels (Maths A; Art C; Product Design C) Alexandra Park School, London, UK
SHORT COURSES:
2010 Jan-Feb Certificate in AutoCAD Design and 3D Modelling London College
2010 Jan - Level 2 Award - Health and Safety in the Workplace - CIEH Level 2 Award Emergency First Aid at Work (OFQUAL Accredited; HSE Approved) TNG, London
KEY SKILLS:
Computer skills AutoCAD 2D-3D Excellent Vectorworks Good Photoshop Excellent Illustrator Good InDesign Excellent Windows Office Good Google Sketchup Good ProDesktop Good
Languages Italian Mother tongue English Fluent, reading, understanding, oral expression, writing Arabic Fluent, understanding, oral expression
WORK EXPERIENCE:
2011 Aug-Sept DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS, London, UK Internship
2010 May-Nov The PRESET Charitable Trust - BRMF, London, UK Graphic Designer
Responsibilities and duties: - Provide design services to member charity organizations. Branding: Logo design, business stationery, brochure/leaflets, marketing material, posters and front end web design. - Contact members to identify and discuss needs to plan future projects and trainings - Coordinate a diary for immigration and funding officers
2008 June BARRIE TANKEL PAERTNERSHIP - Construction consultants, London, UK Project Manager Assistant
Responsibilities and duties: - Investigating tender analysis sent back from builders - Preparing a tender return result summary - Carrying out arithmetic checks to find out if contactors had over prized or lower prized jobs - Attending meetings and presntations to clients - Visiting construction sites
2006 August FAMEDEAN LIMITED - Architectural & engineering consultants and building contractors, London, UK Architect assistant
Responsibilities and duties: - Working on plans using AutoCAD software - Sourcing materials and products - Responding to and providing assistance to clients - Reorganizing and arranging files and documents
Responsibilities and duties: - Producing technical drawings of benches and furniture for a local church. The work was successfully completed meeting deadlines efficiently, and the drawings have been subsequently handed in to the manufacturer.
2001-02 June-July ISTITUTO SAN VINCENZO – Primary and secondary school, Erba, Italy Teacher assistant in summer school
Responsibilities and duties: - Monitoring and assisting children in the completion of their homework - Actively organizing games and activities to carry out during breaks and in the afternoon - Mentoring and taking particular care of children with special needs
AWARDS:
2004 1st prize - Premio Nazionale Prodotto Artigiano (National Award) 31a Mostra dell’Artigianato Lariofiere-Erba, Italy
