Dar Al-Hekma, a private girls' college in Jeddah, recently held an exhibition of light fixtures designed by its students. "The exhibition was the first of its kind in the Kingdom," said Mashael Khoujah, the lighting design course instructor. "Designing a light fixture is one of the projects I assigned to the students taking the course. After going through the process of designing and manufacturing, I thought it would be worth displaying the designs and inviting the public to see them. It also gave the students a chance to meet people who might one day hire them," she told Arab News.
The exhibit featured over 25 designs ranging from the whimsical to the traditional. The instructor explained,"The only limitation students had was in the date of submission; other than that, they were free to design as they liked - except of course for some unchangeable details related to maintenance and manufacturing." Each student was asked to choose a client by whom she was asked to design a light fixture. "For every design there must be a concept and before developing a concept, I wanted the students to choose a client. Then, based on the taste and needs of the client and the place where the fixture would go, the fixture was designed. I also wanted my students to be in touch with real life after they graduate and go to work. There will be clients who ask them for specific things and who limit them in terms of budget, choices and styles," Khoujah explained to Arab News.
The choice of clients ranged from family and friends to celebrities and public or private institutions. "My client was my sister. I told her about the project and she suggested I design something special, simple and elegant, for her living room," said Alyaa Attas. As for Ala'a Zobair, she chose a famous building for her inspiration. "The concept of the design was based on a spiral-shaped building designed by Helmut Jahn. This meant the fixture had to be spiral and had to move. I also had to think of where it would be placed because the client wanted it in the building entrance inside the wall."
"I designed my fixture for a living room with a mixture of African and modern styles," said Iman Jamjoom. "My client wanted a piece of art using this combination of styles but she didn't want the light source to be too heavy." Inspired by African culture, Iman handpainted the wood and added beads and accessories. "I was not sure if people would like this kind of design because it's different but those who saw it liked it. The stores here are all similar; only two or three have unique light fixtures. The majority stick to traditional and classic designs," commented Iman who is considering a career in lighting design.
"Comments by visitors to the exhibition were mostly positive and I'm very proud of the final projects," said Khoujah. "Nowadays, interior design for women is opening up more and more. The level of education is also increasing so women have greater chances of doing fieldwork in interior design," said Khoujah, an interior architecture graduate from King Faisal University in Dammam. "The students received several job offers. Some interior design companies, architects and clients who want custom designed lighting and businessmen who want the students to work on a project have left their business cards and have chose specific ones. In other words, it was a chance for the students not only to show their designs but also to show their ability to design interiors," said Khoujah.