Computation and Craft
Computation and Craft is a project by Maryam Saeed, inspired and informed by our project An Ark for Iraq.
Maryam Saeed is an interior and architectural designer who has used her MFA degree in Design (Interior) at Sheffield Hallam University to create digital studies and reconstructions of some of the traditional Iraqi watercraft researched and built as part of the Ark for Iraq project.
Through her postgraduate studies, she developed an interest in speculative design that builds upon existing cultural heritage. Our call for computational designers to support documentation of the boats therefore converged with Maryam’s aims for a challenging and engaging journey between the use of code and the conservation of heritage. Although an Iraqi herself, she had not been previously exposed to her native architecture and crafts.
The documentation of watercraft involved observation (via photography and video), reflection and digitally mimicking the work of the artisans. Digital reconstruction makes the boats virtually accessible to an e-educated generation, and helps in analysis and experimentation of forms. This makes conservation, engagement with and re-imagination of Iraqi watercraft accessible to a wider public interested in the future of Iraqi heritage.
Maryam's digital reconstructions and experiments with four boat forms can be viewed by clicking on the links below:
