Tarek Ibrahim

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Tarek Ibrahim ("TI") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

TI : I have studied In mount Lebanon Village Called Baakleen, in its one of the oldest schools in Mount Lebanon, where I was able to evolve my hobbies from sports to acting on stage. As well as to develop the ability to observe ,analyze and interpret. I was able to use these three steps as a system to develop a space and come up with an out of the box concepts.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

TI : Creating a new space, and seeing it evolving from a simple idea into a real space is what makes me motivated. My motivation comes from the satisfaction and happiness of my clients after the project finishes and they get a new, different and unique experience in design.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

TI : At university I started industrial engineering major, after a full year I decided to shift to architecture after discovering the beauty of creativity in creating spaces.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

TI : I mainly design Villas, and I have always loved creating Villas in-addition to complicated projects that are full of factors and designers can find them very challenging. I would also like to design spaces that tells the story of the society and evolves with society's developments and needs.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

TI : The most important thing is to be passionate about design. By being passionate they can become original, by becoming original they will be a copy of themselves where they can express their ideas by their own methodology and way.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

TI : The capability of transmitting the clients and social needs into a space holding his own theory, what makes him even greater is when he/she is capable to apply his/her theory through concepts without repeating him/herself , with his own language and methodology.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

TI : The design is good is when it answers the needs and give a better quality of living. The design is really good when it has a concept and everything in the design is related to the concept, i.e. when the design tells a story and have an exceptional experience.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

TI : Good design means, higher standard in living, advanced life quality, higher productivity, healthier environment, and different experience. if your building a house you want healthier and higher standard of living, if your building commercial or offices building you need efficient environment and higher productivity and space that increase the quality of working for the workers to give you better productivity. These are some examples why everyone should invest in good design.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

TI : I would like to design factories, and the reason behind that is to be capable to rise the quality of work and too prove that increasing the quality of living and to be more efficient is not related to the amount of money spent on the building. If I would have time I would like to study and design the old center of my own town Baakleen, for the reason that I see lots of potentials that people are not investing neither in design or spaces or public squares, as well as how to insert the international language, needs and businesses in an old center that is more than 400 years old.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

TI : My dream project is every project I design, to be able to deliver a space that will interact with the users for a life time. But I always question my self How I would realize a hospitable and how to create space that will relief the patients from their pain, and rise their spirits?

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

TI : Well the is secret is a secret but I will tell you the main ingredients, architecture is not makeup and looks, while creating architecture your creating a space that can be a life changing for human kind. The space that you create is a story that will represent the owners/community life with your own language.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

TI : Well there are so many legends and masters in design that I always keep up my eyes on, and I wish to be like them one day. But I will make the long story short I like the sensitivity of the Spanish, Portuguese schools blended with the approach of the Dutch school.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

TI : I really appreciate the bold yet sensitive designs. I like when the project represent a new story to live or experience. I like thermal baths by Peter Zumthor, I like the theory of Rem koolhass and how he approaches his designs, I like Alberto Campo Baeza works the surprises you get when approaching his buildings example Granada bank. Alvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura projects are another example of what architecture means to me.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

TI : For me every design is as one of my babies, all are great, but I believe the greatest is yet to come. What makes the design great is the story hidden in its space.