The original brief was rather detailed. A versatile home for a Saudi extended family. An inside-outside feel, incorporating extensive use of glass, wood, and stone, yet without compromising the sensitivity of a conservative culture was the initial drive. In short a modern villa that bears respect to Muslim traditions.
Upon entering the villa, a monumental entrance lobby welcomes guests. Entrance is followed by a large banquet hall that incorporates a walk-in larder, utility and a further lounge/dining area that opens onto a covered patio with additional seating and dining areas. The banquet hall demarcates a division between public-private and male-female realms and regulates movement between the two.
To the right lies the main reception hall, a formal lounge where male guests can enjoy refreshments, smoke, or talk. Reachable through a relatively narrow gallery, the main reception hall creates a sense of depth and surprise.
Walking to the left leads to the family wing, where family functions are distributed as an intimate arrangement of galleries and rooms around small garden fill-ins. The family wing enjoys an external separate access to maximize privacy. Walkways leading to the family dining room or ladies Majlis are completely obscured from the eyes of guests while enjoying an exposure to a serene landscape.
Upper floor is exclusively a family space with 4 bedrooms provided with en-suites and walk-in closets in addition to a master bedroom, a family lounge, and a large outdoor terrace.
The basement contains 12-seat cinema room, play area, and an indoor swimming pool all opening to an outdoor patio.
After careful considerations of the design brief and on account of the team’s well established understanding of the client’s way of life and complexity of requirements through prior projects, the schematic layout of the design was quickly approved by the owner for facilitating the internal circulation while maintaining the total privacy of the family ward and adding grandeur to the formal side of the house.
The original brief was rather detailed. A versatile home for a Saudi extended family. An inside-outside feel, incorporating extensive use of glass, wood, and stone, yet without compromising the sensitivity of a conservative culture was the initial drive. In short a modern villa that bears respect to Muslim traditions.
Upon entering the villa, a monumental entrance lobby welcomes guests. Entrance is followed by a large banquet hall that incorporates a walk-in larder, utility and a further lounge/dining area that opens onto a covered patio with additional seating and dining areas. The banquet hall demarcates a division between public-private and male-female realms and regulates movement between the two.
To the right lies the main reception hall, a formal lounge where male guests can enjoy refreshments, smoke, or talk. Reachable through a relatively narrow gallery, the main reception hall creates a sense of depth and surprise.
Walking to the left leads to the family wing, where family functions are distributed as an intimate arrangement of galleries and rooms around small garden fill-ins. The family wing enjoys an external separate access to maximize privacy. Walkways leading to the family dining room or ladies Majlis are completely obscured from the eyes of guests while enjoying an exposure to a serene landscape.
Upper floor is exclusively a family space with 4 bedrooms provided with en-suites and walk-in closets in addition to a master bedroom, a family lounge, and a large outdoor terrace.
The basement contains 12-seat cinema room, play area, and an indoor swimming pool all opening to an outdoor patio.
After careful considerations of the design brief and on account of the team’s well established understanding of the client’s way of life and complexity of requirements through prior projects, the schematic layout of the design was quickly approved by the owner for facilitating the internal circulation while maintaining the total privacy of the family ward and adding grandeur to the formal side of the house.