Monolithic House

To create a quality living experience and redefine the image of a residential building in Jeddah, while maintaining the climate requirements and cultural aspects, were the main design challenges. The conceptual idea was to explore the architecture relation between indoor and outdoor spaces, through a composition of three main masses that were shifted to create semi-enclosed external courts inspired from Arabic traditional houses, to enjoy natural daylight and landscape views all throughout the year. Resort feeling, luxurious experience and minimal design was the main goals while designing this project, achieved by creating pure masses with neat spaces while considering visual, environmental and cultural aspects, to provide a relaxing experience. Inspired by “Traditional Mashrabiya”, the project envelope was designed to create a dialogue between closed, opened and semi-opened surfaces providing the privacy needs dictated by the Arab culture. The semi-transparent screens, with old Saudi patterns, have been used to give a dynamic visual interaction, guaranteeing privacy and shading on the south façade, and regulating the entry of sunlight by motorized openable system, while always allowing natural ventilation and creating a lively atmosphere to spaces, made up of plays of light and shadow, that move during the day. Furthermore its light color allows the natural reflection of sun-rays, favoring the reduction in AC use, while maintaining a very high level of aesthetics and originality also ensured by the use of few materials: stone, metal and glass and by bright colors palette, warm and naturals tones that dominate the house. Dynamic experience has been further improved by creating different focal points that can be seen while moving between spaces. Main entrance indirect approach that was inspired by old houses, is an example of this unique experience, while moving between solid, greenery and traditional patterns. Creating internal natural ventilation was one of the main design challenges. Due to design regulations, the project must be built in the north side of the plot while having the landscape in the south, which means giving our back to the good wind coming from North-West. To overcome this challenge we have shifted the main mass to the east and designed the north elevation with inclined wall, providing the needed natural ventilation inside the main green court which acts as a wind tunnel. While designing this project we thought to create a signature element that can express our feelings regarding nature, and after deep thinking we found that nothing is better and more valuable than a “Tree”.