▪ INFORMATION

DATE : 2012 – 2015

STATUS : COMPLETED

LOCATION : RAWDA, KUWAIT

AREA : 2100 SQRM

PROGRAM : RESIDENTIAL COMPOUND

▪ AWARDS & RECOGNITION

1. AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE PRIZE, 2017 - RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE - NEW YORK, USA

2. INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS, 2017 - NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, BRONZE - LOS ANGELES, USA

3. AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE, 2019 - NOMINATED FOR 14th CYCLE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

▪ DESCRIPTION

RESIDENTIAL NASIMA aims to question the essential realization of an ever modernizing and homogenizing surrounding urban context. As Kuwait City moves towards drastic and rapid modernization, the architectural values that should protect the culture, traditions of the city, and the individual are starting to disintegrate. To instigate the debate of preserving culture while allowing progress, RESIDENTIAL NASIMA blends into the city fabric. The parti takes inspiration from the historical natural landscape and urban clusters, while providing a provoking contemporary design solution in contrast to it.

RESIDENTIAL NASIMA sets out to question two typical archetypes seen throughout Kuwait City and the region - standard, rectilinear, symmetrical city plot dimensions, and the abundant use of native stone and white concrete. The design works backwards from the basic volume of the zoning envelope - essentially the cube. Then the monolithic volume is chiseled through a series of cuts informing internal use, sun shading, and access.

The final design encompasses over 6000 square meters of built area and provides for 8 unique residential rental units each comprised of a basement with storage rooms, a guest room that can turn into a multipurpose gathering room or in the traditional Kuwaiti culture a "Diwaniya", driver and chef rooms, and also basement outdoor area to allow fresh air and natural light in. A ground floor with main entrance, a garage for 2 cars, living room, dining room, guest WC, and a kitchen. A first floor with 3 en-suite bedrooms, living room, kitchenette. A second floor with the WD amenities, maids rooms and additional storages. Each unit has a core with an elevator to consider handicap, front or a back outdoor gardens and of course tied with looping balconies and a cohesively continuous skyline.