Articles by Hana Abdel

‘Merging The Sky with The Ground’ – This house is situated in a small village called Belagon Dhaga near Nashik City. The owners of the land are primarily farmers by profession and specialize in grape farming. They wanted to build a new house on the farmland. The site possesses a very scenic setting against the mountains far beyond, the adjacent grape farms, mango and banana plantations, and agricultural lands nearby providing a peaceful retreat from the fast and noisy urban life. The requirement was for a 4-bedroom house with spacious living and outdoor use areas and well-equipped private spaces. They especially wanted a blend of contemporary as well as traditional styles of architecture, in terms of spatial planning as well as visual expression of the structure is concerned. the zoning of the spaces was required to follow the Indian Vastu principles, but they particularly did not want a typical, confined, rectangular-type of architectural massing for the external appearance of the residence. The challenge and desire were to work out an architectural and interior solution that would try to fulfill these aspects.

Screen House is a contemporary family home with a close connection to nature and landscape. Located on a deep plot, the building footprint is set back to allow the crafting of a generous ground floor purposefully designed for hosting family gatherings and entertainment, with a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor spaces. A sense of arrival is crafted by the experience of walking through the covered barbeque terrace, before entering the double-volume height living space.

Regionally located, the homeowners wished for a second city home to maintain a connection with friends, family and the excitement and amenities of urban life. A new build tailored for brief stays, the Hotel House dissects the components of a boutique hospitality experience – encompassing glamour, convenience, cultural immersion, and meticulous attention to detail – to devise an elevated architecture and interior framework for their holiday retreat.

In Dopendar, we faced two challenges: first, viewing architecture as a cultural matter, and second, the two different perspectives of Hamed and Motahareh as the project clients regarding the house in their imagination. On the one hand, our point of view for reading the traditional architecture of Yazd and its relationship with contemporaneity, and on the other hand, the dual economic and social conditions of the society and its effect on the sensitivity of employers to fulfill their desires and tastes, which cannot be hidden, made the situation difficult.

In Dopendar, we faced two challenges: first, viewing architecture as a cultural matter, and second, the two different perspectives of Hamed and Motahareh as the project clients regarding the house in their imagination. On the one hand, our point of view for reading the traditional architecture of Yazd and its relationship with contemporaneity, and on the other hand, the dual economic and social conditions of the society and its effect on the sensitivity of employers to fulfill their desires and tastes, which cannot be hidden, made the situation difficult.