Aedas R&D

The principle housing concept for this urban block is Courtyard Housing, which incorporates the concept that each residential unit will have a large screened private courtyard or terrace space. This typology has become a typical in hot arid, climatic landscapes and forms the basis of the urban pattern of medinas of the Islamic world. Apart from the climatic and cultural efficiencies of this plan, its cultural relevance is of equal importance. Courtyards within the masterplan create prominent buffer zones and provide shelter from the heat and humidity throughout the year. They can also act as a means of supporting the building’s natural ventilation strategy by acting as a source of cooler fresh air during the winter.

This plot features 68 residential units consisting of studios, one, two and three bedroom town houses. A common attribute of all the town houses is the living room and kitchen opening onto private, screened courtyards or roof terraces. Each apartment is dual aspect with layouts designed to maximise the cross-ventilation within the unit. Townhouses will be accessed by a series of narrow pathways that surround the central piazza. At the upper levels, screened external walkways will provide access. These narrow pathways will offer shading and natural cooling. They will be hard landscaped using high recycled content and recycled glass or porcelain tiles. The walkways link different blocks on the site to minimise the number of communal lifts and stair wells.