The Yarmouk private villa is home to two brothers and their
families in Kuwait. The volume is divided in the center of the
plot into two identical units housing the independent quarters
of each of the two families. A series of light wells and balconies
throughout the house, along with a discreet garden space on the
ground floor, focuses on the project’s main narrative of diffused
natural lighting.
The basement of the house and its roof terrace cap the building
with elements of unity and interaction, where the siblings
and their families are able to get together and socialize. The
basement includes a large banquet hall with light wells on
either side to bring in ample natural light. The room, covered
completely in travertine, sets a more classic and elegant
atmosphere for larger gatherings. The basement also includes
parking facilities for 10 cars and a staff quarters, also naturally lit.
outline of client's vision
The clients’ vision was very straightforward but challenging as
it called for a dense program relative to the plot size on a very
restrictive budget. The clients were very specific on the need
for two identical yet completely independent units for the two
families, and dedicated shared areas for interaction. Parking in
the basement was essential due to the dense program and large
footprint that would entail. A shared banquet hall, doubling up
as the Dewaniya, was also part of client’s requirement. Each
unit was to have 5 bedrooms ensuite, a formal living / music
room, family living and dining area, a kids play room and a
large kitchen. Upper floor was also to have a communal reading
space and a pantry. Female staff would be on the second floor
with their own suites and the male staff next to the parking in a
basement suite with clerestory windows to afford natural lighting
and ventilation.
The independent units follow an identical plan although the
form is articulated to disrupt
symmetry. The ground floor
houses the social areas for
each family and is flanked
by a very private garden that
lights up the interiors through
large sliding windows. Vertical
circulation is organized
along the middle of the
house and the living spaces
organized along the building
periphery to maximize natural
light. The first floor houses
the bedrooms in a similar
way along the outer edge,
including a sky-lit communal
area and a kitchenette in the
center.
The materiality of the interiors is driven by the hierarchy of the
space, ranging from a dramatic music room finished in an aptly
titled scandalous marble, to the almost Scandinavian simplicity
of the upper levels that houses the bedrooms, pantry and
the informal reading room. Subtle warm tones, achieved by a
combination of silver travertine cladding with white oil finished
ash parquet, set the mood for the ground floor living and dining
areas.