Twelve villas

Situated in the heart of Riyadh, the 12-Villas is a residential complex that adapts to the contemporary urban living lifestyle while learning from the lessons of the past. The challenge was to create a residential block of 7000 sqm, consisting of twelve independent villas that together would form a whole, yet avoiding redundancy and monotony. ​These villas vary slightly in their formal articulation, yet respond to a similar approach of spatial organization. Informed by the grid of the city, the project adapts to its context while responding to its user needs.

Three different residential typologies have been conceived, ranging in size from 535 to 580 sqm, spread over 3 floors with a basement. Each varies in volumetric manipulation and spatial organization, yet respond to similar parameters: the local climate, inhabitants’ needs, and the urban framework. 

The manipulation of the grid, with the intent to introduce a playful, rhythmic pattern,  generates the “Tetris” effect experienced along the street, breaking from the conventional, unintentionally acquired redundancy of neighboring projects, and avoiding the pitfalls of a bland, non-contextual modernism.

The contextuality of the project was reinforced by the use of material and shading elements. Local Riyadh stone acts as the envelope to the pixelated facade, providing an additional layer of insulation. Perforated panels were introduced to provide privacy and climate control,  while giving a contemporary identity to this residential community, in tune with the heritage of the region.