Hawi
Project Overview:
Set on a 400-square-meter plot in Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, this private villa utilizes a central courtyard typology to respond directly to the region's environmental conditions and cultural need for privacy.
The three-story program features ground-floor living and guest reception areas, first-floor private bedrooms, and an upper entertainment annex. Crucially, the home is designed for long-term adaptability—the layout is completely future-proofed, allowing the master suite to seamlessly relocate to the ground floor so the clients can comfortably age in place.
Type: Private villa
Scope: Architectural design
Year: 2024
Location: Hufuf, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia
Land area: 400 m2
Site & Context:
Situated within an emerging residential neighborhood, the site is bounded by a 25-meter street to the east and adjacent plots on the remaining sides, notably including a southern parcel also owned by the client. Directly across the eastern street, a planned recreational spine—featuring a public park, walking tracks, and playgrounds—will provide a vibrant green buffer and open views between the villa and the broader residential fabric beyond.
Sun Path & Wind Direction:
The site’s eastern orientation welcomes gentle morning sunlight, but its exposure quickly becomes a challenge. Because the adjacent southern plot remains unbuilt, the property is subjected to continuous, harsh solar exposure from dawn until dusk, demanding a deliberate architectural response to mitigate excessive solar heat gain. Furthermore, existing structures on the northern and western boundaries obstruct the prevailing northwest winds, presenting a natural ventilation challenge that the courtyard typology must actively resolve.
Reading Local Architecture:
The site’s eastern orientation welcomes gentle morning sunlight, but its exposure quickly becomes a challenge. Because the adjacent southern plot remains unbuilt, the property is subjected to continuous, harsh solar exposure from dawn until dusk, demanding a deliberate architectural response to mitigate excessive solar heat gain. Furthermore, existing structures on the northern and western boundaries obstruct the prevailing northwest winds, presenting a natural ventilation challenge that the courtyard typology must actively resolve.
Program Diagram:
The spatial arrangement directly responds to site conditions and client requirements, anchored by a central courtyard on the ground floor. Service areas are pushed to the south to act as a thermal buffer, reserving the cooler north and east orientations for the primary living spaces to minimize solar heat gain. The front of the first floor is supported by columns to frame the courtyard below and direct sightlines inward. The resulting massing creates a self-shading structure that ensures external privacy while opening up expansive views within the home.
Ground Floor Solution:
Designed for long-term adaptability, the ground floor allows the clients to comfortably age in place. The open-plan living area features two multi-purpose rooms, one preemptively designed to convert into a future ground-floor master suite. By positioning the staircase near the entrance, the upper level can be easily accessed or entirely isolated as needs change.
To balance connection and privacy, the family living space opens to a central courtyard, while the guest quarters face a secluded side courtyard. Outside, the boundary wall is recessed to create an inviting threshold with built-in seating. Both this welcoming entry sequence and the interior zoning reinterpret the traditional architecture of Al-Ahsa through a contemporary lens.
First Floor Layout:
The first floor is dedicated to private quarters, featuring bedrooms, a central family sitting area, and a laundry room. Service cores are efficiently stacked along one side, maximizing the remaining floor plate for the bedrooms. To ensure privacy, the master suite is separated from the children’s rooms by a corridor that wraps around and encloses the upper volume of the central courtyard.
Both the master suite and the sitting area feature an Agasi—a traditional Al-Ahsa architectural element. Functioning as an outdoor extension of the floor plate, the Agasi projects inward to overlook the courtyard below, seamlessly blending cultural heritage with the home's spatial experience.
Annex Floor Layout:
The annex floor contains supportive functions all placed in the back of the building away from the courtyard to maintain a proper proportion between the ground floor and the first floor in the courtyard.
Section A-A: vertical X horizontal visual connection
Visual connection throughout the ground floor from the guest entry till the living area passing through the courtyard. Several user scenarios across the floors are visually intersecting. Dedicating the back of the roof deck for the water tank and heaters, made the front roof clear to be utilized for activities.
Section B-B: Glimpses in the stairs
The sitting area on the first floor can be seen from the three landings of the stairs when moving through it. The vertical opening in the stairs is designed to fit an elevator in case it is desired by the buyer.
Exterior finishes:
Colors and finishes were carefully selected for distinguishing the project from the surrounding
Color: Beige shades that suits local weather and differs from the white colors that is used in the surrounding.
Textures: Contrasting matte and smooth with roughness creating internal material contrast that frames some architectural elements in the design.
Material finishes: Porcelain tiles for the exterior and outdoor pavement. Beige exterior paint, and perforated breeze block used in the front balcony to provide privacy and allow airflow.
Section C-C: a private courtyard
The repetition of the units achieves an enclosure in the courtyard. Placing services on one side and the courtyard on the other side, results a block of neighbors’ views and noise at each courtyard.
Internally, the balcony in the master suite overlooks the courtyard and the living area. This adds a social layer to a private room where the users can interact with the outside without compromising privacy.
The Entrance:
The curved language starts from the entry; reflecting on door openings, steps, landscape, and massing.
The Outdoor Sitting area:
The upper balcony extends over the outdoor sitting area shading. A fan is mounted in the ceiling of the sitting area to circulate the air in the courtyard during humidity season.
The Courtyard:
After passing the guest entry in the front, the house opens up with a private courtyard that provides light, air, and views to the family zone. The courtyard connects the parking to the storage in the kitchen.
Views:
The master suite, upper corridor, and a bedroom overlook the private courtyard.
The Guest Reception:
The guest reception opens to a lush garden in the front of the property. Internally, the reception opens to a flexible dining area that can be isolated by a sliding door. All the services of the guest area are hidden behind the entry in the opposite side.
The Corridor:
The transition between the front and the back of the house is through a corridor that opens to the courtyard and takes the same curved language established in the entry.
The Living Area:
After passing the corridor, the space opens up in the living area facing the courtyard. The area consists of an open kitchen with a casual dining table facing the family sitting area. All the services (kitchen, storage, and maid’s room) are concealed behind a frameless door.
Living Area Visual Connection:
The family area is visually connected to the balcony in the master suite in the first floor and the outdoor sitting area. A glimpse of the stair is visible, while the family bathroom and washing basin are hidden behind a solid wall in the left of the image.
