Journal
Short pieces from the studio about what we learn on site and at the drawing table.
Shade is the first room of a Gulf house. We draw it before we draw the walls.
Deep overhangs, screens and courtyards let a house open up without overheating. A south wall in shadow is worth more than any air-conditioning upgrade.
We model the sun for every plot in the first week, then place the living rooms where the light is soft in the afternoon.
Quiet is not only about sound. It is texture, colour and how light lands on a surface.
Lime plaster, oiled timber and woven textiles soften light and echo. Polished surfaces do the opposite.
We build sample boards on site, in the real light, before anything is ordered.
A weekly site visit catches in an hour what a drawing review misses in a month.
Levels, openings, waterproofing and the line of every wall against the drawings — then photos to the client the same afternoon.
Small fixes on a Wednesday are cheap. The same fixes at handover are not.
Not every house gets one, but every plan starts by asking where it would go.
A courtyard gives air, light and privacy at the same time. Even a narrow city plot can hold a small one.
When a project truly has no room for it, the idea moves into a shaded terrace or a double-height hall.