Villa FAD en Riyadh

The FAD Villa in Riyadh is actually a complex of 4 residences grouped together, defining the image of a single single-family residence.

Its composition is organised around a structure of two main volumes. The first, in the shape of an "L", contains the programme of the main dwelling, the second, in the shape of a bar, contains 3 flats that are developed one on top of the other. These two volumes are situated very close to each other and are joined by a third metal and glass volume that houses the main entrance to the dwellings on the main façade and the kitchen, as well as the domestic service spaces on the back façade, while generating a rectangular courtyard measuring 8 metres long by 5 metres wide inside it, towards which the circulation and service spaces of each of the dwellings on the different levels look out.

The two main volumes that generate the structure of the dwelling are conceived through the idea of the space "trapped" between two parallel planes. Its structure is composed of a system of stone walls of different textures and finishes, mostly blind, that generate the living space of the dwellings, whose projection towards the exterior is materialised as façade fronts of large windows and planters situated behind the protection of a system of external metallic shutters. At the top, on the second floor, and set back from the lower levels, is a metallic block that once again connects the two main volumes.

The exterior spaces have been conceived in close relation to the material concept of the project's stone foundation. On the perimeter, a system of staggered gardens has been developed that surrounds the entire north front of the house, providing privacy and shelter for the interior spaces, which are in turn open towards it. The vegetation and the water surfaces configure the different areas of the perimeter, taking into account the location of the accesses and openings in the façade. In the garden terrace on the first floor, we once again work with a "three-dimensional" garden that envelopes the northern perimeter of the terrace, once again generating a belt of vegetation and water planes that embraces the interior spaces, open to the outside, while generating rest and meeting areas in its structure.