Architecture—04 / 24

AH Residence

Cairo, Egypt/Private villa/2022 — Current/Alchemy Design Studio

A private house that behaves like a small hotel: guest sequence, family quarters and service all separated, all on one continuous plan.

AH Residence — The garden extends the entertaining programme into a series of rooms around water. — 01The garden extends the entertaining programme into a series of rooms around water.

Location: Cairo, Egypt
Year: 2022 — Current
Sector: Residential
Scope: RIBA Stages 1–4 — concept to technical design
Status: Completed

My contribution

My role: Senior Design Architect
Responsibility: RIBA Stages 1–4 — concept to technical design

Key contributions

Led RIBA Stages 1–4 under the Design Director
Developed the planning strategy for a complex programme
Directed massing, façade and 3D development
Worked with structural, MEP, landscape and lighting specialists
Reviewed coordinated and workshop drawings
Set the exterior material palette

The project

The programme is unusually complex for a house — entertaining spaces that work at scale, family areas that stay private, and service routes that never cross either. The plan resolves them in layers across levels, so guests move through a curated sequence while the family keeps its own territory.

Massing, façade iterations and 3D compositions were developed to hold a single refined language across all of it, then taken into Stage 4 documentation with structural, MEP, landscape and lighting specialists.

AH Residence — Solid stone volumes protect the arrival, opening only where the entrance needs to be clear. — 02Solid stone volumes protect the arrival, opening only where the entrance needs to be clear.

02Solid stone volumes protect the arrival, opening only where the entrance needs to be clear.

AH Residence — The boundary and upper volumes work together to keep the street side private. — 03The boundary and upper volumes work together to keep the street side private.

AH Residence — Concealed lighting traces the entrance composition without flattening the stone surfaces. — 04Concealed lighting traces the entrance composition without flattening the stone surfaces.

AH Residence — Broad terraces let the garden-facing rooms expand beyond their glazed walls. — 05Broad terraces let the garden-facing rooms expand beyond their glazed walls.

AH Residence — Lighting beneath the overhangs keeps the outdoor rooms usable as the garden darkens. — 06Lighting beneath the overhangs keeps the outdoor rooms usable as the garden darkens.

AH Residence — The long pool edge ties several entertaining areas to one shared outlook. — 07The long pool edge ties several entertaining areas to one shared outlook.

07The long pool edge ties several entertaining areas to one shared outlook.

AH Residence — A corner deck gives outdoor seating its own place beside the main terrace. — 08A corner deck gives outdoor seating its own place beside the main terrace.

AH Residence — The covered living area carries the scale of the interior out into the garden. — 09The covered living area carries the scale of the interior out into the garden.

AH Residence — Furniture gathers beneath the overhang, leaving an uninterrupted view across the lawn. — 10Furniture gathers beneath the overhang, leaving an uninterrupted view across the lawn.

10Furniture gathers beneath the overhang, leaving an uninterrupted view across the lawn.

AH Residence — Small platforms let individual seating groups occupy the water's edge. — 11Small platforms let individual seating groups occupy the water's edge.

AH Residence — Light beneath the platforms makes their separation from the pool legible after dark. — 12Light beneath the platforms makes their separation from the pool legible after dark.

AH Residence — Lowering the fire lounge creates a close gathering space within the larger garden. — 13Lowering the fire lounge creates a close gathering space within the larger garden.

13Lowering the fire lounge creates a close gathering space within the larger garden.

“A private house that behaves like a small hotel.”

AH Residence — A shared hearth gives the sunken seating its focus for evening use. — 14A shared hearth gives the sunken seating its focus for evening use.

AH Residence — The garden pavilion allows dining and conversation to take place away from the main house. — 15The garden pavilion allows dining and conversation to take place away from the main house.

AH Residence — A single roof holds the pavilion's different uses together after sunset. — 16A single roof holds the pavilion's different uses together after sunset.

AH Residence — Planting and stepped paths soften the transition to the lower garden level. — 17Planting and stepped paths soften the transition to the lower garden level.

AH Residence — Light along the lower paths makes the changes in level part of the evening garden. — 18Light along the lower paths makes the changes in level part of the evening garden.

AH Residence — The pool garden balances open water with smaller islands for rest and conversation. — 19The pool garden balances open water with smaller islands for rest and conversation.

AH Residence — A narrow band of water separates the house terrace from the lawn, crossed at deliberate points. — 20A narrow band of water separates the house terrace from the lawn, crossed at deliberate points.

20A narrow band of water separates the house terrace from the lawn, crossed at deliberate points.

Process

Planning for a complex programme across three levels of a 4,300 m² site, keeping privacy and circulation legible from arrival to the pool terrace. FF&E direction was developed alongside the architecture.

DWG 01Ground floor — the house follows the angled plot while its principal rooms face the garden.
DWG 02First floor — the bedroom arrangement continues around the central stair and open spaces below.
DWG 03Basement — recreation, parking and services are fitted within the irregular building footprint.
DWG 04Outdoor furniture — low seating groups support several gathering areas along the terrace.
DWG 05Pavilion selection — a slatted enclosure gives the outdoor room both shade and a defined edge.
DWG 06Poolside furniture — loungers and informal seating offer different ways to occupy the deck.

Colophon

Location: Cairo, Egypt
Year: 2022 — Current
Sector: Residential
Typology: Private villa
Scope: RIBA Stages 1–4 — concept to technical design
Status: Completed
Role: Senior Design Architect
Client: Private owner
Site Area: 4,300 m²
Storeys: B + G + 1
Software: AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe CC