Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE · Branded villas · 2024 — 2025 · FACE Architecture + Design

Mercedes-Maybach Villas

Two large and six small villas on a long landscaped strip: curved, cantilevered decks, a car court that doubles as a showroom, a public ground floor over a private first floor.

Location: Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE
Year: 2024 — 2025
Sector: Residential — Branded Villas
Status: Pre-concept submitted, January 2025
Role: Design Lead — under the Design Director

The project

Maybach's identity — understated luxury, comfort and privacy, customisation, craftsmanship — was the brief. The pre-concept translated it into space: a restrained palette of stone, wood and metal; plots buffered and turned inward so that privacy comes from the plan rather than from walls; bespoke options in materials, colour and spatial use; and a level of detail that treats the villa like the car.

The work ran as one continuous argument from the plot to the plan. The 366-metre site was read against its roads and neighbours and divided into two large and six small plots; the mass was formed in three moves — the permitted volume, an internalised community around shared landscape, a private/public split — and two site-plan options tested the row before each villa type was drawn with its area statement.

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — street front with the entrance gate — Render — street front with the entrance gate

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — front three-quarter view with the car court — Render — front three-quarter view with the car court

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — corner view — ribbon balconies and the garden wall — Render — corner view — ribbon balconies and the garden wall

Render — Aerial — the row of villas along the landscaped spine

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — Aerial detail — courtyard and car court — Render — Aerial detail — courtyard and car court

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — rear terrace — Render — rear terrace

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — pool terrace from the garden — Render — pool terrace from the garden

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — pool with stepped decks — Render — pool with stepped decks

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — pool and sun deck — Render — pool and sun deck

“Understated luxury: a restrained palette of stone, wood and metal.”

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — covered dining terrace — Render — covered dining terrace

Render — covered lounge terrace

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — courtyard lounge — Render — courtyard lounge

Mercedes-Maybach Villas — Render — night elevation along the row — Render — night elevation along the row

Process

The pre-concept ran as one continuous argument, from the plot to the plan: read the site, form the mass, set the public and private floors, then draw each villa type.

Site

A 119,000 sq ft strip in Nad Al Sheba — 366 m long and 30 m deep — read against its roads and neighbours, then divided into two large and six small plots.

Site location
Context zoning and site access
Site boundary and plot divisions
Site photographs

Concept

Mass formation in three moves: the permitted built mass, an internalised community turned in on shared landscape, and a private/public split across each plot. Two site-plan options tested the row, and bubble diagrams fixed a public ground floor under a private first floor.

Mass formation — built mass, internalised community, private and public
Site plan — option 1
Site plan — option 2
Bubble diagram — ground floor
Bubble diagram — first floor

Large villa

2,205 m² total built-up area, 1,345 m² above ground: formal and family wings around the pool, a basement with garage, and a roof lounge. The ground floor was drawn with and without a car lift.

Ground floor plan — without car lift
Ground floor plan — with car lift
First floor plan
Roof plan
Basement plan

Small villa

921 m² total built-up area across ground, first, basement and a roof gym, on the 12,000 sq ft plots.

Ground floor plan
First floor plan
Roof plan
Basement plan

What I did

Led the pre-concept design under the design director
Read the 366-metre site against its roads and neighbours and set the plot division
Developed the three massing moves and two site-plan options
Drew each villa type with its area statement
Translated the Maybach brand values into a material and spatial language

Colophon

Location: Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE
Year: 2024 — 2025
Sector: Residential — Branded Villas
Typology: Branded villas
Status: Pre-concept submitted, January 2025
Role: Design Lead — under the Design Director
Client: Gargash Group · Mercedes-Maybach
Site Area: 119,382 sq ft (≈ 11,090 m²)
Storeys: B + G + 1 + Roof
Programme: 2 large villas (2,205 m² BUA) and 6 small villas (921 m² BUA)