Architecture—06 / 24

Zoya Ghazala Bay

Ghazala Bay, North Coast, Egypt/Coastal resort/2022 — 2023/Alchemy Design Studio (for LMD)

Whitewashed volumes under floating roofs, screened terraces and shaded courts around a lagoon: one language for a boutique hotel, its cabins and three residential types.

01The lagoon extends the experience of the shoreline deep into the development.

Location: Ghazala Bay, North Coast, Egypt
Year: 2022 — 2023
Sector: Hospitality / Residential
Scope: Concept to IFC
Status: Under development — first phases delivered

01The lagoon extends the experience of the shoreline deep into the development.

My contribution

My role: Senior Design Architect — design lead under the Design Director
Responsibility: Concept to IFC

Key contributions

Led the design from concept through IFC under the design director
Set the look and feel and carried it into the Rituals Hotel cabins and main building, villas, townhouses and beach cabanas
Kept each type compact so terraces, not corridors, take the frontage
Modelled the cabins and main building in Revit so the schematic set went straight to coordination

The project

Zoya takes its name from the Greek zoē, life, and the brief was to make a 134-acre shoreline feel like one place rather than a catalogue of unit types. The look and feel was set first — plaster, timber screens, floating roofs, water always within reach — and then carried into the architecture of the Rituals Hotel cabins and main building, the villas, the townhouses and the beach cabanas.

Each type was kept compact so terraces, not corridors, take the frontage, and every cluster is placed to keep a line of sight to the lagoon or the sea. The cabins and main building were modelled in Revit so the schematic set could go straight to coordination; the first phases are now built.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Across Ghazala Bay, clustered development leaves the coast as the masterplan's primary reference. — 02Across Ghazala Bay, clustered development leaves the coast as the masterplan's primary reference.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The built phases begin to establish the relationship between compact homes and generous shared water. — 03The built phases begin to establish the relationship between compact homes and generous shared water.

03The built phases begin to establish the relationship between compact homes and generous shared water.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Completed terraces meet the lagoon directly, making outdoor space part of the everyday plan. — 04Completed terraces meet the lagoon directly, making outdoor space part of the everyday plan.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The lagoon provides a common outlook for the first phase of homes. — 05The lagoon provides a common outlook for the first phase of homes.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Planted paths separate private terraces from the shared route along the water. — 06Planted paths separate private terraces from the shared route along the water.

06Planted paths separate private terraces from the shared route along the water.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — A projecting entrance roof brings shade to a compact threshold without enlarging the enclosed plan. — 07A projecting entrance roof brings shade to a compact threshold without enlarging the enclosed plan.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The low coastal edge leaves the beach open to the sea and the sky. — 08The low coastal edge leaves the beach open to the sea and the sky.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Lightweight shade structures keep the beach usable while maintaining clear access to the water. — 09Lightweight shade structures keep the beach usable while maintaining clear access to the water.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The proposed hotel cabins use the lagoon as their shared frontage. — 10The proposed hotel cabins use the lagoon as their shared frontage.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — A deep, curved canopy extends the hotel lounge into a sheltered outdoor room. — 11A deep, curved canopy extends the hotel lounge into a sheltered outdoor room.

11A deep, curved canopy extends the hotel lounge into a sheltered outdoor room.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The low roofline keeps the hotel in scale with the cabins around the lagoon. — 12The low roofline keeps the hotel in scale with the cabins around the lagoon.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The road-facing elevation gathers the hotel programme behind a restrained, continuous composition. — 13The road-facing elevation gathers the hotel programme behind a restrained, continuous composition.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — A broad roof and planted edge mediate between the building and the approach road. — 14A broad roof and planted edge mediate between the building and the approach road.

14A broad roof and planted edge mediate between the building and the approach road.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The lagoon-facing rooms open onto a common band of outdoor seating. — 15The lagoon-facing rooms open onto a common band of outdoor seating.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The villa's curved roof carries shelter past the glass line to the terrace. — 16The villa's curved roof carries shelter past the glass line to the terrace.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — One roof ties together enclosed rooms and the outdoor spaces facing the lawn. — 17One roof ties together enclosed rooms and the outdoor spaces facing the lawn.

17One roof ties together enclosed rooms and the outdoor spaces facing the lawn.

“Every cluster keeps a line of sight to water.”

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The pool wraps the sitting terrace, making water part of its immediate setting. — 18The pool wraps the sitting terrace, making water part of its immediate setting.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — A more enclosed street side allows the villa to open generously towards its private garden. — 19A more enclosed street side allows the villa to open generously towards its private garden.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The depth of the roof continues to define the outdoor room after sunset. — 20The depth of the roof continues to define the outdoor room after sunset.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Compact cabanas line the lagoon, leaving a long shared view towards the sea. — 21Compact cabanas line the lagoon, leaving a long shared view towards the sea.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Terraces occupy the frontage so the smallest units still have a generous place outdoors. — 22Terraces occupy the frontage so the smallest units still have a generous place outdoors.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — A patterned tower marks the gap between cabanas and helps orient movement through the cluster. — 23A patterned tower marks the gap between cabanas and helps orient movement through the cluster.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The curved corner softens the transition from enclosed cabin to open terrace. — 24The curved corner softens the transition from enclosed cabin to open terrace.

24The curved corner softens the transition from enclosed cabin to open terrace.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Timber screens bring privacy to the terrace without removing its connection to the lagoon. — 25Timber screens bring privacy to the terrace without removing its connection to the lagoon.

25Timber screens bring privacy to the terrace without removing its connection to the lagoon.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — Evening light follows the lagoon's curves, linking the separate cabana clusters across the water. — 26Evening light follows the lagoon's curves, linking the separate cabana clusters across the water.

Zoya Ghazala Bay — The patterned tower becomes a softly lit marker within the low-rise nightscape. — 27The patterned tower becomes a softly lit marker within the low-rise nightscape.

Process

Plans from the schematic set — the cabana clusters on the lagoon, the Rituals Hotel cabin cluster and single cabin, the beach cabin, the one-storey villa and the townhouse rows — each type kept compact so terraces, not corridors, take the frontage.

DWG 01Cabana site plan — short rows frame the lagoon while leaving routes through to the beach.
DWG 02Cabana clusters — repeated rooms share an outdoor edge without enclosing the whole site.
DWG 03Hotel cluster — a compact service zone leaves the main room open towards its terrace.
DWG 04Single cabin — the room stretches from an enclosed bathroom to a broad outdoor threshold.
DWG 05Beach cabin — the narrow plan separates sleeping above from living and terrace space below.
DWG 06Villa plan — a long arrangement of rooms follows the garden, with a separate smaller pavilion.
DWG 07Townhouse plans — paired homes each open towards their own garden and pool.

Colophon

Location: Ghazala Bay, North Coast, Egypt
Year: 2022 — 2023
Sector: Hospitality / Residential
Typology: Coastal resort
Scope: Concept to IFC
Status: Under development — first phases delivered
Role: Senior Design Architect — design lead under the Design Director
Client: LMD
Site Area: 134 acres
Components: Rituals Hotel cabins & main building, villas, townhouses, beach cabanas
Software: Revit, AutoCAD, Adobe CC