Interior Design—03 / 11

AK Residence

Al Ain, UAE/Villa Interiors/2022 — Current/Alchemy Design Studio — MFA

A sculptural stair, a gallery running around the void, arched openings and a warm stone-and-timber palette — the interior counterpart to the courtyard house.

AK Residence — The stair makes vertical movement part of the living hall's everyday activity. — 01The stair makes vertical movement part of the living hall's everyday activity.

Location: Al Ain, UAE
Year: 2022 — Current
Sector: Residential
Scope: Concept to IFC, including FF&E
Status: On site

My contribution

My role: Senior Design Architect — design lead
Responsibility: Concept to IFC, including FF&E

Key contributions

Led the interiors from concept through IFC as design lead
Carried the timber and stone language from the architecture into the interior
Directed FF&E
Set the lighting direction
Coordinated the technical package

The project

The house is organised around one room: a double-height living hall crossed by a curved stair, with a gallery running around the void above and the library wall rising the full height beside it. Everything else — entrance hall, formal living, dining, the sunken family lounge — opens off it through arched openings, so the plan reads as a sequence of rooms around a single volume of light.

The palette is held to warm stone, dark timber joinery, bronze and sheer drapery, with dense joinery walls giving each room its rhythm. The stair geometry, the acoustics of the double-height volume and the joinery packages were resolved through the technical stage so the drawn intent survived into construction.

AK Residence — An upper gallery connects the rooms through a shared volume of light. — 02An upper gallery connects the rooms through a shared volume of light.

AK Residence — Furniture defines a close conversational group within the scale of the double-height room. — 03Furniture defines a close conversational group within the scale of the double-height room.

AK Residence — Tall joinery carries the room's rhythm upwards, balancing the openness of the glazed wall. — 04Tall joinery carries the room's rhythm upwards, balancing the openness of the glazed wall.

AK Residence — The living hall remains connected to the garden along its full height. — 05The living hall remains connected to the garden along its full height.

05The living hall remains connected to the garden along its full height.

AK Residence — Arched recesses introduce a softer rhythm above the entrance hall's stone-lined walls. — 06Arched recesses introduce a softer rhythm above the entrance hall's stone-lined walls.

06Arched recesses introduce a softer rhythm above the entrance hall's stone-lined walls.

AK Residence — A clear axis through the entrance lets the next room remain visible from arrival. — 07A clear axis through the entrance lets the next room remain visible from arrival.

AK Residence — Broad thresholds allow the entrance hall to open gradually into the spaces around it. — 08Broad thresholds allow the entrance hall to open gradually into the spaces around it.

AK Residence — Arched windows give each seating group a framed relationship with the garden. — 09Arched windows give each seating group a framed relationship with the garden.

AK Residence — The formal room is arranged as several conversations within one continuous architectural order. — 10The formal room is arranged as several conversations within one continuous architectural order.

AK Residence — Dining sits beside the planted stair, bringing the change in level into the room's setting. — 11Dining sits beside the planted stair, bringing the change in level into the room's setting.

11Dining sits beside the planted stair, bringing the change in level into the room's setting.

AK Residence — A concentrated cluster of pendants gives the long dining table its own scale. — 12A concentrated cluster of pendants gives the long dining table its own scale.

AK Residence — Repeated arches turn circulation into a measured sequence between rooms. — 13Repeated arches turn circulation into a measured sequence between rooms.

“One room of light, and every other room opening onto it.”

AK Residence — Planting occupies the stair landings, making the transition between levels a place in its own right. — 14Planting occupies the stair landings, making the transition between levels a place in its own right.

14Planting occupies the stair landings, making the transition between levels a place in its own right.

AK Residence — Art and joinery give the gallery a purpose beyond movement through the house. — 15Art and joinery give the gallery a purpose beyond movement through the house.

AK Residence — A full-height library anchors the family room while low furniture keeps the centre open. — 16A full-height library anchors the family room while low furniture keeps the centre open.

AK Residence — The recessed display is treated as part of the joinery, giving a personal object an architectural setting. — 17The recessed display is treated as part of the joinery, giving a personal object an architectural setting.

17The recessed display is treated as part of the joinery, giving a personal object an architectural setting.

AK Residence — The garage is planned as a display space, with lighting and circulation arranged around the collection. — 18The garage is planned as a display space, with lighting and circulation arranged around the collection.

Process

DWG 01Ground Floor Plan — living spaces and outdoor rooms are arranged around the central open court.
DWG 02First Floor Plan — bedroom wings retain the court as the organising void of the house.
DWG 03Basement Plan — shared rooms occupy the centre, with smaller support spaces grouped along the edges.

Colophon

Location: Al Ain, UAE
Year: 2022 — Current
Sector: Residential
Typology: Villa Interiors
Scope: Concept to IFC, including FF&E
Status: On site
Role: Senior Design Architect — design lead