Opening Internally
In a country where, unfortunately, residential areas are lacking in greenery and whose desert climate mandates that most houses be painted a neutral color, we are big proponents of the idea that, instead of opening up to the street, a house should “open internally.”
That is why when designing any residential house, one of our primary objectives is to create some form of private communal space. Whether it is a garden or a courtyard, we have found that creating a shared space promotes family life and, at the very least, gives inhabitants something visually pleasing to look at.
With the Leya Villas, our goal was thus to create a communal garden that all members of the house would be able to view from different points in the building. This would encourage a sense of connectivity between each family member and, on a deeper level, allow everyone to become a part of a living narrative larger than themselves.
With the Leya project, this meant that each villa would have their own unique story in the form of their communal garden, which is continuously thriving and full of life (versus if the window shade peered out onto other residential buildings, which are static and motionless).
In creating a communal garden, we ensured each family would not only feel more connected to each other, but also to the space they inhabited. Instead of looking outward, each family could find a simple joy by looking within.
