Twin House

• Location: Abdullah Al Salem, Kuwait

Comprised of two houses with a mirrored plan, each of the homes responds to different urban conditions. To the east, the first house looks onto a narrow internal road, with neighboring houses in close proximity; the second house faces westward onto a high-traffic, main road as well as the hot western sun.

Both homes include a basement, ground floor, first floor, and rooftop. The basement area includes household services and a large multifunction room. On the ground floor, an L-shaped plan encloses an intimate garden and pool area, as well as the house’s main functions, including the living room, dining room, office, and open kitchen. The main sleeping quarters are all located on the first floor, while its occupants enjoy access to a terrace and gym on the roof.

Twin House is designed that addresses a number of relevant social and environmental criteria that are all too often overlooked regionally and locally in residential architecture. It meaningfully tackles privacy concerns and challenges for the Arab family generally and for the residents of this design, especially in relation to its context. The design borrows from a rich regional vernacular and constructively builds upon it to develop robust and cohesive solutions. In the case of privacy, the stone Mashrabiya protects and shields the interior spaces from onlookers and passersby thus offering the family a secluded internal sense of personal space. The stone itself is durable and hardwearing and effectively blocks and reflects the hot sun with its thermal properties and light color.

Twin House’s main design element is driven by the creation of this unique, stone Mashrabiya, a privacy screen that wraps around the perimeter of the first floor. The Mashrabiya, which functions as a sort of stone “skin,” is stretched and manipulated strategically to provide a sense of material continuity that unifies the reading of the facade. The limestone screen adorns the facade and gives the illusion of a stretched fabric whose perforations differ as a response to the spaces shielded behind the screen. In turn, the screen protects the house from the harsh exposure of the sun, as well as shields several private upper spaces from neighbors and passersby.

In that way, the openings and gaps in the stone Mashrabiya become progressively wider to allow light and controlled views to and from changing rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. The remaining windows in are designed as deep-set arched windows that reinforce the theme of curves, arches and undulations as well as simple and clean lines. Allowing for a fusion of modern and traditional design elements based on the Clients’ request.

During the evening, the Mashrabiya functions as a signature design element. Nestled in the cavity between the edge of the house and the Mashrabiya, soft light installations offer a glowing lantern effect that illuminates Twin House at night.