Producing higher value spaces for our clients is fundamental to our design philosophy. In a traditional scheme for this 1.5-million-square-foot hotel and residential development in Dubai, half the units would face the sea and half inland. Yet by pushing conventional design thinking, we developed a geometric form to give every residence a sea view for a greater return on development investment.

The crescent shape forms an abstract depiction of the Hand of Fatima and is derived specifically from our site, space, and view analysis. An integrated brise soleil is then layered over the sculptural form, featuring deep overhangs for shade during the hottest hours of the day, providing privacy between units and creating an architectural frame for the view from each suite. Sunlight is exploited on the back façade to generate solar-powered energy, and additional passive design strategies harness the environment to provide comfort and to reduce energy and operating costs.

To make the site feel larger and part of the wider environment, we blurred its edges with the adjacent green space and beachscape, borrowing views and extending native planting right up to the building’s edge and into the open center of its mixed-use podium. The building mass sits along two sides of the site perimeter, allowing for a luxurious landscaped garden with swimming pools, hospitality, and well-being spaces.