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Shell House
Shell House
Kuwait
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Other Projects by AlHumaidhi Architects
Shell House
Kuwait
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2025
SIZE
10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft
In the stillness of the dunes, architecture finds its rhythm: timeless, grounded, and bold. Such is the journey of this residence in Kuwait City's Abdullah Al-Salem suburb, where raw textures and curved forms redefine the essence of modern architecture. Sprawling 1,788 sq m, the house reimagines the vocabulary of softness, light, and spatial layering while rethinking the archetype of the courtyard residence through a rotational massing strategy that engages both site and climate.
The project’s defining move by AlHumaidhi Architects — the near 90-degree rotation of successive floor plates — establishes a spiraling geometry that produces terraces, deep overhangs, and shaded voids. This deliberate twisting of volumes reduces solar gain, enhances cross-ventilation, and allows framed vistas across the dense urban fabric.
“The rotation of floor plates creates terraces with rooftop gardens, covered outdoor spaces, and framed views that adapt to the environment throughout the day. By offering shade and reducing the heat gain, these architectural elements, along with deep-set windows and long overhangs, support the design's strong sustainability angle. Together with green roofing and layered plants of drought-tolerant species, it creates a variety of microclimates that adapt organically to Kuwait's climate extremes,” explains Abdulaziz AlHumaidhi, Founder of AlHumaidhi Architects. Further, the setbacks are also planted with cascading vegetation that adds privacy and filters sunlight into the interior spaces, creating dynamic shadows and improving thermal comfort throughout the year.
Creating the illusion of a single-storey structure lies the facade with its curved design and earthy colour palettes, mimicking Kuwait’s desert tones. It employs custom-coloured stucco over a composite shell, mitigating dust accumulation while referencing the chromatic subtleties of the surrounding desert. Vegetated setbacks and rooftop planting work in tandem with deep-set fenestration to create a series of layered microclimates, supporting thermal comfort and reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.
Spatially, the house is anchored by a central courtyard with a reflecting pool, serving as a climatic and social core. A carefully calibrated light well at the entry moderates the visual transition from the exterior’s high luminance to the house’s softer interior lighting environment. Interior spaces are sequenced to balance privacy and openness: social zones expand toward terraces and gardens, while upper level living areas and a glazed rooftop solarium provide elevated retreat and panoramic city views.
Moving indoors, the entrance welcomes one with a light well covered by a slated wooden panel. This facilitates the transition into the house by enabling the eye to naturally adapt from the intense outside light to the softer interior light. The home unfolds into three separate levels arranged to optimise privacy, openness, and year-round usability. With full height sliding panels connecting to a setback garden, the major living areas at ground level open directly into a shaded garden and pool area. This offers the occupants flexibility between enclosure and openness. The upper level living area is extended by a spacious balcony terrace, providing a raised outdoor space. At the rooftop, a complete glass lounge and solarium is provided to offer expansive views of the city, along with a space for reflection, escape, and visual release.
The open ground floor plan houses a living room, dining area, and kitchen. The rooms are placed in a rhythmic sequence of social and intimate areas. A play of sunlight and shadows is produced by a specially designed system of massive sliding pocket doors and metal screens reminiscent of a mashrabiya. These enable a seamless living experience by erasing the distinction between indoors and outdoors. The interiors are adorned with travertine to showcase its longevity and capacity to age gracefully. It is applied in two different finishes: a raw, brushed finish on the walls and a semi-polished, honed finish on the floors.
Materially, the project juxtaposes honed and brushed travertine for tactile variation, complemented by walnut veneer joinery and custom furniture interventions. A striking red travertine powder room punctuates the otherwise muted palette, demonstrating a controlled yet expressive use of colour.
Shell House exemplifies AlHumaidhi Architects’ commitment to contextual responsiveness, translating vernacular principles of shading, layering, and courtyard living into a distinctly contemporary formal language.
The project’s defining move by AlHumaidhi Architects — the near 90-degree rotation of successive floor plates — establishes a spiraling geometry that produces terraces, deep overhangs, and shaded voids. This deliberate twisting of volumes reduces solar gain, enhances cross-ventilation, and allows framed vistas across the dense urban fabric.
“The rotation of floor plates creates terraces with rooftop gardens, covered outdoor spaces, and framed views that adapt to the environment throughout the day. By offering shade and reducing the heat gain, these architectural elements, along with deep-set windows and long overhangs, support the design's strong sustainability angle. Together with green roofing and layered plants of drought-tolerant species, it creates a variety of microclimates that adapt organically to Kuwait's climate extremes,” explains Abdulaziz AlHumaidhi, Founder of AlHumaidhi Architects. Further, the setbacks are also planted with cascading vegetation that adds privacy and filters sunlight into the interior spaces, creating dynamic shadows and improving thermal comfort throughout the year.
Creating the illusion of a single-storey structure lies the facade with its curved design and earthy colour palettes, mimicking Kuwait’s desert tones. It employs custom-coloured stucco over a composite shell, mitigating dust accumulation while referencing the chromatic subtleties of the surrounding desert. Vegetated setbacks and rooftop planting work in tandem with deep-set fenestration to create a series of layered microclimates, supporting thermal comfort and reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.
Spatially, the house is anchored by a central courtyard with a reflecting pool, serving as a climatic and social core. A carefully calibrated light well at the entry moderates the visual transition from the exterior’s high luminance to the house’s softer interior lighting environment. Interior spaces are sequenced to balance privacy and openness: social zones expand toward terraces and gardens, while upper level living areas and a glazed rooftop solarium provide elevated retreat and panoramic city views.
Moving indoors, the entrance welcomes one with a light well covered by a slated wooden panel. This facilitates the transition into the house by enabling the eye to naturally adapt from the intense outside light to the softer interior light. The home unfolds into three separate levels arranged to optimise privacy, openness, and year-round usability. With full height sliding panels connecting to a setback garden, the major living areas at ground level open directly into a shaded garden and pool area. This offers the occupants flexibility between enclosure and openness. The upper level living area is extended by a spacious balcony terrace, providing a raised outdoor space. At the rooftop, a complete glass lounge and solarium is provided to offer expansive views of the city, along with a space for reflection, escape, and visual release.
The open ground floor plan houses a living room, dining area, and kitchen. The rooms are placed in a rhythmic sequence of social and intimate areas. A play of sunlight and shadows is produced by a specially designed system of massive sliding pocket doors and metal screens reminiscent of a mashrabiya. These enable a seamless living experience by erasing the distinction between indoors and outdoors. The interiors are adorned with travertine to showcase its longevity and capacity to age gracefully. It is applied in two different finishes: a raw, brushed finish on the walls and a semi-polished, honed finish on the floors.
Materially, the project juxtaposes honed and brushed travertine for tactile variation, complemented by walnut veneer joinery and custom furniture interventions. A striking red travertine powder room punctuates the otherwise muted palette, demonstrating a controlled yet expressive use of colour.
Shell House exemplifies AlHumaidhi Architects’ commitment to contextual responsiveness, translating vernacular principles of shading, layering, and courtyard living into a distinctly contemporary formal language.
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