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Villa Qalat
Villa Qalat
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Other Projects by FAAM OFFICE
Villa Qalat
Firm
Type
STATUS
Under Construction
SIZE
10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft
BUDGET
$1M - 5M
Seeing and Being Seen:
Upon the initial encounter with the site of the project, the first challenge that caught attention was the issue of neighboring buildings and the plots developed around the project. These created problems for the future structure from two perspectives.
First: The entire site of the proposed building was visible from all directions, which conflicted with the functional-cultural program intended for the project, where the goal was to create a secluded space for recreation and leisure.
Second: The visual pollution caused by the massing and facades of these buildings, which were constructed in a completely heterogeneous manner with varying styles, colors, and materials, had contaminated the surrounding space.
However, the response to this issue emerged during the initial site visit in the form of a simple idea prompted by the question: "How can the view of the project be its own representation?"
Thus, rather than consolidating the various volumes of the villa into a single mass, the design was split into two volumes—one to the north and one to the south—placed across from each other with a gap in between. A pool was positioned between the two volumes.
In this arrangement, the northern volume would have a view of the southern volume and vice versa, while the gap between the two masses created an open, non-overlooked space for the outdoor pool and associated programs.
This idea was further developed with a consideration for different elevations. The southern volume, dedicated to hosting party and gathering spaces, was moved underground to compensate for the lost green space, with the garden level extending over it. The open space and pool were lowered to a level below the garden, while the northern volume, consisting of two levels, was positioned at the rear of the garden. The lower floor, aligned with the central open space, housed a guest room, a covered sitting area, and an indoor pool, while the upper floor was dedicated to the kitchen, dining area, and both private and public living spaces of the villa.
To facilitate access, a hollow mass in the form of a suspended bridge both connected the northern volume to the garden and, with its climatic orientation, wrapped around the project’s bedrooms. This mass cleaved through the northern volume, floating above the other surfaces, casting shade, and refusing to merge with the rest of the project’s elements.
Temporal Perception – Discovery and Intuition:
The mission of the project, however, was for the designer to create a work that would be perceived gradually over time, with movement through the space. The aim was for the user to constantly experience a new atmosphere, to feel a renewed curiosity to explore the space.
In this sense, the project functions similarly to a piece of music, but with a significant difference: unlike the linear path of musical progression, in this work there are innumerable choices for movement within the space. Each choice leads to a calculated scenario, as if everything had been planned in advance. The user experiences new perspectives and views, observing the refined light and its reflections from the surface of the water on the walls. They watch the mass suspended above the garden and continuously gauge their position relative to the shell of this structure, sometimes within it, sometimes outside of it.
Upon entering the garden, the first thing that stands out is the wooden cabin, and it appears as though the villa is summarized within this mass. As the user approaches, the garden pit becomes visible, revealing a space dug into the earth. As the journey continues, the open central space and pool reveal themselves. Behind them, another mass emerges from the earth, and beyond that, the garden extension becomes visible. The experience of moving through the space constantly sparks the curiosity of the visitor, regardless of how familiar they are with the building. It is like a piece of music that, even after being heard countless times, always reveals new perspectives.
Tectonics – Disjunction of Elements at the Layer Intersection:
In order to create a more expressive design, the project emphasizes the independence of surfaces (floor, ceiling, and walls) and masses. To achieve this, the design makes use of specific materials and structural solutions. All the facades of the project are formed from thin basalt stone slabs arranged in layered, narrow, and elongated cuts. These break away from the conventional structure of traditional stone cladding and contrast sharply with the purity of the white ceiling layers, which deliberately avoid contact with the floors.
The roof is similarly placed as a separated layer, distanced from the walls. In this composition, a suspended mass with a wooden shell is introduced both inside and outside the building. This mass, like the other surfaces, refuses to merge with the other elements of the project. It hovers over the garden, spans across the pool, and maintains a distance from the floor of the internal spaces. The interiors of the wooden cabin are covered with the same material used in its external shell, reinforcing the feeling for the user that they are within a mass they have already encountered from the outside. The shell of this wooden volume controls the intensity of light entering the space and the depth of sight from the garden entrance, while occasionally allowing for direct connection to the outdoor garden space.
Upon the initial encounter with the site of the project, the first challenge that caught attention was the issue of neighboring buildings and the plots developed around the project. These created problems for the future structure from two perspectives.
First: The entire site of the proposed building was visible from all directions, which conflicted with the functional-cultural program intended for the project, where the goal was to create a secluded space for recreation and leisure.
Second: The visual pollution caused by the massing and facades of these buildings, which were constructed in a completely heterogeneous manner with varying styles, colors, and materials, had contaminated the surrounding space.
However, the response to this issue emerged during the initial site visit in the form of a simple idea prompted by the question: "How can the view of the project be its own representation?"
Thus, rather than consolidating the various volumes of the villa into a single mass, the design was split into two volumes—one to the north and one to the south—placed across from each other with a gap in between. A pool was positioned between the two volumes.
In this arrangement, the northern volume would have a view of the southern volume and vice versa, while the gap between the two masses created an open, non-overlooked space for the outdoor pool and associated programs.
This idea was further developed with a consideration for different elevations. The southern volume, dedicated to hosting party and gathering spaces, was moved underground to compensate for the lost green space, with the garden level extending over it. The open space and pool were lowered to a level below the garden, while the northern volume, consisting of two levels, was positioned at the rear of the garden. The lower floor, aligned with the central open space, housed a guest room, a covered sitting area, and an indoor pool, while the upper floor was dedicated to the kitchen, dining area, and both private and public living spaces of the villa.
To facilitate access, a hollow mass in the form of a suspended bridge both connected the northern volume to the garden and, with its climatic orientation, wrapped around the project’s bedrooms. This mass cleaved through the northern volume, floating above the other surfaces, casting shade, and refusing to merge with the rest of the project’s elements.
Temporal Perception – Discovery and Intuition:
The mission of the project, however, was for the designer to create a work that would be perceived gradually over time, with movement through the space. The aim was for the user to constantly experience a new atmosphere, to feel a renewed curiosity to explore the space.
In this sense, the project functions similarly to a piece of music, but with a significant difference: unlike the linear path of musical progression, in this work there are innumerable choices for movement within the space. Each choice leads to a calculated scenario, as if everything had been planned in advance. The user experiences new perspectives and views, observing the refined light and its reflections from the surface of the water on the walls. They watch the mass suspended above the garden and continuously gauge their position relative to the shell of this structure, sometimes within it, sometimes outside of it.
Upon entering the garden, the first thing that stands out is the wooden cabin, and it appears as though the villa is summarized within this mass. As the user approaches, the garden pit becomes visible, revealing a space dug into the earth. As the journey continues, the open central space and pool reveal themselves. Behind them, another mass emerges from the earth, and beyond that, the garden extension becomes visible. The experience of moving through the space constantly sparks the curiosity of the visitor, regardless of how familiar they are with the building. It is like a piece of music that, even after being heard countless times, always reveals new perspectives.
Tectonics – Disjunction of Elements at the Layer Intersection:
In order to create a more expressive design, the project emphasizes the independence of surfaces (floor, ceiling, and walls) and masses. To achieve this, the design makes use of specific materials and structural solutions. All the facades of the project are formed from thin basalt stone slabs arranged in layered, narrow, and elongated cuts. These break away from the conventional structure of traditional stone cladding and contrast sharply with the purity of the white ceiling layers, which deliberately avoid contact with the floors.
The roof is similarly placed as a separated layer, distanced from the walls. In this composition, a suspended mass with a wooden shell is introduced both inside and outside the building. This mass, like the other surfaces, refuses to merge with the other elements of the project. It hovers over the garden, spans across the pool, and maintains a distance from the floor of the internal spaces. The interiors of the wooden cabin are covered with the same material used in its external shell, reinforcing the feeling for the user that they are within a mass they have already encountered from the outside. The shell of this wooden volume controls the intensity of light entering the space and the depth of sight from the garden entrance, while occasionally allowing for direct connection to the outdoor garden space.
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