Articles by Hana Abdel

Geometric and technical constraints were key to the design language which was chosen for this Duplex apartment in Central Tel Aviv. Instead of concealing the Mechanical and Electrical systems of the apartment, the decision was to expose them and make them an integral part of the design. A concrete envelope, which is rich in texture, was chosen for the ceiling and feature wall, and careful attention was given to the display of the client’s eclectic collections, throughout the different spaces of the project.

Located in Kaba-Kaba, Tabanan, Bali, the breathtaking second phase of this eco-resort incorporates a number of key facilities that unify the entire complex. Phase 1 of Ulaman was extremely well received by the media and the public and has obtained multiple international design features and awards, most notably the highly acclaimed UNESCO Prix-Versailles award for Sustainable Architecture.

I feel that houses directly facing a small park in a residential area are built in such a way as to reject the park, perhaps because of privacy concerns. This may be due to the fact that the proximity of the park makes it difficult to maintain a sense of distance from the park. In this house, we sought to create a new expression of a house that benefits from the park while maintaining a good sense of distance and making the most of its advantages.

A project to rebuild a residence on a dark site on a northern slope into a residence for the working of ceramics in a hut. Considering the client’s request for a ‘fortress-like hut’ to protect his creation and life from outdoor obstacles (noise that interferes with work, glare and reflections, thermal environment, unnecessary visitors, etc.), the concept was based on a membrane that selectively takes in the outside.

This farmhouse is perched in the southeast corner of a 2-acre farmland flanked by a stream to the south, cultivated farmland to the north and a majestic forest view, downhill towards the west.

Brief. The brief was for a 4-bedroom house on 40 perch land, with all the service areas and related amenities. The question was how to organize the brief through connections, overlaps and separations of spaces to create the right matrix. We were taken on a tour to see the client’s existing house, and to see the little rituals that have been developed over the years that they would want to bring to the new house; it was a great insight and a briefing.

The Floating Frame house is located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city amidst a dense green rural area. While designing, we often try to understand the user group’s personality. The house being ours, it had an integrated brief from all family members which includes a structural engineer, an architect, and a landscape architect. The concept was to design a home that could delight the scenery of both an undivided garden and sky from major parts of the house. All members being nature lovers & wildlife photographers, the material palette of exposed brick, exposed concrete, exposed steel structure, and lots of creepers, and plants covering the house were key aspects of the design process. Here, the architecture is enveloped by greens.

A young couple and their two little girls, caught up in two jobs and two schools, and two houses, needed one home of their own to bond together, grow up and make memories in; a home of simplicity to be decorated by each of their discovering individualities; a nurturing and forgiving space for all varying emotions and conflicts; to unite as Akam (അകം– Malayalam transl. core/ inside/ mind/ soul) of the family.

‘HAVEN’ is situated near Vytila junction in Cochin – one of the city’s busiest and most densely populated regions. The irregular shape of the plot, which was narrow in the front and wider towards the rear, along with the surrounding tight-knit context, posed a challenge in designing spaces that were open, with adequate natural ventilation and light, while simultaneously ensuring privacy.