Rashed Residence

Seen from above, the design decision is obvious: almost as much of this house is outdoor room as indoor.

The upper floor is set back from the floor below, and the slab left over becomes a broad terrace running along two sides. A timber-battened pergola covers roughly half of it, which makes the space usable through the middle of the day rather than only at dusk.

At ground level a stepping-stone path crosses the lawn to a raised entrance platform, and the planting is kept to the boundary so the approach stays open. The building itself is simple, a white rendered frame with recessed glazing, letting the terraces and the pergola do the composition.