Welcome to Urban Landscapes’ very first blog post! We’re kicking straight off with a Project Focus on a residential property in Dubai Hills that got Urban shortlisted for the 2019 Middle East Design Awards.
Our client, a Dutch couple with a stunning family villa in Dubai Hills, wanted to create an elegant and clean entrance, and a light filled central courtyard, a basement sanctuary with natural connections between each area, all the while serving being somewhere the family could entertain and enjoy together.
To meet the brief, Urban had to create two separate key entertainment spaces. One was an alfresco dining, bar and lounge area with an automatic retractable renson shade, the other being a fixed seating area surrounding a fireplace. Both spaces were created to be multi-functional, so that the family could enjoy cosy, quiet evenings together privately but also larger social gatherings. The outcome is two areas that are equally intimate whilst being open and spacious.
To fulfill the requirement of being functional for a family with young children, our design included a large shallow area in the pool and a 165 square metre parallel grass lawn suitable for play. We raised the ground level of these areas to be flush with the villa interior’s floor level, establishing a connection between inside and outside. This allows the stunning views overlooking Dubai Hills golf course to be appreciated all year round, even during the hotter months.
Material palettes were kept to a minimum, we worked with the client to focus on quality materials in order to perfect details and provide value to the design. Beige travertine and a bamboo composite decking were the main hard surfaces, with the pool finishes being a diamond brite render to achieve the rich blue water colour. Iroko timber was used for the more natural elements such as the pergolas, fences and gates. Consideration was given towards sustainability within the garden and so to reduce on water usage, gravel was incorporated into the front garden’s design.
For the planting concept, Project Manager and horticulture enthusiast Cody Levitt individually chose plants that met and/or supported the brief. Strong architectural plants were selected to not only strengthen the aesthetics of the overall design, but also to create focal points. The most striking example of this being the feature 5.5 metre high olive tree within the central courtyard, which can be appreciated from all surrounding interior rooms. Other planting was chosen primarily for their durability, as the garden benefits from all-day sun. Privacy was achieved and enhanced within the garden’s borders through the use of shrubs and trees such as Ficus nitida and Dolichandrone spathacea.
