House of Akhet

Ahmad Helmy

Project idea

The idea of this project is there is an unutilized site, in Giza Egypt, overlooking from the Pyramids of Giza from the South, and the Grand Egyptian Museum in the North. This insane location makes it a touristic hub for any willing tourists, short stay or long stay, helping them out with their problem of any house or Airbnb with that same location is very worn out and poor quality. That ruins their vacation experience and gives them a bad outlook as to what Egypt has to offer.

Project description

For that exact purpose, we decided to design a Pyramids/GEM View Mid-Rise Building (due to the height constraints of the area), that would serve as a hub for tourists looking to relax, explore, and self reflect. The building consists of 3 podium floors, acting as a mall for the tourists, even the ones who don't live in the building. And the rest of the building consists of 6 residential floors (divided 3 and 3 as per the concept) and 2 transitional floors to transfer the structure system and the ducting system. House of Akhet is not just a building, but a vertical journey in itself, transitioning users through the 3 stages of the afterlife: the Ka (Life), the Ba (Soul), and the Akh (Eternity). The building is aligned with both the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Great Pyramids of Giza using a series of axis and creating the central break in the building’s podium. The concept is for each component to eb experienced all together and separately, giving the users a glimpse into the Ancient Egyptian Brain. The building is not an object to be seen but a passage to be experienced.

Technical information

The building is built using normal bricks, that are then cladded with Limestone/GRC Panels on all facades give it a look that blends the Ancient Egyptian Heritage with the site context. It is then treated with a natron wash that provides surface hardening, moisture resistance, and reduced heat gain. Next is the use of vertical Timber fins, that are treated with Linseed oil (an Ancient Egyptian Hack). That provides better UV resistance, moisture barrier, and requires zero industrial process. Finally, The glass is a clear glazing, coated with a thin film nanostructure interference coating. It produces an iridescent light shift, reflecting infrared radiation while retaining full visible light. As for the structure of the building, it is divided into three, a different structure for each Soul Component. The Ka Component is symbolized using the Square, so the columns in this component is square shaped. Next is the Ba component, and that is symbolized using the circle, so the columns used in that component is circular. Last but not least, is the Akh component, which is symbolized by the triangle, therefore the columns in that component are square columns cladded to be triangular.

Documentation

Show PDF 1