Al-Asala Vernacular Residential Settlement

Project idea

A vernacular residential settlement in Sharm El Sheikh inspired by the cracks of mountains impacting the location and levels of the site, incorporating traditional architectural elements and desert-adapted design strategies.

Project description

The project is a residential settlement located in Sharm El Sheikh that draws on vernacular architecture principles. The design incorporates traditional elements such as Arabic funnels for ventilation, Bedouin tents, Mashrabiya for privacy, vernacular roof patterns, stone separators for privacy, granary types, Mutafils in the roof, and traditional pigeon towers. The settlement includes cafeteria, administration building, two-bedroom apartments, clinic, and studio units. The site planning responds to topography and local climate conditions, with careful consideration of vehicular and pedestrian circulation, solid-void space relationships, and site sensory qualities. The concept design is inspired by mountain crack formations that inform the layout and level changes across the site.

Technical information

The project includes detailed floor plans at 1:100 scale for cafeteria, administration, two-bedroom apartments (ground and first floor), clinic, and studio units. Site plans are presented at 1:500 scale. Elevations include cafeteria south elevation, administration north elevation, two-bedroom apartment east elevation, site west elevation at 1:200, and site east elevation at 1:100. Sections include cafeteria section, administration section, two-bedroom apartment section, clinic section, studio section (all at 1:100), site section A-A at 1:200, and site section B-B at 1:100. A sectional perspective is provided at 1:250. The design incorporates structural diagrams, program tables, site zoning, and bubble diagrams for various building types.