Ridge House Private Villa by Mai Wahdan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Silver A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Competition Category.
SilverInterior· 2026
Ridge House Private Villa
by Mai Wahdan
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Interior Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #167107The Design
About Ridge House Private Villa
Ridge House is a private villa interior shaped by the dramatic mountain ridges of Alula. The design interprets geological mass and erosion through sculpted volumes, textured surfaces, and controlled shadow. Double height spaces enhance vertical depth, while full height glazing frames distant landscapes and extends the interior toward the horizon. Custom Grc cladding and selective limestone veneer create a monolithic yet refined atmosphere, where raw material expression and spatial precision define a grounded and immersive residential experience.
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Ridge House Private Villa is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Ridge House Private Villa is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Ridge House Private Villa is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Interviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
Ridge House was inspired by the layered rock formations and natural landscape of AlUla. The design explores the idea of architecture emerging from the terrain, creating a strong connection between the built environment and nature. Through natural materials, expansive glazing, and biophilic design principles, the house was conceived to provide a calm, light-filled living experience rooted in its surroundings.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
My main focus was to create a seamless connection between architecture and nature. I wanted to achieve a home that feels calm, timeless, and deeply connected to its surroundings, while maximizing natural light, views, privacy, and the overall living experience.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
Ridge House serves as a prototype for future residential projects that explore the relationship between architecture, landscape, and wellbeing. The design principles developed through this project will continue to evolve and inspire future work focused on creating meaningful, nature-connected living environments.
Grand Interview
The way Ridge House Private Villa channels the geological drama of AlUla's mountain ridges into a livable interior space is a remarkable achievement that earned a well-deserved Silver A' Design Award from one of the world's most prestigious international design competitions. Could you walk us through the moment when the concept of translating mountain geology into interior architecture first took shape, and how that initial vision evolved into the sculpted volumes and monolithic surfaces that now define Ridge House Private Villa?
The concept emerged from studying AlUla’s geological formations and the way nature has shaped them over time. I was inspired by their sense of permanence and wanted to translate that into a contemporary living environment. This led to the use of sculpted volumes, monolithic surfaces, natural textures, and carefully framed light, creating spaces that feel carved from the landscape rather than simply built within it.
Ridge House Private Villa arrives at a time when many designers and architects are exploring how interior spaces can establish a profound sense of place and cultural identity rather than simply providing shelter. How did the geographical and cultural specificity of AlUla, a region defined by raw sandstone ridges and ancient geological formations, shape the material palette and spatial decisions within Ridge House Private Villa, and what does this approach suggest about the future of regionally grounded residential design?
AlUla’s landscape was the primary influence behind the project. The material palette was inspired by the region’s natural tones and textures, leading to the use of stone-inspired surfaces, earthy colors, and organic forms. Spatially, the design emphasizes framed views, natural light, and a strong connection to the surrounding environment.I believe the future of residential design lies in creating spaces that respond to their context rather than following universal trends. Designs that draw inspiration from their location tend to feel more authentic, meaningful, and timeless.
The use of custom molded glass fiber reinforced concrete panels mounted on concealed steel subframes is a technically sophisticated solution that allowed Ridge House Private Villa to achieve large-scale geological textures at a dramatically reduced structural load. How did material research and the development of this cladding system push the boundaries of what is conventionally achievable in high-end residential interiors, and in what ways could this approach influence broader industry practice for designers working with expressive and heavyweight surface materials?
The use of custom GRC panels allowed us to achieve the visual depth and scale of carved stone while significantly reducing weight and structural demands. The system provided greater design flexibility, enabling the creation of large monolithic surfaces and complex textures that would have been difficult and costly to achieve using solid stone.Beyond this project, I believe such solutions demonstrate how advanced materials can bridge the gap between aesthetics and performance. They offer designers new opportunities to create expressive, large-scale environments while improving efficiency, constructability, and sustainability.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Ridge House is a private villa interior defined by sculpted mass and material continuity. Unlike conventional luxury residences that rely on ornamentation, this project derives its identity from monolithic stone cladding, controlled shadow, and double height volumes. The strength of the design lies in its restraint, where raw texture, precise detailing, and framed mountain views create a grounded yet refined spatial experience shaped by depth and light.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Total built up area 1240 sqm. The principal living space features a double height volume with approximately 7.2 m clear height, while remaining areas maintain standard residential ceiling proportions. The program includes 4 private bedroom suites with en suite bathrooms and an open plan living dining kitchen core. Feature walls utilize custom molded GRC panels fixed to concealed steel subframes, with selective 15 to 20 mm limestone veneer at focal elements. Integrated linear lighting is recessed within cladding junctions to emphasize surface depth and shadow articulation. Full height architectural glazing frames mountain views and ensures thermal performance.
- Tags
- Ridge House, Luxury Villa Interior, Mountain Inspired Design, Monolithic Interior, GRC Cladding, Double Height Living Space, Sculpted Volumes, Contemporary Residential Design, AlUla Residence
- Production Technology
- The interior is developed over a reinforced concrete structural framework. Feature walls are constructed using custom molded GRC panels mounted on concealed steel subframes to achieve large scale geological textures while minimizing structural load. Select focal elements utilize thin cut natural limestone veneer over lightweight cores. CNC fabrication ensured dimensional precision, while integrated grazing lighting enhances surface depth and shadow articulation.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was achieving a raw, mountain inspired interior without compromising livability and proportion. Translating geological mass into refined residential space required careful control of scale, light, and circulation. Balancing heavy textured surfaces with expansive glazing demanded precision in detailing and lighting integration. Production feasibility, panel weight limitations, and constructability were key technical constraints addressed through material research and system coordination.
- Research
- Type of Research: Applied interior design research. Research Objectives: To translate mountain geology into livable interior space while preserving comfort. Methodology: Spatial analysis and material prototyping. Data Collection and Tools Used: Site studies, client interviews, 3D modeling, and cladding mock ups. Participants: Client and technical consultants. Results: Balanced mass and openness. Insights and Impacts: Demonstrates how raw material language can enhance residential identity and experiential quality in contemporary housing.
- Inspiration
- Ridge House was conceived as an interior interpretation of the mountain ridges of AlUla and the client’s affinity for raw, elemental environments. The inspiration emerged from the geological character of the region, where mass, erosion, and shadow define spatial experience. The design investigates how interior architecture can evoke the permanence and gravity of natural formations while maintaining residential comfort. By sculpting volumes through material continuity and controlled light, the project seeks to create a grounded sanctuary where strength and refinement coexist in quiet balance.
- Project Duration
- The project commenced in January 2025 in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and was completed in July 2025. The design phase included concept development, spatial planning, material research, and technical coordination to ensure a coherent and buildable interior environment.
- Operation Flow
- Ridge House is organized around a central double height living space that acts as the heart of the home. Upon entry, the eye is drawn upward and outward toward framed mountain views. The open plan arrangement allows daily life and social gatherings to flow naturally without rigid separation. Private suites are positioned away from the main volume, creating quiet retreats while remaining visually connected. The layout balances openness and privacy, offering both shared energy and personal calm.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Mai Wahdan, 2025.
- Team Members
- Mai Wahdan
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Architectural Visualizer Mai Wahdan (Designer) Mai Wahdan, Ridge House, 2025.
Image #2: Architectural Visualizer Mai Wahdan (Designer) Mai Wahdan, Ridge House, 2025.
Image #3: Architectural Visualizer Mai Wahdan (Designer) Mai Wahdan, Ridge House, 2025.
Image #4: Architectural Visualizer Mai Wahdan (Designer) Mai Wahdan, Ridge House, 2025.
Image #5: Architectural Visualizer Mai Wahdan (Designer) Mai Wahdan, Ridge House, 2025.
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