Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Goes to Al Azra Home Residential by Ardh Architects
Ardh Architects recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2020 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Al Azra Home Residential by Ardh Architects has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The result belongs to the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Al Azra Home Residential
Al Azra Home is a single storey residential building in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The house was designed as a quiet retreat for a retired lady, on the plot where her family home once stood. Two bedrooms, an office, an open plan living and dining area, a semi open kitchen with a breakfast island and a maid's room are arranged around an inner courtyard. Stone cladding with a ventilation gap and triple glazing reduce heat, dust and noise. Porcelain floors are set on one level for easy movement. Native trees and plants provide privacy and a sense of calm.
About Ardh Architects
Principal Architect - Omran Alowais; An Emirati architect, with an Arabic name which translates to architecture, or urban planning, "Omran." Love to create spaces and enjoy making and building it. I love to mix/challenge the ideas of our traditional and modern idiologies of architecture.
Award Record
This recognition makes Ardh Architects a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2018 - 2019 to 2019 - 2020 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Entries typically include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. Awarded architectural projects are published at https://designers.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/100821
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/100821
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!100821
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/245250
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://bit.ly/2NSATh8
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Al Azra Home Residential
- Function
- Residential
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Black, Rosy Brown, Sky Blue, Tan and Wheat
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Ardh Architects
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2019 - 2020
- Design ID
- #100821
Credits
- Team
- Omran Alowais and Wisam ElSayed
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Al Azra is a residential ground floor building in the emirate of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates It was commissioned as a residential retreat for a retired Emirati lady in the old location of her original house when she was younger. The house hosts just 2 bedrooms, an office, an open-plan living & dining space overlooking the inner courtyard, along side a semi-open modern kitchen with a breakfast island and a maid's room. A generous use of vegetation provides privacy and serenity.
- Inspiration
- This house was inspired by the serenity of an oasis, where the water and the vegetation brings life into the bare desert Given the size of the plot, there was room to locate the house right where privacy could be maintained without constriction of outdoor space. Located on a corner plot, tall trees are positioned to provide privacy from the neighbouring house and any future construction on the top adjacent plot, while shorter trees and plants are planted on the other two free corners.
- Research
- In the very same location, previously, stood the client's old house, where she had her family. As she grew older, she moved to another location and the old house needed to be demolished. However, after many years, she wanted to build a new one with the function of a serene retreat. Since the plot was abandoned for a long time, a water leak from the neighboring plot allowed for some invasive species to grow. A research was conducted to confirm the status of the invasive species and part of the design was dedicated to replant and grow native trees on the plot (Such as Ghaaf tree) to preserve the habitat and authenticity of the location.
- Challenge
- The challenges that were faced in this project included cleaning the existing site from the overgrown invasive species, fixing some water pipe leakage, and introducing a new approach to a residential building footprint in relation to the main plot (usually owners built the entire plot leaving only the setback allowance and not focusing on the landscape and vegetation.
- Realization and Technology
- The house is designed to use stone cladding with a ventilation gap that acts as an extra layer of insulation against the hot climate of the region Also tripple glass glazing is specified for optimum dust, sound, and heat insulation. The floors are porcelain tiles, all one level to ensure the ease of mobility around the house.
- Operation and Interaction
- This house is designed to function as a retreat house for the client. It was specifically requested to have only 2 bedrooms, one for the client and one for a visiting guest or care provider. However, the living and dining spaces needed to be cozy yet spacious to allow for her children and grandchildren to gather around and enjoy the view. The house is set deep into the plot to create a surprising reveal once the visiting cars reach the house as well as maintain privacy of occupants.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project is located in the Al Azra area in the emirate of Sharjah, in the united Arab emirates. Construction haven't started yet.
- Specifications
- The house (without the water feature) covers 485.17 square meters, with dimensions: 23.9m x 20.3m, on a plot of 5,319.8 square meters, with dimensions: 67m x 79.4m
- Keywords
- Sharjah, Al Azra Home, Ardh, Contemporary Design
