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Al Nusf – The Threshold House

Al Nusf reimagines the future Emirati family home as a contemporary sanctuary — a spatial and cultural threshold between openness and privacy, tradition and innovation, climate and craft. Inspired by the Gulf’s social and environmental context, the house proposes a resilient, site-responsive domestic prototype.

 

Shaped by a sweeping semicircular geometry, the design gestures towards the infinite desert horizon while enclosing intimate shaded courtyards. Organised into a nuanced gradient of public, semi-private, and private zones, the spatial logic deeply respects local cultural values — including gendered spaces, hospitality rituals, and layered privacy. The majlis, transitional terraces, and secluded family retreats enable a fluid yet controlled movement, supporting both collective gathering and personal retreat.

 

Al Nusf is engineered as a climate-conscious organism. A passive stack ventilation system, integrated wind chimney, and cooling courtyard with water feature create a self-regulating microclimate, minimising energy loads and enabling comfortable living even during extreme Gulf heat. The exterior envelope employs low-carbon concrete blended with local aggregate, while AAC internal partitions and adaptive mashrabiya shading reduce thermal gain and enhance airflow. Photovoltaic panels, greywater recycling, and controlled irrigation further advance resource efficiency, presenting sustainability as an architectural expression rather than an afterthought.

 

Materiality celebrates regional craftsmanship and environmental stewardship: tactile lime plasters, recycled aluminium shading screens, and local stone aggregate establish an authentic yet forward-looking material palette. Interiors express a delicate softness — curated openings frame desert views, natural joinery and textured finishes convey warmth and quiet luxury, fostering an intimate connection to the landscape.

 

Al Nusf stands as a contemporary oasis — an architectural horizon balancing social rituals, cultural continuity, and environmental resilience. Beyond a mere house, it offers a vision of family life that is adaptive, contemplative, and future-facing.



Design: TMD

Visualisation: TMD
Location: United Arab Emirates
Category: Competition
Status: 2025

Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_A wide-angle exterior street perspective showcasing the full frontal elevation of the desert house ensemble with sculpted, monolithic beige volumes, minimal openings, integrated mashrabiya ventilation towers, and layered privacy walls set against a clear blue sky, emphasising the low-carbon concrete materiality, regional sand aggregate textures, and the relationship between architecture and arid desert landscape with a passing white SUV indicating human scale and contextual integration.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Close-up entrance courtyard view featuring a sculpted curved corner volume, textured pale sand-coloured façade, perforated mashrabiya-inspired screen wall providing filtered light and privacy, local desert tree with organic canopy casting shadows, natural stone and gravel landscaping elements, and a linear tiled walkway guiding visitors through a shaded transitional threshold, expressing cultural sensitivity, climatic adaptation, and crafted material language.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Interior dining hall view with a large bespoke oval wooden table surrounded by crafted wooden chairs, sculptural glass pendant lights suspended from a double-height skylit ceiling, textured light-toned plaster walls, indoor plants adding natural softness, seamless connection to an outdoor courtyard through full-height sliding glass doors, and framed view into a sunken family lounge area, illustrating spatial layering, passive daylighting, and serene material palette blending contemporary luxury with regional hospitality traditions.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Sunken family lounge interior with a continuous curved built-in sofa upholstered in soft neutral fabric, central round wooden coffee table with matching side tables, large area rug creating a cosy atmosphere, indirect cove ceiling lighting enhancing the sculptural form, full-height glass openings revealing courtyard greenery and palm trees, natural plaster walls, and sheer curtains adding a layer of softness, illustrating cultural emphasis on gathering, comfort, and privacy within a contemporary desert retreat.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Intimate indoor seating nook with light grey modular sofa, two sculptural round wooden side tables holding a book and tea cup, minimalist table lamp, abstract geometric artwork on a natural plaster wall, large window revealing turquoise cooling pool with pebbled edge, and framed view towards the dining hall and courtyard with tropical plants, demonstrating the seamless indoor-outdoor connection, passive cooling strategy, and refined material palette prioritising comfort and cultural privacy.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Minimalist bedroom interior featuring a low bed with neutral bedding, textured headboard integrated with subtle vertical bedside lighting, natural plaster walls, soft rug underfoot, and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opening to a private balcony with handcrafted perforated mashrabiya screen casting dynamic light patterns across the floor and bed, complemented by large clay vases and potted palm, illustrating privacy layering, passive shading, and serene contemporary luxury inspired by Gulf traditions.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Evening courtyard perspective with minimalist square tiled terrace, low outdoor lounge seating arranged around a central fire feature, lush xeriscape planting with palm trees and desert-adapted vegetation, softly lit architectural façade with sculpted monolithic volume and warm interior glow visible through large sliding glass doors, revealing dining and living spaces beyond, expressing seamless indoor-outdoor connection, privacy layering, and resilient landscape design tailored to Gulf climate.
Al Nusf_The Threshold House_United Arab Emirates_TMD_Architectural Visualization_Private cooling courtyard with elongated reflecting pool featuring emerald-toned water and natural stone base, enclosed by high sculpted sand-coloured walls, dramatic palm tree shadows cast onto the monolithic façade with perforated mashrabiya ventilation screen, large sliding glass doors with sheer curtains revealing interior lounge space, expressing passive cooling strategy, privacy layering, and serene interplay of light, shadow, and desert vegetation within a contemporary Emirati architectural context.

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