Al Bada’a Modern Townhouses to draw in ‘City Wildlife

By: Binchy and Binchy

Al Bada’a, close to Al Satwa in Dubai, is full of traditional Emirati character and charm. Existing plots form a long, low line of courtyard villas along the street. The villa walls that line the streets are narrow and human-scale, punctured with trees and convenience stores. The area feels ‘neighbourly’ and people enjoy walking in the shade. The beauty of these vernacular aesthetics, borne as a natural reaction to the climate, was architecture firm Binchy and Binchy’s inspiration for the design of the compound.

The architects have designed five compact townhouses in the city, complete with their own private courtyard and roof terrace.

The 24x24m plot is split into five narrow townhouses, each with its own back yard and planted roof terrace. The courtyard offers daylight to the rear of the house and maintains privacy from the adjoining neighbour. The architects also saw this as an opportunity to create serene outdoor spaces within an urban setting.

The dramatic profile of Sheikh Zayed Road’s skyline forms the view from the roof terrace. The compact plot has been carefully planned to allow for each house to afford three bedrooms, a living/ dining and separate kitchen in addition to a laundry room, maids room and parking and two contrasting outdoor spaces. Every room is naturally daylit.

Opening the windows behind the decorative brick facade also allows for natural ventilation, drawing air from either the front of the house or the roof terrace. The private courtyard allows the boundaries to blur between indoors and outside, bringing the inhabitants closer to nature and the traditions of the region.

The courtyard almost becomes an extension of the living room, with full-width folding sliding doors. The planting is contained to a sunken planter, with an olive tree and surrounding ground cover of Asparagus Fern and Jasmine, suitable for the region and easy to maintain. Binchy and Binchy worked with freelance Landscape Designer Paola CH de Saint Víctor, who has been working in Dubai for the past five years, on several multi use residential development and high-end hospitality projects around the GCC.

The roof top is divided into individual roof terraces, planted roofscape, and areas for maintenance and equipment. Across the inaccessible roofscape areas, Paola chose low-maintenance red and purple fountain grass, indigenous to arid climates, and the colour of the year-round flowers also complements the rose-coloured brickwork. The grasses can be seen from the street, softening the façade and parapet edge. These fountain grasses also aid in the cooling of the building and encourages wildlife in the city. The habitable part of the roof terraces that are connected to the individual townhouses are simply furnished with individual pots. The tenants can plant to their individual tastes, leaving the level of maintenance a decision for the resident.

The exterior brickwork is inspired by mashribiya and Al Sadu traditional weavings and stretches across the full facade including perforated sections across the sliding glass windows. This creates privacy and security to the street side. The sun casts shadows on to the brick decoration creating subtle ever changing play of light and texture across the solid elevations.

Binchy and Binchy is an award-winning boutique architecture and interior design practice founded in London, United Kingdom, and practicing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Binchy and Binchy are known for blending regional influences with contemporary design, and believe in an architecture that is ‘of its time and of its place’.