The project The project was held was for heldthefordesign the design StudioStudio VI. It VI. wasIt about was about an Eco-lodge an Eco-lodge and sand and sand spa tospabe tobuilt be inbuilt Aswan in Aswan in Gharb-Suhail in Gharb-Suhail district.district. The main The main obstacle obstacle was linking was linking between between two sites, two sites, a Nilea sites Nile and sites aand dessert a dessert site, site, the obstacle the obstacle was inwastheinhillthebetween hill between the the sites with sites height with height of 50m. of 50m. The solution The solution was through was through makingmaking a 50ma 50m apart apart promenade promenade architecture architecture juxtaposjuxtaposing historical ing historical concept concept of theof birth the of birththeof the soul insoul theinNubian the Nubian cultureculture and linking and linking the the promenade promenade to its tospiritual its spiritual concept. concept.
In theInancient the ancient NubianNubian kingdom kingdom of Kush, of Kush, the the story story of theofcreation the creation was revolving was revolving aroundaround a pantheon a pantheon as most as most of of foreigners foreigners pantheons pantheons influenced influenced by nature by nature ele- elements,ments, due toduethetoshear the shear dependence dependence on theonenthe environment vironment assetsassets in theinformation the formation of theofNubian the Nubian civilization civilization and accordingly and accordingly on theonlower the lower scale scale on their on live theirroutine live routine but onbuttheonhigher the higher level the level the story story transcend transcend to thetoformation the formation of theofspirit the spirit and and what what the mythology the mythology offers offers is a layer is a layer able toablebe to be form aform common a common groundground between between the nature the nature and and the inhabitant the inhabitant on a on spiritual a spiritual scale.scale. The story The story beginsbegins from Jebl-Berkel from Jebl-Berkel when when the first the first powerpower namednamed Aton created Aton created the gods the gods Shu toShu to be thebegod the ofgodtheofwinds, the winds, and Tefnut and Tefnut to be tothebe the goddess goddess of rains of rains and they and created they created the heaven the heaven and earth and earth which which are Nut are and Nut Geb, and Geb, The creation The creation was completed was completed by Shu by Assembling Shu Assembling Nut toNutbe toA be A canopycanopy over Geb over toGebseparate to separate as they as were they were in in act ofactloveof ,love the ,separation the separation of them of them was so washeso he can exist can between exist between and byandthatby forming that forming a linkaoflink of contrast, contrast, that link thatand link that and conflict that conflict was for wasmanifor manifestedfested in theinduality the duality and itand wasit the washuman the human spirit. spirit. In every In every spiritual spiritual meditation meditation the human the human being being was treated was treated as theaslink thebetween link between the earth the earth and and heavenheaven through through his actions his actions and the andspiritual the spiritual level level whether whether for a for good a good or evil,or as evil,it as stumble it stumble mainlymainly upon upon facingfacing the conflict the conflict
The project The project is juxtaposing is juxtaposing the link theestablished link established between between the pantheon the pantheon and the andhuman the human spiritual spiritual and revolve and revolve aroundaround the concept the concept of theofduality the duality and the andlink thebetween link between the two the contrasts, two contrasts, offeringoffering a promenade a promenade between between earth earth and heavens and heavens met- metaphors, aphors, a sitea resembles site resembles Geb aGeb sitea resembles site resembles Nut and Nut the andpromenade the promenade between between them them is theis the transcendence transcendence between between the two the phases. two phases.
NUT NUT is the is goddess the goddess of heaven,the of heaven,the language language used used to resemble to resemble the the heavens heavens was was through through making making a vasta vast courtyard courtyard and, and, focusing focusing the space the space direction direction to betoperpendicular be perpendicular on the on design, the design, em- emphasizing phasizing the connection the connection to NUT to NUT
In theIn middle the middle of theof court the court yard yard therethere is a istradia traditionaltional wind wind catcher, catcher, this Nubian this Nubian wind wind catcher catcher is is the link the between link between NUT NUT and SHU and SHU god of godtheof wind the wind as it asis ittheis last the one last in onethein wind the wind routeroute from from the the Nile Nile site to sitetheto dessert the dessert site. site.
TheThe Dessert Dessert SiteSite PlanPlan The The courtcourt yard yard had had two purposes two purposes The The spiritual, spiritual, its openness its openness to theto sky the isskywhat is what making making it representing it representing the goddess the goddess NUT.NUT. The The vernacular, vernacular, its courtyard its courtyard design design is made is made to form to form a flow a flow of wind of wind current current to to counter counter the extreme the extreme arid arid climate climate its placed its placed in in
TheThe windwind Design Design The space The space is designed is designed to accommodated to accommodated wind flows wind through: flows through: • • •
The • difference The difference in openings in openings between between the outer the shell outer openings shell openings and theandinner the ones, inner ones, Either • Either by thebytriangular the triangular mesh mesh openingopening adjacent adjacent to narrow to narrow doors doors in the invault the around vault around the building the building The • wide The opening wide opening in the inroom the relative room relative to the toinward the inward win- windows facing dows facing the courtyard the courtyard
The isflow is directed the catcher wind catcher that helps The flow directed towardtoward the wind that helps in the in the circulation the flow. circulation of the offlow.
TheThe Sand Sand Baths Baths
The Building The Building is mainly is mainly designed designed to be toan beeco-lodge an eco-lodge Spa that Spa
that provideprovide Sand Sand baths baths ,which ,which is served is served at the atsouthern the southern wing ofwing of the building the building , it is ,designed it is designed to formto aform cyclea that cyclereuse that reuse the sand the sand directlydirectly from the fromsand the dunes sand dunes aroundaround the building the building and where and where the sand the issand slipped is slipped into theintosand the bath sand cylo bathand cyloexits and after exits the after the use inuse the insession the session which which provideprovide a cleana clean and provide and provide the fullthe full experience experience of the ofspathe spa
the sand the issand usedis directly used directly form the formdessert the dessert of of AswanAswan west bank west which bank which is a very is a soft very and soft and recommended recommended in suchin asuchsession a session
GEB GEB is theis earth the earth god, god, the technique the technique to represent to represent the earth the earth was was through through the toography the toography of theof nile the nile site, site, the design the design is made is made of diffrent of diffrent level level on the on the slopeslope of theof nile the bank nile bank
the building the building consist consist of theof spa the and spa the and restaurant the restaurant for the for ecolodge the ecolodge so the so main the main aspect aspect in the in the building building focuses focuses on the on view the view to theto nile, the nile, the journy the journy of the of wind the wind resmblence resmblence toward toward the the dessert dessert site begins site begins at theat end the of endtheof nile the site nile as site as the easiest the easiest routeroute through through the 50 the meters 50 meters heightheight hill ishillvisible is visible from from this point this point the nile the site nile issiteincuabating is incuabating the mud the mud bathsbaths as a as a continuation continuation for the for snad the snad bathsbaths in thein dessert the dessert site ,site , the restaurant the restaurant for the for ecolodge the ecolodge allowed allowed for the for the semi semi publicpublic use, use, th nile th site nile issitetheis open the open apaceapace that that connect connect the journy the journy with with the the
The Design of the building is dictated by the multi leveled topography of the site, to form spaces that blend the building with the land , a very few building material is applied as it more of a vernaculer refurbishment to the site than adding an built space.
the building doesn't need the same wind add on like the dessert site as the nile water always giving a good breeze to the site