Luxurious and futuristic villas in the desert, reminiscent of "quartz dunes," is a project by Oliwia Jagla and Karolina Kaczor from the Silesian University of Technology. The concept, which combines nature inspiration and modern design, took part in the international competition Riyadh Dream Villas, where it received an honorable mention!
villas in the desert
The Riyadh Dream Villas competition was organized by the Young Architects Competitions platform in cooperation with Jarir Development. The challenge given to participants was to design two distinct villas (Villa A and Villa B) located on the borders of the desert in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the interior of the distinguished establishment there is a green oasis
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
The participants had to face an extensive functional program for both villas. The design had to reflect the relationship with the desert landscape. This involved the use of natural (desert) and artificial (gardens, plantations) components in accordance with the specific nature of the master plan. During the design process, attention had to be paid to aspects of sustainability, the architectural language of the concept, the comfort of the space due to climatic conditions (heat islands, space heating). The organizers were looking for iconic and luxurious residence designs.
the whole designed premise
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
The concept had to guarantee sufficient shade and protection from adverse climatic conditions, such as sudden temperature differences—the temperature in the desert at night can drop below zero. In addition, maximum protection had to be guaranteed against winds of up to 134 km/h, sandstorms and dangerous animals such as snakes, and scorpions.
The project from Poland received an honorable mention
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
project from Poland awarded honorable mention!
Professionals and students from more than a hundred countries submitted their works to the competition, which were evaluated by a jury consisting of: Sou Fujimoto, Nicola Scaranaro (Foster + Partners), Benedetta Tagliabue, Ben van Berkel (UNStudio), Lorenzo Boddi (BIG—Bjarke Ingels Group), Eli Synnevåg (Snøhetta), Abdulsalam Al-Agil and Ammar Atfah (Jarir Company). First Prize went to Daffonchio Architects, Second Prize to the team.1 LAB consisting of: Man Kit Cheung, Chau Kit Yip. Third Prize went to the team: Zekun Qin, Yolande Wang, Peiyao Yu, Weiqi Xie. Two gold prizes and eleven honorable mentions were also awarded. First on the list of honorable mentions was the work of Silesian University of Technology students Oliwia Jagla and Karolina Kaczor.
diagram showing the formation of an oasis
© Oliwia Jagla, Karolina Kaczor
quartz dunes
Behind the dusty horizon of the beautiful and dangerous desert, where the wind blows away the heated grains of sand, "quartz dunes" emerge, like the lost Atlantis of the Sands. The dynamic arrangement of the dunes distinguishes two spaces that form oases inside. They form refuges and green areas in the heart of the desert, the project's authors say.
The perforated facade is made of quartz
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
Thevegetation used in the competition concept creates an inner corridor connecting the two villas. The greenery delineates private as well as open zones, creating an optical barrier and adding color to the desert landscape. Plants surround the entire complex from the outside and add variety to the entrance zone.
villa plan B
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
residences like oases
The designers proposed luxury residences hidden in the desert landscape, which provide comfortable, integrated living spaces. The buildings are connected by flowing, organic roads.
cross-section of villa B
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
The villa's facade is a secure "shell" with rounded window forms. The perforated quartz facade, which is the most durable material available, provides excellent protection from wind and sandstorms.
diagram of the wind tower
© Oliwia Jagła, Karolina Kaczor
The quartz facade, in addition to its visual effect, is also important ergonomically—it serves as wind towers located in the corners of buildings. "The last gust of wind causes gouges in the facade, which, thanks to solar glass control technology, illuminate or shade the interiors of the buildings whenever needed," Oliwia and Karolina explain.
Read also about the design of a luxury villa in Dubai by a team consisting of: Jakub Ciszewski, Mikołaj Chmiel, Tomasz Klepek, Oskar Mały.
