KENNEDY, Canada, Edmonton 2015-2017, Lead designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
Largest proposed multiuse tower and park in Edmonton. This 80-storey condo tower proposed for the Quarters in downtown Edmonton .
The Quarters Hotel and Residences would tower over Jasper Avenue and Grierson Hill Road, bordered on the west by the Shaw Conference Centre and on the east by 96th Street.
The building would be the tallest in Edmonton. Despite the height, the river valley will still be in sight for people below.
"We designed the podium of the tower to be transparent, so the only piece of the tower that blocks six-and-a-half per cent of the view is the core for the elevators and the stairwells,"
"Everything else is completely clear, so you can walk along Jasper Avenue and you can see down through the tower to the whole river valley."
The project would include a hotel, condominiums, restaurants, fitness facilities, shops and two publicly accessible parks, stretching over 100,000 square feet.
KENNEDY, Canada,Edmonton 2015-2017, Lead designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
Privada Private Residences is a new standard of urban luxury with world-class architecture, interiors and unparalleled panoramic views of Edmonton's river valley.
KENNEDY, Canada, Edmonton 2016, Competition winner, Lead designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
Edmonton Infill Design Competition
Edmonton has something that is unique within Canada: mature elm lined neighbourhoods that possess a variety of housing typologies (single family detached, duplex, walk-up and other multi-family housing types). Despite our profoundly beautiful green urban corridors, there is an absence of strong public and semi-public connections along these promenades. Introverted and unfriendly housing stock does not pay attention to the public realm; this represents an unrealized opportunity.
In this design, we have sought to thoroughly study and define public, semi-public and private spaces by embracing the cold seasons to boost winter vigour, activity, and liveliness. The project creates dynamism and concentration by linking the qualities of the existing green urban grid to new semi-private communal corridors that results in an urban architectural experience that can compliment the city’s current green footprint.
Our design introduces a new qualitative typology called INCLINATION, linking neighbourhood and nature by inclining the site to create an artificial hill that accommodates clusters of semi-private dwellings together. The 5% inclined surface allows people in cars to enter from the back lane while simultaneously facilitating a water feature/ice slide in the center of the street facing the courtyard. The inclined garden provides a comfortable, walkable and inviting appearance. It shows a defined framework for urban continuity by bringing public streets into conversations with semi-private courtyards.
This cluster housing proposal consists of 10 units of duplexes arranged around a court, forming the main public communal space. The court is celebrated by a linear reflecting pool that transforms itself into an ice slide during the winter months. The entrances to the units are adjacent to their own front yard serving as food growing opportunities and acting as transition zones between the semi-public and private space. The living areas face the external perimeter where they have their own private patio/garden on the main floor that forms one main open living space. On the second level, the master bedroom faces the central space but is kept private with a timber screen. Adjoining it is a balcony which acts as the public platform by which the resident can relate to the garden and the other residents. Each unit ranges from 135 to 155 sqm with 3 bedrooms and a flex basement unit that can be utilized as an office, guest bedroom, music room or even a home cinema. There is also a dedicated private underground car park area for two cars for each unit.
Cheaper housing options in most typical suburban developments lack enough communal soul and amenity principles for families. This blurs the quality between private and public spaces and results in a loss of social sustainability for the residents and sense of belonging and community. INCLINATION aims to address this shortfall by providing more family-oriented housing options and answering to higher level issues such as densification, affordability and livability.
Canada,BC, prototype 201 -2017, Competition , Lead Designer
Prefab housing option for Karoleena Homes in BC
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2008-2012, Competition winner, Principal Architect
Designing the Alley House was a unique challenge because of the restricted site situation and exaggerated linearity of the plot of 16m by 75m. The house is enclosed by two adjacent plots that restrict the main façade to not more than 16 meters at ground level, and not more than 13 meters above that level.
Within the given dimensions the architects were asked to design five individual suites with maximized views to the beach from living spaces, and master bedrooms for the owner, his three sons and daughter. The resulting strategy was to split the building into two interconnected volumes with bridges on the upper levels and an angled alleyway in between, and construct coordinated components that open yet give multiple shaded spaces as a very appealing passage in the heart of the complex.
However, such a form would offer revelation and enigmatic moments of exploration and discovery for visitors. The propositions resemble an alleyway in which the services and public facilities are situated in the front (street) side, and the private components are located in the sea side, with anchoring views to the sea.
Moreover, this arrangement could create sufficient privacy for the family and visitors. This layout liberates the centers to create multiple shaded courtyard spaces, permitting inner views that provide a visual connection and natural lighting between the rooms at all levels. Furthermore, the narrow passageway in between becomes a pleasant shaded space with great wind-tunnel effect, to be utilized year round for various activities.
The resulting insight of the design stems from a mesmerizing gentle and rapid movement imitating the dynamic of a natural alley. The angular turns in the building’s volumes maximize sea views. The front, sea-facing patio contains a sleek overflow pool and an attractive grass lawn.
EKISTICS PLANNING & DESIGN, Canada,Halifax, 2014, Lead designer
Residential - Commercial infill
EKISTICS PLANNING & DESIGN, Canada, Halifax, 2013-2015, Senior designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT, Kuwait, 2008-2017, Competition winner, Senior Design Architect (Architecture, Urban Design)
April 2009, KEO won the international design competition.
Dear Keo Family,
Besides the usual suspects involved in this project, I would like to introduce you to a fabulous group that made this project happen: They are really divided into three groups-
The first group that led the project during its full course with their constant drawing, redrawing, and then again redrawing things to get everything working out perfectly. I call them the international architects mafia of KEO- Kirby, Bhaskar, Sam an, and Meshaal. Four different nationalities and unfortunately four different likings for food which always makes ordering late night dinners difficult! They are the workhorses behind this effort and deserve a tremendous amount of appreciation and recognition their continual and relentless pursuit of creating the best design possible. The project could not have happened without them and I hope this good news makes all those long and late nights worth the effort.
The second group which had to rush into action during the last 2 weeks of the project because the designer and the first group kept changing things and nothing was getting done. This team of El Mutaz, Robin, Jobel, and Ahmed showed excellent commitment to a project that they knew nothing about but had to work on in order for us to get it done. Each one played an important role in getting unresolved things working so that the design could look complete. Their efforts gave us the extra horse power we needed during the last couple of weeks and it means a lot to me to be able to get such great commitment so quickly.
The third group is Mathew and his crew…words really can’t describe what they mean to us. They stay as long as we do just in case something is needed and continually re-mount drawings which we make changes on without ever a complaint. They set up the entire presentation at the Arab Fund building two hours before and sneaked into as many of the other presentation as they could to tell me that all the other schemes were horrible! It was almost too easy for me to come in and simply describe what the project was as a result of their efforts. We all know what Mathew means to this organization and I was very excited that he was in the room during the presentation. I was just afraid that he would get angry with the committee if they said anything negative about our design, but thankfully, this did not happen. The excitement he felt after the presentation was very genuine and quite obviously, this quality and quantity of material does not just get produced without his brilliant organization skills and commitment. Special thanks to Abraham, Joe and Mohammad. I know it pains them to smile at me whenever they see me, but they do anyways and they are a wonderful group!!
Finally, there is always an incident in every project which you treasure the most and during KIA, this honor goes to Fizza who recently joined KEO as a young architect. Seeing the amount of work and hours that were being put into the project during the last few weeks, she insisted that she would come in both days of her weekend to help out. So during the week, she worked late nights on BARWA and on the final weekend before the submission, she spent easily 14 hours a day on Thursday and on Friday to help out on the final presentation boards. Her parents had to come pick her up at 1am in the morning after we had to force her to go home! Her unselfish attitude and hard work is very special and will always be something we will never forget.
You all have done a great job! Congrats to all of you.
Raj Patel
Pricipal designer
KEO International Consultant
KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT, UAE, AbuDhabi, 2009-2010, Senior Design Architect (Architecture, Urban Design)
Dar Al Dhabi to launch The Wings project in Reem Island
The Kuwait-based developer, Dar Al Dhabi Real Estate, has disclosed plans to develop 'The Wings' project in Abu Dhabi.
Located along the southern part of Reem Island, the mixed-use development will feature towers of 300m in height. Situated along the Najmat Marina on Al Reem Island, the Wingles include one residential and one commercial tower, apart from a striking five-storey glass atrium, all of which spreads across the 6000 square meters of space.
The Chairman and Managing Director of Dar Al-Dhabi Real Estate, Abdulwahab Al Ameer, said "We have been eagerly looking forward to this day for a long time. The Wings soar up to 300 meters in height, and have uniquely designed concept that would certainly redefine the skyline of Abu Dhabi. The luxurious residential tower is all set to become one of the most exclusive addresses in Abu Dhabi, and the commercial tower is one of the most prestigious business towers in The Gulf."
There has been huge investor demand for these towers. The company is planning to build on the success of Cityscape Abu Dhabi, wherein there has been a wave of pre-registrations from international investors, who have identified this unique investment potential in the two premier iconic towers of Al Reem Island.
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2013, Principal Architect
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2013, Principal Architect
KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT, Kuwait, 2008-2017, Senior Design Architect (Architecture, Urban Design)
KEO International Consultants designed BARWA’s prestigious Financial District Project in Doha, Qatar. The project consists of two nautilus forms spiraling in opposing directions which create dynamic flow of mass and space. The opposing spiraling geometry builds up the movement of the towers to create the pinnacle at the southwest corner of the site creating a landmark tower visible from the West Bay Area as well as the main road arteries west of the site. The project has an outer ring of 6 office towers ascending in a clockwise direction from 20 to 35 storeys in height. The 4 inner ring of towers, comprising of 3 office towers and a hotel tower, ascends in a counter-clockwise direction from 31 to 50 storeys in height. The placement of the 9 office towers and their opposing movement of heights help maintain maximum views as well as ensuring that all the buildings have access to natural light.
The office towers are connected by a two story enclosed atrium lined on either side with retail space on both the ground and first floor to create an intimate and lively boutique mall. The plaza at the main retail level will be open to air and lined with restaurants and cafes. The axis from the main street to the northeastern corner of the site culminates with the Prayer Hall providing geometric order to the development.
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2011, Principal Architect, Urban designer
This chalet complex blends with the natural topography of the shoreline of Kuwait in Beneidai area, slowly unfolds itself to the visitor, as it is approached from the desert to the sea. Upon entry, one gets glimpses of the sea whilst going down to the public and eventually private spaces of the chalet. On this lower level, the house extends into the landscape and the sea, accentuated by an infinity pool in the garden. The Public side of the house, located at the entry level, which consists of play grounds and receptions. Bedrooms and private living spaces remain isolated from public activities to enhance the comfort for the residents. The organizational and formal structure of the beach house is dictated by the ability to maximize views to the sea. The initial design was master planned for five detached dwellings, each with extensive sea views while simultaneously achieving privacy from one another. This project is aimed for parents and their four children. Parents would occupy the lower level that extended in the ground level and their children who are mostly married and seeking private duplexes on top level.
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2013, Principal Architect
Traditional Kuwaiti houses are mostly courtyard type. The courtyard house traditionally provided for many needs of the Kuwaiti people, be they functional, practical, spatial, visual, climatic, social and/or cultural This made the courtyard house a traditional Kuwaiti type. The aim of this project was to investigate modern Kuwaiti dwellings to answer a number of questions. Are the roles once played by the traditional courtyard still relevant? Does the pattern of the courtyard still persist despite social changes and new ways of living' If social and formal concepts behind the courtyard house have changed, what new forms and concepts have taken their place? Finally, if these concepts have not changed, what aspects of the traditional courtyard house have been retained? And what’s the role of harsh hot climate in the design.
KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT, Kuwait, 2008-2013, Senior Design Architect (Architecture, Urban design)
Located on a highly visible location on the Island, the Mall, Residential Towers, Office and Hotel comprise a mixed-use development take inspiration from surrounding natural settings. The relationship of the three uses is envisaged to result in a broad and diverse mix of uses encompassing every aspect of domestic living, work, leisure and recreation.
The brief set required the project to provide an exceptional visual and experiential setting for retail, dining and activity spaces, provide spatial processions that offer memorable journeys to and within the shopping and activity experience and to anticipate future trends in retail and residential marketing strategies by providing an array of facilities and uses that will allow for change and adaptation.
The design effort focused on organizing, positioning and interfacing three primary uses-retail, hospitality & office activity centers into a mutually complimentary spectrum of uses.
The design of the Mall is a conscious departure from the conventional aesthetics of stereotypical mall ‘box’ design that contributes little to exterior street experiences. Inspiration is taken from nature and the contoured, undulating form of sand dunes and waves is referenced in the sculptural and figural quality of the mall.
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2013, Principal Architect
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Design Competition 2nd place, Turkey, Istanbul, 2013, Principal Architect (Architecture,Urban design)
KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT, Lusail, Qatar 2009-2012, Senior Design Architect (Architecture, Urban Design)
The 70,000 square meter site for this project is located in the southeastern corner of the Lusail Development’s Marina District, roughly 20 kilometers north of the new Doha International Airport. The design solution for the project is inspired by the strong tradition of courtyards, elevated gardens, and mashrabiya screen patterns. Three office towers are situated along the northern portion of the site with their address along the Main Street and excellent views of the surroundings. The towers step from 25 storeys at the northeastern portion of the site to 29 storeys at the northwestern corner of the site. Elevated sky gardens are located in stra¬tegic locations of each tower to offer tenants a connection to nature and break up the mass of the building. A linear souq-like retail mall along the northern portion of the site meanders from the west to the east intricately connecting the office tower lobbies with several ceremonial drop-off courts to the office buildings and retail mall. The residential buildings for the project are situated along the eastern and south¬ern portion of the site to provide residential units with excellent views of the water. These buildings are a maximum of 13 storeys in height and each has a ceremonial drop-off court to their reception lobbies. The facades for the different components of the project are inspired by traditional mashrabiya designs and deal with transformation of patterns, protection from the sun’s rays, and privacy. The office building creates beautifully patterned facades using various sizes of solid panels and glass. The retail mall has skylights and entrance volumes wrapped in a random lace-like pattern to create shadows that mimic the quality of light found in traditional souqs. The residential buildings play with an array of stone, metal, and glass to provide maximum views of the water from the units within. The resulting com¬position of the building masses which are unified with gardens will create a landmark development for this site. Project Areas: Office: 130,220m2 Residential: 87,055m2 Retail: 29,769m2
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Lusail,Qatar, 2008-2012, Principal Architect
EKISTICS PLANNING & DESIGN, Canada, Halifax, 2014, Senior Designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2011-2017, Principal Architect
This house is comprised of a two courtyards that link together in basement level. Allows for internal air circulation and shading during harsh hot seasons. the basement contains a lap pool, gym, and private living space. the ground level houses reception space, service quarters, guest rooms. the first-floor quarters are dedicated to the four children, while the strategic penthouse remains for the parents. In order to respect the family's privacy, the views from the house are almost entirely introverted within the designed courtyards. views are directed to the reflective pool on the ground level, the flowering tree centralized near the entrance, the pool in the basement, or the landscaped terrace on the penthouse floor. special attention was paid to the external envelope of the buildings, which have 50 cm sandwich-paneled walls. the density and efficient insulation used within these walls achieves a high thermal resistance value that protects the house from heat gain and reduces the dependency on air conditioning units throughout the year. thermal solar heating is designed on the roof, in order to supply hot water for the building. besides, two wind turbines are located on the north-eastern part of the plot to feed the entire outdoor and landscaping electrical need. the designer tried to maximize windows facing toward the courtyard and minimizing windows on the east, west, and south external shell. all windows are double-glazed with low-e filters and movable aluminum shading devices. significantly, the eco-v2 allows for north winds to circulate underneath the building, be cooled by the reflecting pool and basement pool, and then rise from the back court. this achieves a highly effective passive cooling system for the house, especially the main living space in the basement level. residents of the eco-v2 villa can rest assured that they will live in a positive, eco-friendly, and healthy environment.
KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT, Kuwait, 2008-2013, Senior Design Architect (Architecture, Urban design)
Located on a highly visible location on the Island, the residential towers, Office and Hotel comprise a mixed-use development take inspiration from surrounding natural settings. The relationship of the three uses is envisaged to result in a broad and diverse mix of uses encompassing every aspect of domestic living, work, leisure and recreation.
The brief set required the project to provide an exceptional visual and experiential setting for retail, dining and activity spaces, provide spatial processions that offer memorable journeys to and within the shopping and activity experience and to anticipate future trends in retail and residential marketing strategies by providing an array of facilities and uses that will allow for change and adaptation.
The design effort focused on organizing, positioning and interfacing three primary uses-retail, hospitality & office activity centers into a mutually complimentary spectrum of uses.
The design of the Mall is a conscious departure from the conventional aesthetics of stereotypical mall ‘box’ design that contributes little to exterior street experiences. Inspiration is taken from nature and the contoured, undulating form of sand dunes and waves is referenced in the sculptural and figural quality of the mall.
EKISTICS PLANNING & DESIGN, Canada, Halifax, 2014, Senior Designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait, 2011-2012, Competition winner, Principal Architect
The Introverted House was inspired by the desire to have a very open, yet private, house. The client is a mother of three who was interested in having abundant outdoor spaces and gardens to entertain and for her children to play in. It was important for her to be able to monitor her children at all times and have a home that unifies the family instead of separating them by large, isolated spaces. While openness and light are important factors of the design, the owner also demanded the main spaces be exposed to a private semi-enclosed garden. Consequently, the principal architect proposed a house in which the floor print of the building is minimized to allow the pool and garden to be central focal points within the private core of the house. A dynamic, multifunctional landscape is created on the ground level, which is largely shaded by the upper floors. The slits and pockets serve several functions, such as providing natural ventilation and maximizing views between the spaces.
M2H DESIGN STUDIO, Kuwait,2012, Principal Architect
IBI GROUP, USA, UTAH, 2013-2015, Senior designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
USA,Los Angeles 2016, Competition , Colabortaion with Mike Buss
Our proposal for this Arch Out Loud competition involved a home with an entirely public main floor. Visitors are always welcome, and can make use of the site its beautiful view of LA. At night the central "cave" becomes a public cinema. The second and third floors of the home are private, and afford the owner the luxury that is expected for this incredible location.
EKISTICS PLANNING & DESIGN, Canada, Halifax, 2013-2015, Senior designer (Architecture, Urban Design)
Several downtown studies have identified the Cogswell Interchange as an underutilized piece of transportation infrastructure. Redevelopment of this site is one of several initiatives aimed at building on recent successes in the downtown and further growing the Regional Centre.
Following public consultation through HRMbyDesign, The Downtown Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy and The Cogswell Shakeup, a high-level vision for the area was developed, focusing on high-quality, mixed-use, pedestrian/transit/active transportation-friendly redevelopment, connecting downtown to northern Peninsula neighbourhoods, and acting as a gateway to Downtown Halifax.
How does a community plan for tomorrow, when there are more questions than answers about its future? That was the issue facing Labrador West, a community of just over 10,000 people in the northwest corner of Newfoundland and Labrador. The town is part of a region prone to boom and bust cycles. Anticipating another round of economic growth, the town wanted to start planning in a sustainable and positive way.
Last year, Labrador West invited Ekistics to join in the planning process. We were asked to consider every scenario possible–from no growth to extreme growth–and plan for those outcomes. Our research looked into population demographics, land sustainability and industry projections.
We were also given the challenge of getting the community involved, which was accomplished with a very novel idea: spray painting the town’s snow banks with the project’s name: “Plan Big”. The effect was powerful and immediate; people started talking about it, and got involved in the discussion about their community’s future!
The result; no matter what the future brings, Labrador West can now plan for it, all the while managing its land and resources in a sustainable manner.
USA, LA, 2017, Collaborators with Mike Buss
Our proposal for this Arch Out Loud competition involved a home with an entirely public main floor. Visitors are always welcome, and can make use of the site its beautiful view of LA. At night the central "cave" becomes a public cinema. The second and third floors of the home are private, and afford the owner the luxury that is expected for this incredible location.
