A house vs rock. Rock House by AGi Architects

The architecture firm of Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea and Nasser B. Abulhasan, projects this detached house south of Kuwait City, in the district of Abdulla Al-Salem.

Overview. Rock House by AGi Architects. Photograph by Nelson Garrido

This single family house by AGi architects is located in in Abdullah al-Salem, a residential suburb of Kuwait City. The detached house was built of reinforced concrete and covered in white marble, generating a shape similar to folded origami. The owner seeked to provide complete privacy while establishing itself as a distinctive house of the neighborhood. Consequently, the dwelling’s layout was articulated around a main courtyard from which all interior spaces in the house are turned towards.

Description of project by AGi Architects

This single family house is located on a corner plot of the residential district of Abdulla Al Salem, Kuwait. The concept stems from a controversial duality imposed by the clients need for complete privacy as well as the desire for distinguishing the house into an iconic building from within the neighborhood.

The buildings’ structure is composed of reinforced concrete formed similarly to a folded origami, and the structure rotates around itself creating a central courtyard from which all the spaces in the house are turned towards. The openings overlooking the street rarely occur, however when they appear they are inclined to prevent views and excessive sun light into the interior.

With relatively smaller spaces than the local standards, the design intent is to give maximum functional flexibility, by introducing multiple routes to enable continuous communication between different rooms without interruptions. Similar to traditional Muslim architecture, the use of corridors is avoided, instead the house is seen as a whole entity comprised of changing conditions based on the various activities unraveling throughout the course of the day.

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Rock House by AGi Architects. Photograph by Nelson Garrido

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Architects

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AGi architets. Nasser B. Abulhasan, Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea.

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Project leaders

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Lucía Sánchez-Salmón, Lulu Alawadhi

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Project team

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Ma Eugenia Díaz, Gwenola Kergall, Abdulhafiz Bahi El Din, Hanan Alkouh

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Collaborators

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Lighting.- Lara Elbaz. Interior Desing.- AGi architects. Furniture supplier.- Gunni & Trentino

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Area

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1,300 sqm

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Dates

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2006-2014

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Photography

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Nelson Garrido.

Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea, Nasser B. Abulhasan AGi ARCHITECTS

The international design firm AGi architects was founded in 2006 by two young architects educated at Harvard University, Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea and Nasser B. Abulhasan.

With a noticeable international character and a multidisciplinary focus, AGi architects offers a professional service emphasizing quality,creativity and exclusive design. AGi has a vision to create environments that create a lasting value for clients through distinctive and imaginative solutions. At present, the studio has offices in Kuwait and Madrid, with a team comprised of more than 50 professionals.

The studio's architecture is based on four founding pillars: innovation, an inherent life component, ecological and social interventions andresearch. AGi architects provide comprehensive services in architecture, urban planning and design, interior design, research, consultancy and complementary services.

Among the latest acknowledgements for AGi architects are a nomination for the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture-Mies van der Rohe Award 2015, "Highly Commended" at WAF 2015, four WAF Awards (2014, 2013, 2011 and 2010 editions), ten Middle East Architect Awards(2015, 2014, 2013 & 2012), two mentions at MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards 2012, and various awards granted in the last editions of Cityscape Awards and International Property Awards, amongst other prizes.

Joaquín Pérez- Goicoechea and Nasser B. Abulhasan.