Can a canyon sculpted by water house a large luxury residence?

Water sculpts stone. The atrium brings life together.

The Challenge

How do you fit 12 bedrooms, a mosque, a gym, a sauna, a large swimming pool, and multiple dining areas and offices onto a single plot without creating a cramped, imposing building? The client combines family life with representative and political activities, and demands absolute and simultaneous privacy for everyone, within a design inspired by the Mediterranean and the Sahelian landscape.

The Impact Experience

The entire program revolves around a large central atrium, conceived as if an ancient river had carved a canyon into the site. This canyon of air and water organizes and divides the spaces: at the entrance, the base of a mosque appears to float above the reflecting pool, and on the other side extends the 15-meter swimming pool surrounded by pathways and courtyards. Beige brick walls with rounded corners convey the softness of weathered stone, and the recessed windows stack three levels of brick at varying depths to provide shade.

The interior is organized into separate wings: upstairs, separate suites for children and parents; downstairs, dining rooms (one for 22 guests) and a political office separate from the family quarters. Internal courtyards act as private oases in each room.

How does the experience change?

The family and their public life coexist with complete privacy, each room with natural light and protected from prying eyes.