Project Photos
The beauty of Islamic Gardens is often reflected in paintings and traditional carpet weavings. The lavish use of flowers in the Garden of Paradise inspired the weaving of floral design, creating the renowned Garden Carpets. Conversely, carpets have also inspired garden designs, and herein lies the concept of the Carpet Garden Villa.
The Villa is a modern interpretation of a traditional garden carpet, which commands a design approach that is intimate and luxurious, rendered in a contemporary composition. The intention is to seamlessly weave architecture, interiors, gardens and sculptures to form a tapestry of experiences.
The villa design demands a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and landscape; it is a design trajectory inspired by local culture, climate, site assets and potential. The design intentionally creates spaces that are unique, inspiring, and textural. The spatial fabric of the villa lives in concert with the natural rhythm of its surroundings. There is a careful weaving of moments, space, and time catered exclusively for those within the private walls of this hidden oasis within an otherwise hostile environment – a site surrounded by mid-rise buildings and adjacent to a parking lot.
Inspired by the traditional use of carpets to shelter and shade, veiled screens are methodically draped over the Villa to contribute to its pervading sense of privacy and to shield it from intense heat. Sourced from local materials, their translucent nature gently diffuses incoming light to cast intricate shadows on interior spaces, creating an ethereal texture that translates differently throughout the day.
Working collaboratively with sculptor Colin Okashimo, carefully selected art installations anchor the Villa plan and complement the tree orchards, cascading water and ornamented fragrant gardens. They weave the entire development together forming a rich three-dimensional tapestry composed of courtyards, intimate gardens, reflecting pools and vistas.
Gardens at the Villa take the form of the four-fold geometric classic order of an Islamic garden. The gardens are named after the water channels that divide the courtyard into four parts. The Garden of Water is the Villa’s continuous lifeline, extending from the main dining water feature. The Garden of Milk offers a calming palette of hard and soft white materials and elements. The Garden of Honey strikes a fine balance between the formal and informal, restraint and freedom. Finally, The Garden of Nectar creates a tantalizing aromatic experience.
The Carpet Garden is a place for rest – to sit, relax the body and mind, to retreat and enjoy worldly delights and to escape the tensions of everyday existence. It provides a comfortable and pleasant microclimate, making it an ideal place for an open-air reception, or on the first-floor terrace gardens – a place for sleeping or sitting in the evening.
The design of The Carpet Garden Villa embodies serenity, sophistication and pure elegance. It is a sanctuary in which to live, retreat, enjoy worldly delights and escape the tensions of everyday existence. The harmonious weaving of the gardens into the built form provides a place where shade and cool water can be privately enjoyed year-round.
