Bnaider Chalet
location Bnaider, Kuwait
photographs by Nelson Garrido
project year 2013
The Beach house design addressed two major issues of local architecture. The first issue was one of providing a building that corresponds to the privacy of the family. The second was to intervene with the native architecture and extend it to fulfill today's modern demands.

The first issue was addressed by giving the elevations of the house an enclosed identity and only opening up the elevation facing the northern side to over- look the beach directly. Balconies or extended slabs were located on that elevation to provide interaction with the outdoor area. A court was also located in the heart of the beach house integrating the outdoor experience into the interior of the house. Other functions such as a swimming pool and outdoor seating were provided on the rooftop to give the family the comfort of privacy and being outdoors as well. Such choices were not common to the native architecture of Kuwait. Roof tops were always utilized in houses for their more pleasant temperature during the summer. The court was also evident in local houses where they act as the heart of the house where family members function throughout the day. In this case, the court was open to the sky but closed with operatable glass panels to control or block the air or dust unpleasant dust from entering the house while still allowing daylight in.