ENVI Al Nakheel

Ultimately our design for the lodge is focused upon creating a sense of place with strong connections to nature. Our initial research delved into the traditional crafts and architecture of the region as well as its agricultural history.

The site itself is a working date plantation that forms a part of the largest Oasis in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Networks of open irrigation channels supply water to these palms. From this grew our masterplan concept for a water driven circulation, whereby the channels run parallel to the buggy roads becoming a landscape and directional feature. The word ‘Ahsa’ means the sound of water flowing underground, so we really liked the idea of hearing an element of gentle water flow combined with the noise of falling water at specific locations around the site. It was envisaged conceptually that the architecture would seemingly then sprout and bloom out from their water supply, much like the date palms themselves.

The materials featured included 1m thick mud walls for our spa pods, cross laminated timber for the guest rooms to be pre-fabricated off site, as well as artificial palm thatch and composite timber. Given the extreme nature of the climate it was very important to select materials that would be able to handle this environment. These elements all combine to form what we view as a ‘Plant-based architecture’. The interior team are also working on ideas to implement where suitable, plant-based interiors.

The farm is split between two plots in close proximity to one another. This gave us the opportunity to designate one plot as ‘Passive’ and the other as ‘Active’. This was achieved by distributing functions accordingly with the spa, yoga and adult pool on the passive side, whilst the Nest kids club, art workshop and café are positioned on the active side to give it a more family orientated feel.