The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle

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The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle

Information

  • Completion year: 2019
  • Gross Built up Area: 1400 m²
  • Project Location: Mishref
  • Country: Kuwait
  • Photo Credits: João Morgado
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Excerpt: The House in Mishref, designed by Studio Toggle, has an introverted composition of two separate living units grouped around an internal courtyard, making the house an interpretation of the traditional courtyard house of Kuwait. A clean and serene façade to the street has a rhythmic arrangement of louvered windows across the façade that softens the volume by lending it a sense of lightness.

Project Description

[Text as submitted by architect] The house in Mishref is home to two brothers and their families with their varying lifestyles and needs for privacy and open spaces. Essentially an introverted composition of two separate living units grouped around an internal courtyard, the house is an interpretation of the traditional courtyard house.

The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado

Presenting a clean and serene façade to the street, the resulting massing can be best described as a white monolithic volume poised elegantly on top of a stone cladded podium. The rhythmic arrangement of louvered windows across the façade softens the volume by lending it a sense of lightness. 

Site and context

The site is located in Mishref, a suburb of Kuwait City comprised mostly of 2-3 story detached houses. The demographic is mostly Kuwaiti and the neighbourhood values privacy and quietness. The harsh desert sun in one of the hottest cities in the world sees ambient temperatures rise up to 50 degrees Celsius regularly during the summer. Dust storms are also a regular phenomenon that dictates the planning and construction strategies in the area.

The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
Site and immediate Context © Studio Toggle
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado

A quick study of the surroundings reveals the following insights:

  1. Climate controlled internal spaces are preferred more than open outdoor or semi outdoor spaces.
  2. Maximising the internal built spaces dictates that windows on the perimetric walls become the only source of natural daylight.
  3. Privacy concerns result in most of these perimetric windows being closed most of the time, resulting in dark and unhealthy interiors. 
  4. Lack of internal social spaces.
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado

The challenge was to address these concerns and define optimised design strategies without escalating the budget.

Strategies and concept

The courtyard and the fountain

The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
SOCIAL SPACE OR CIRCULATION LOOP © Studio Toggle
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
FOUNTAIN AXONOMETRIC © Studio Toggle

The house is organised around an internal courtyard cutting across all the floors. The U-shaped volume faces this courtyard in an Omani stone clad skin. The courtyard and the void result in an inward-looking typology that can benefit from maximum diffused daylight without compromising on privacy. The house, thus, opens up towards the interior featuring a private citrus tree lined courtyard with a sculptural fountain reminiscent of the gardens of the Moorish Alcazars.

The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
Site and programmatic Division © Studio Toggle
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado

Circulation loop or social space?

The 4-story courtyard and void presented a question of human scale as well as connectivity between the living units facing each other.  A circulation loop comprised of a dramatic floating staircase connecting with balconies on multiple levels addressed these issues by punctuating the void. The staircases and the balconies also double up as viewing platforms and social spaces by offering advantageous vantage points and ease of access.

The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado

The Palette

The interiors of the house feature a simple palette of ethereal white and natural woods. The straight and minimal lines of the massing is offset with the sleek curves of spiral staircases. The furniture is carefully chosen and boldly contrasted against the serene ambience. The calming sound of the water and the diffused light filtered through the louvered windows make this house an oasis of tranquillity in this busy Kuwaiti suburb.

The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado
The House in Mishref | Studio Toggle
© João Morgado

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