Simply Abu Dhabi XXIV

Elevated above Barr Al Jissah, and “set on a little ridge just a little bit inland”, the four bedroom, five bathroom townhomes offer uninterrupted views across the Gulf of Oman. With a focus on the developers’ particular wish to have “a yacht design lens applied to the development”, the design studio has taken inspiration from the spectacular ocean setting in order to appeal to a certain yachting clientele while simultaneously remaining sympathetic to authentic Omani architecture, says Bannenberg. “We didn’t want to transplant a contemporary design straight into these houses without acknowledging where they are, so about 18 months ago, on one of our site visits, we located some of the local sandstone, and incorporated some of that with its golden yellow hues into the architecture of the houses themselves, along with a more contemporary take on an original screening arrangement that you often find in middle eastern properties. That is intermixed with contemporary furniture choices, and colours and textures that work successfully on balance - it’s a fusion between the two, without forgetting the locale.” Always refined in their approach, Bannenberg & Rowell have designed a scheme for one townhome, which is being applied across all eleven houses. Elements of the yachting lifestyle and design iconography have been seamlessly interwoven into the design through a masterful use of “space planning”, explains Bannenberg, as well as a “judicious use of teak”, along with other materials and decking features. “It’s quite subtle, but I think it will have a different feel from a more conventional approach,” he says.