THE AL WAAB VILLA GYM

BRIEF

A working family in Al Waab — two parents, three children, one formal majlis used perhaps four times a year. They wanted to train at home without turning the room into a garage full of equipment.

DESIGN RESPONSE

The room was kept as a room. The existing travertine was cleaned and carried up the walls; a single mirrored plane replaced one wall to double the courtyard light; a cove of warm light traces the ceiling. Equipment was chosen for silence and for how it looks when nobody is using it — because for most of the week, nobody is.

OUTCOME

48 SQM, ten weeks, delivered while the family remained in the house. The majlis is now used every day rather than four times a year.