Private Retreat

Subdued lighting, cascading water, and fire sets the stage for memorable gatherings

Project details

• Project Name: Private Retreat
• Project Type: Residential
• Design Team: Vladimir Djurovic, Paul De Mar Yousef, Josef Karam
• Contractor/s: Leeds Contracting
• Date of commencement of project: May 2004
• Date of completion of project: November 2004
• Location of site: Yaafur, Syria
• Site Area: 15,000 SQ M

Emanating from two majestic limestone walls, a totally self-contained and tailor-made facility capable of hosting up to 300 people

Words from the designer

"Emanating from two majestic limestone walls, a totally self-contained, facility was conceived, one capable of hosting numerous events and functions. All required services, such as a full bar, industrial kitchen, bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms, are discretely embedded within the walls, while a striking 6m x 40m long cantilever provides shade and shelter with uninterrupted vistas of the pool and gardens.

Private Retreat - Site Plan and Elevation. [opens in a popup window - 57KB image]

The gathering space with uninterrupted vistas to the pool and gardens.

To further combat this harsh environment, shade screens and air conditioning with cooling and heating capabilities are invisibly incorporated within the structure and delivered via discrete linear grooves. Similarly, music and lighting are incorporated invisibly, that lend to the mood of outdoor gatherings.

A travertine stone basin brimming with water, the swimming pool becomes the main feature of this retreat

An environment catering to the harsh desert climate.

In the axe of the main residence, framing all the living spaces, the swimming pool is conceived as the heartbeat of the project. A travertine stone basin, brimming with water, becomes the backdrop and the mesmerizing element of all the gatherings and events. In this pure elliptical form, massive travertine slabs were laid side by side, then hand-carved to produce this seamless and elegant form that gently slopes to produce a natural beach descent, an aqua lounge, and then warps to become a suspended bench and Jacuzzi that wraps around the pool.

Credits

• Text: Courtesy the architect
• Photographs: Geraldine Bruneel; Copyright, Vladimir Djurovic Landscape Architecture
• Edited and compiled by Manish Mehta