Monolith by DE
Date: August, 2018 Client: Sarah Mufada Services: Exterior & Interior Design, Contracting & Architecture When our clients briefed us, they asked for a house that felt calm from the street and generous within. Privacy mattered, as did a quiet kind of luxury. That became the brief behind Monolith. We started by sculpting a single, restrained frontage that reads like a carved block. Two travertine panels sit inside a crisp white frame, and a deep entry portal with a timber screen sets the tone. The façade is purposefully still, with light tucked into the reveals so the house glows at dusk rather than shouting for attention.
Arden House
Date: March, 2022 Client: Osama Zaharani Services: Exterior & Interior Design, Contracting & Architecture Our clients came to us with a simple wish list: a home that feels open to the garden, private from the street, and effortless for a family that loves to host. We met at the site at sunrise and sunset, mapping breezes and glare, and those hours set the rules. The long elevation faces the lawn, so we designed a clear, two-level glass gallery that lets living, dining, and the family lounge read as one continuous space to the landscape. A deep roof line and a slender brise-soleil run the full width to shade the facade and keep the glass performing in Dubai’s heat.
Villa Elara
When our clients first sat with us, their brief was clear: a modern family home that feels calm, private, and connected to the outdoors. We walked the site together at different times of day and learned two things that shaped every decision. The afternoon sun is unforgiving, and the garden is the heart of the plot. The result is a simple, layered composition. Deep window frames and generous overhangs shade the glass while directing views to the courtyard. A vertical stone spine organizes the house inside and out. It holds the stair, hides services, and becomes a lantern at night with slim light slots that guide you home. Upstairs, a planted terrace sits behind glass balustrades so bedrooms enjoy greenery without losing privacy.
Noor at Sunset Grove
We began this home with a simple brief from the client: create a place where family and friends gather at dusk and the house itself becomes part of the sunset. “Noor,” Arabic for light, set our direction. We studied the western sky from the site, mapped breezes, and sat with the client on evening walkthroughs to feel how the temperature and sound change after dark.
Equinox Residence
When our client briefed us, they spoke about balance. Mornings in a bright family home, evenings in a calm retreat. That idea of an equinox became our north star. We shaped two interlocking volumes that meet around a sheltered court so the house can open to light and views while protecting privacy.
Emberhall
When our client first met us, they asked for a home that would glow at dusk yet stay private from the street. That became the seed for Emberhall. We explored the idea of a cool stone plinth with a warm, light-washed volume resting above it, so the house reads as a lantern in the evening and as calm masonry during the day. We co-created the brief around three anchors: privacy, a generous majlis for hosting, and a garden that feels usable year-round. In workshops the family helped set the arrival sequence, selecting a layered wall and timber screen that filter views while guiding guests to a recessed entry. Inside, spaces step around a planted court so living, dining, and the majlis open to greenery without being exposed to the street.
Desert Crown
When our clients asked for a family home that felt dignified, welcoming, and unmistakably rooted in the UAE, we imagined a calm, modern form that wears the sun well. We developed Desert Crown around three ideas the family cared most about: a gracious arrival for guests, everyday privacy, and a quiet nod to local craft. The façade pairs sand-toned limestone with cooler grey stone to anchor the house in its setting. We framed the entry with deep reveals and custom geometric screens that reinterpret the mashrabiya. Those screens soften light, protect privacy to the majlis and stair hall, and cast a shifting pattern across the floor through the day. Vertical slot windows bring in controlled daylight while limiting heat gain. Inside, a clear procession moves from shaded porch to double-height hall, then branches to guest areas and the more private family wing. Living spaces open to a garden terrace, so gatherings flow easily outdoors in the cooler months. The clients were closely involved. Together we workshopped the screen motif, reviewed full-scale stone and metal mockups, and tuned the lighting to give the house a composed night presence without glare. High-performance glazing, layered shading, and a landscape of hardy regional species keep energy use low. Desert Crown is a contemporary family villa with a respectful sense of place. It balances ceremony and comfort, tradition and clarity, to feel both timeless and distinctly theirs.
Solara Estate
When our clients asked for a home that felt like “sunlight made solid,” we shaped Solara Estate around the way Dubai’s light moves across a day. The brief paired ceremony with comfort: a statement arrival for hosting, quiet inner courts for family life, and absolute privacy between generations. We began with site walks at sunrise and dusk, mapping shadow, breeze, and neighboring views. That research set the plan: layered stone volumes step with the sun, deep overhangs and bronze screens temper glare, and every major room looks onto water or garden rather than the street. A discreet ramp drops to a tucked-away garage so the forecourt stays uncluttered for guests and art.
Noctis Pavillion
Our first meeting set the tone. The client wanted a calm city home that came alive at night, with privacy from the street and generous light inside. We sketched a simple idea, a quiet stone plinth with a single sculpted frame that holds a veiled upper floor. That veil became the “Noctis screen,” a custom pattern we developed with the client by testing cardboard cut-outs and full-scale metal samples in the evening light. By day the screen softens glare and heat, by night it glows like a lantern and lets the family see out without being seen.
The Palmetto
When we first walked the site with the client, the brief was simple and personal. Give us a compact family home that feels open to the garden, quiet from the street, and shaded from Dubai’s sun. They pictured morning coffee on an upper terrace and easy weekend gatherings by a small lawn. That image became the anchor for the design. We organized the house as a clear stack of volumes around a protected green court. A pale stone bar grounds the entry, a vertical spine sets the rhythm, and a cantilevered terrace with a lightweight pergola creates a deep shade pocket on the first floor. Living and dining open fully to the garden, while the private rooms sit above behind tall, softly screened windows for privacy. The plan keeps services and circulation to the hot west edge, allowing cross ventilation through the main spaces. The client was hands-on with materials and light. Together we tested pergola spacing with full-scale mockups and tracked shadows at different hours to tune the slats. We paired cool limestone with warm travertine and timber accents, added high-performance glazing, and layered drought-tolerant planting that reads lush without heavy water use. At night, discreet lighting washes the reveals and planters so the house glows rather than glares. The result is a calm, modern retreat that lives outside as comfortably as it does within—exactly what the owners asked for. Ask ChatGPT