Nasayem
Location
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Category
Residential
Scope
Identity, Interior, Product, Landscape
Awards
- Architecture Masterprize: Residential Interior, Winner
- Built Design Awards: Interior Design, Residential Winner
- Interior Design Best of Year Awards: City House, Honoree
Selected Press
AD Middle East, Design Milk, New Norm, Design Anthology, Marie Claire
Nasayem—an Arabic term meaning "gentle winds"—is a private residence that reinterprets the nomadic traditions of the client’s Bedouin heritage, blending cultural reverence with environmental sensitivity. Celebrating the resilience, adaptability, and artisanal legacy of desert tribes, the design harmonises communal gathering with intimate retreat, creating a sanctuary that balances connection and solitude.
The central courtyard, home to a 200 year old Olea Europaea tree.
Nasayem inspires an architectural approach that recognises the wind not as an external force to resist, but as a co-creator in the built environment.
The design weaves together the desert-born typologies of Maghrebi riads and historic Emirati courtyards—a dialogue between tradition and place. Courtyards anchor the home as both a social nucleus and a climatic mediator, channeling airflow for natural ventilation while offering shelter from sun and wind-blown sand.
Layers of solid teak latticework soften the sun’s intensity, casting patterns of light and shadow that define boundaries between public and private spaces. Operable panels slide and pivot to modulate light, air, and privacy—creating a home that breathes with both climate and inhabitant.
A cellar transformed into a collector's retreat—a cabinet of curiosities to be savoured.
Curvilinear geometry creates fluidity within the circulation, orchestrating movement between its dual access points—the main entrance and kitchen passage. Clad in light plaster, its organic contours contrast with the courtyard’s geometric screens, creating sanctuary for private tastings or intimate gatherings.
Bespoke shelving, lighting, coffee table, and seating—each element an invitation to linger and pause.
The lounge's bespoke coffee table is a sculptural take on Middle Eastern villages. Like all custom furnishings in the space, it is a story made tangible—shaped by hand, celebrating the transient beauty of the desert. Drawing from the simplicity of Bedouin shelters, the mystery of lost desert cities, and the ever-shifting lines of sand dunes, these pieces embody a sense of movement and memory.
“Spelaion” Lantern.
“Kangaroo” Lounge Chair.
Teak latticework and hand-carved wood are harvested from cultural influences of the nomadic Bedouin tribes, transforming functional elements into cultural touchstones—details that honor tradition while bringing warmth to modern spaces.
The residence allocates rooms for both physical repose and mental restoration. Weaving wellness into the home, dedicated spaces for mindful rituals—areas for meditation and breathing exercises—are separate from the bedroom to create space.
The outdoor areas are natural extensions of the interior, blurring boundaries between architecture and landscape to create harmony with the surrounding environment.
