Orange Architects is a joint collaboration between three architecture firms; JSA, Cimka and Hofman Dujardin. They were established with the design of these three modern luxury villas for a housing development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Villa Ajmakan, 800m²:
Located on the northwest side of the city of Riyadh, the villa is organized in three living floors. On the majestic ground floor with a ceiling height of almost 4m the formal living, formal dining and the Majilis are located.
All of these precious formal rooms have views to the green and the fountains in the garden. Perforated concrete give a sublime light effect to the Majilis. The large formal entrance with la central staircase is lighted through the direct sunlight which enters the core of the house through the water fountain with a glass floor located on the top floor.
All of the formal rooms are accessed from the formal entrance. With the use of warm textures, fabrics, tiles and lightning each formal room has a beautiful and warm atmosphere. The formal entrance with white walls and a travertine floor is modern and elegant.
Villa Ajmakan II, 460m²:
The magic and spatial beauty of a natural cavern, a Cenote, with its carved out spaces and halls, was the inspiration of the Orange design team for this assignment. The Cenote appears as an indoor oasis, naturally lit by stripes of daylight that reflect in its enclosed pond. A perfect example of sublime architectural quality, defined by space, material and light.
For the Ajmakan prototype villa the concept of the Cenote was translated in a compact spatial stacking of the different rooms, with an exiting internal space in between for disconnecting the different functions. By doing so we are able to position the different parts of the program exactly the way the client wants, and at the same time create architectural excitement. Thereby the concept is flexible and comfortable.
Room positions can be altered to individual wishes, but the spatial concept stays the same. Central theme in this concept is the quality of the in-between space. This in- between space, the void, offers strategic views in different directions, both vertical and horizontal, while preventing the villa for an over exposure to the sun. Daylight is directed carefully and deep in to the house and at the same time the void functions as an effective tool for natural ventilation.
Orange Architects, established in 2008, is an intense collaboration with the architectural offices HofmanDujardin from Amsterdam and Cimka from Rotterdam.
Since mid 2010 the cooperation intensified. The three agencies complement each other very well, both in substance and in terms of the additional expertise that the different agencies offer.
Orange has been working since successfully on projects in the Netherlands, Belgium, Ukraine, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.