Villa K / IAIA – Idea Art Interior Architects
Text description provided by the architects. Villa K is a two-story private residence located in Meydan’s Millenium Estates in Dubai, UAE. The Villa spreads over two levels revealing a double-height ceiling at the main entrance, the stairs lobby, and the main reception space. IAIA Studio used various marble slabs and finishes to accentuate the potential of natural stone in the home’s interiors. Marble Slabs have been carefully selected to match with one another, wrapping floors and walls, and sculpted to include patterns, textures, and lighting details.
‘We wanted to show what can be done with the Marble’ says IAIA Head of Design Darine Jabeili. Being a marble lover, the client wanted to create depth and various tones and atmospheres singularly using marble. They wanted to emphasize themes within the different spaces, accommodating their unique lifestyle. In response to the client’s needs and aspirations, Villa K’s aesthetic is one of ‘altered materiality’ – an avant-garde approach to dealing with various materials together in one spatial complexity. Throughout the design process, the four natural elements were present, taking part in the design decision process and iterative methodology. The material palette was guided by primary materials and generated through careful examination of natural daylight and artificial lighting elements. The aim was to take the client on an atmospheric journey filled with textures and patterns felt through Vision and Touch. The colors, materials, textures, and veins of the marble shift with each space, telling a different part of the story.
Each room is designed with a new storyline in mind. One that follows the functionality of the space as well as converse with the light, shape, and form of its architectural elements. On the ground floor, colder marble is used, covering the floor in a book-matched finish, and wrapping the walls with fluted marble that adds depth to the space. Wood plays a big role in the design and completes the marble’s veins by adding lines of oak veneer to the storyline. Finally, unique suspended lighting fixtures float in the double-height reception providing sculptural ambient light. The stairs leading to the second-floor act as an interruption through the break in the marble used, style of finish, and sculpted cladding. The silver travertine wraps steps and walls, revealing monolithic stairs with various lighting scenarios shedding light simultaneously on the steps, the walls, and the patio.
Above this, on the second floor is a bridge crossing the double-height entrance connecting the bedrooms together. Each bedroom is characterized by its own material selection and finishes. Light, vegetation, and wood finish add to the quality of the space. ‘We chose to work with natural materials, that tell a story. We wanted to work with what nature provides. The project used natural materials and managed residues by incorporating them into design elements within the furniture, the house’s technical areas, and the parking. In fact, the parking area was covered with a patchwork of residual silver travertine marble. From material selection to furniture design, the project’s focal point was nature as a key player. Colors, finishes, materials, and accessories reflected it.
