The project is a significant private revitalisation and restoration of a farm, a mosque and a farm house in the vicinity of Riyadh. The history of the farm goes back to before the seventeenth century, with the house on the farm representing a continuous occupancy of more than a century. The house and small mosque was built in 1930. The farmhouse was left abandoned for some years, which contributed to its deterioration and partial collapse.

The farmhouse originally consists of courtyard surrounded by four wings: main reception hall (diwaniyya), family room, two bedrooms and services. Local traditional materials were used in restoration: mud and adobe and straw for the walls, gypsum for ornaments, wood for ceilings and doors and windows, palm trunks for columns, palm-fronds for roof-covering, and stone for the floors and foundations and columns.

The intent of the client was to rescue the derelict farm and the adobe buildings within it, as exemplary of the potentials of revitalising traditional buildings and landscape. Even though the farm is a private property; it is becoming a popular place for people interested in restoration or just simply enjoying its natural beauty. The project has triggered interest in restoration of the old mud town and palm grooves nearby.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture