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
