actually driving what the architectural typologies of the
residential products need to offer.
“Challenges are within their organisations in terms of
trying to find new ideas with the help of us as architects
to come up with the typologies,” Dufresne added. “It’s an
aggressive market, but developers are trying to present at-
tractive new products.”
Dufresne further noted that these new typologies re-
flect new lifestyles that developers are focsuing on to
attract a different category of investors and buyers.
“We’re working on a number of very efficient and down-
sized residential developments,” he said. “Townhous-
es, rather than villas, are the way to go at the moment.
They’re quite cost-effective for both construction as well
as for investors. At the same time, they offer a product
for individual families that satisfies an individual dwell-
ing kind of category without being on a large piece of land
which might cost a lot of money. So it seems like a good
middle ground.”
Nellis agreed, noting that more affordable housing is
necessary in the country. According to him, “the major-
ity of the UAE’s population are unable to afford the luxury
apartments and villas that [populate] the current market.
Family homes that cater to the blue and white collar work-
Q&A with Andrea Zoumboulis
Partner architect at Remy ArchitectsAs a firm that delivers many residential projects, why
did you choose to open an office in the UAE?
During the implementation of the award-winning private
residence KH Villa in Abu Dhabi, we had the opportunity to
interact and understand the local culture. Fascinated by this
experience, we chose to open an office in the UAE to expand
our design philosophy and create contextual architecture.What were you hoping to gain from being based in the
UAE (in terms of residential output)?
We hope to implement several integrated contextual designs
that take into consideration sustainability, local culture and
technology.
As design and construction activities continue to evolve
in the region, finding the balance between physical and eco-
nomic growth is important to create unique liveable places.
Our vision is to broaden our design language and develop
projects of varying scale within the region. Our designs
emphasise user experience and sensory stimulation. Often
these concepts are overlooked to the detriment of a unique
user experience. Our aim is to produce designs that will ben-
efit private clients and the public for generations to come.What types of residential projects are moving ahead?
Which are slowing down?
On one hand, we can see that all the residential investments
related to EXPO 2020 are moving forward. We also see that
private residential high-end projects are moving ahead.
There is evolution in the mentality of the new generation
and there is an interest toward creating unique contempo-
rary private residences.SPECIAL REPORT / 27