‘three gardens house’ is an expansive, new build property in kuwait designed by AGi architects built to be lived as an outside space all year long. the project involves tackling kuwait’s extreme desert climate and as a result, the architects developed a dwelling that weaves three gardens together in a single, unified space. visual connection is constantly achieved through the voids and internal circulation.
‘we decided to stratify the external uses according to the period of the year and the hours of the day in which these activities could be developed, and accordingly we designed three gardens.’comments joaquín pérez-goicoechea and nasser b. abulhasan of AGi architects
the architects chose to stratify the external uses according to the period of the year and the hours of the day to design the three gardens. the first is the wet garden on ground floor, which allows a relax and peaceful space to be activate for use during the hottest periods. the pool and some fountains are integrated into this garden, which is encircled by the main social programs of the house.
in contrast, the summer garden stands in the coldest layer, four meters below street level. protected by the soil’s thermal mass and the projected shadows of the housing volume, a large pond of water is placed to allow the water to refresh the air as it evaporates. lastly the third garden is located on roof and is created as an ideal place for winter days and hot summer nights. a perforated skin made from anodised aluminum covers the winter garden to direct solar radiation away and act as a screen for privacy.
the circulation inside the building -both vertical and horizontal- is conceived in a fluid way, creating multiple routes and possibilities for the inhabitants to reach the rooms in a more or less direct way. the routes can be interior or exterior, offering differently qualified views and experiences. in this sense, all ‘public’ areas are visually connected, leaving the most private rooms more intimate and looking outwards. opposite to the closed volume towards the outside -emphasized by the uniform stone cladding.