RiadArchitecture

In July of 2025, we entered a competition to design a housing and mosque prototype for lower income rural communities. We paused here. In real estate terms, area = money (thank you captain obvious), so if we are to build for lower income communities and focusing on affordability, then we need to ensure that we are area efficient (and as tight as possible … so what if we cram them and push the limits of what is humane?) …. Seemed like too much of a numbers than design game for us.

But then we started thinking, are we REALLY being area efficient? Are we truly designing ensuring that every cm2 of the plot is being used? If we are to design on 40-60% of the plot, and place the actual built area in the middle, what are we doing with the remaining 60-40%? This got us thinking back to vernacular and traditional architecture, that utilised the courtyard and open spaces as integral elements to the house / architecture as opposed to leftover “let’s plant a few trees and make it look pretty” space. Which is why that we as a design team ensured that the design of both our prototypes (housing and mosque) needed to treat this courtyard as the natural extension to the space, where all living and life happens. Yesterday we posted our proposal for the mosque, tomorrow we will post the housing units, and today we post a short video we compiled that connects both and celebrates life in courtyards

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