Designing for a
vibrant and diverse
creative district
The roots of the neighborhood’s cultural heritage are embedded in Al Najadah, which can be easily felt as one wonders and explores the area.
Houses were made up of separate family units but shared a private common alleyway. Shared walls allowed neighbors to easily support each other. Rooms were designed to be narrow but long – a sign of the architecture design being limited by the length of trees found at that time. Windows were designed to allow ease of communication with other households as well as air circulation, all whilst safeguarding the family.
As we work to reactivate the site to host a diverse and creative community, we have also carefully studied Al Najadah’s urban fabric in order to come up with the best activation strategy.
Activation Strategy
Three key pedestrian streets and three significant public squares constitute the main areas where the public can pass by, which were used to delimit Al Najadah’s three main clusters. Each cluster offers different types of experiences to community members who occupy these houses.
Entry points, accessibility to the site and public circulation were taken into consideration when assigning each building’ specific functions.
With the exception of House B01 and House B15 (reserved for the community and public programming), all remaining buildings are planned to be rented out to future community members. Project proposals for the activities to be undertaken must fit under one or a few of the main working modes: make, sell, show and connect.
Make
Best suited for private studios or work spaces for creatives who need a place to set up their business, and occasionally invite the public to learn about their unique art, craft, or design.
Sell
Best suited for boutiques, shops, and markets which sell objects related to the New Crafts, including, but not limited to, what is being designed and/or made at Al Najadah.
Show
Best suited for those who want to exhibit and showcase their physical or digital artwork, crafts and design objects — which can also be put up for purchase.
Connect
Best suited for those who want to organize events or food & beverage businesses. These houses can also offer pausing points for visitors.
House Typologies
Offering options for diversity and inclusion
Each of Al Najadah’s houses have unique architectural details and qualities. You can activate a unit or an entire building with temporary or permanent interventions. All permanent construction work will have to comply with heritage site regulations.
Explore Houses
You can rent an entire house or occupy just one of the units. Units include 1 to 3 rooms, 1 toilet, pantry, a courtyard and/or storage spaces. Houses may consist of 1 to 5 units. You can suggest which building you would like to occupy and as we match projects with houses or units, we will take individual and collective needs and opportunities into consideration
Spatial Function
Spatial Activation
Typology
Visit the Site
Register your interest, share your concerns or ask for a site visit.
We are here to discuss your plans and answer any questions that you may have.