Grafting the Ammani Landscape: The Abu Samra House by Khalid Nahhas of Symbiosis Designs

"Grafting the Ammani Landscape"

The Abu Samra House by Khalid Nahhas of Symbiosis Designs -- continued --

Nahhas emphasizes his debt to Canadian architects John (b. 1947) and Patricia (b. 1950) Patkau, who in addition to being sources of inspiration for him, taught him as a student of architecture at the University of British Columbia. Their influence is evident, amongst other things, in emphasizing the connection of the building to the landscape, the concern for building tectonics, the strong volumetric presence of the building, the incorporation of color, the concurrent use of various materials, and the emphasis on high-quality detailing (figs. 15a & 15b).

Nahhas has grafted the results of these diverse influences into the landscape of Amman. As he is becoming more of an established presence in Amman’s incredibly booming architectural scene, as his growing office is becoming an important work destination for newly-graduating Jordanian architects, and as more of his buildings are being constructed in the city, the new architectural set of images he introduces in his work is becoming increasingly familiar in Amman. It will become apparent over the next few years if these new vocabularies will provide a new architectural prototype that will establish roots within the city’s architectural landscape, or whether his buildings will remain unique compositions that provide strong contrasts with the building stock of Amman.

Prepared by Mohammad al-Asad with Sandra Hiari

Project data:

Design and supervision team:

Architects: Khalid Nahhas, with Nisreen alFar, Daad Musa, Raad Sawalha, and Reem Suyyagh, Symbiosis Designs.

Structural engineer: Marwan Ghanem.

Mechanical engineer: Issa Hamdan.

Electrical engineer: Kaled Srahneh.

Interior designer: Fadi Farajallah.

General contractor: Fusion Developments.

Photographer: Osman Akuz.

Location: Dabuq, Amman.

Area: 987.65 square meters.

Date of completion: May 2005.

Cost: Withheld at owners’ request.

Khalid Nahhas is a senior architect and associate director of Symbiosis Designs. He received a bachelor’s degree in Geographic and Economic Planning from the University of Victoria in 1985, and a second bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of British Columbia in 1989. He has been practicing architecture since 1989, beginning his professional career in Vancouver, at Spaceworks Architects. In 1991, he co-founded Symbiosis Designs. He moved his practice to Amman in 1997, and has been practicing there since then. His work includes several commercial and residential buildings, as well as interior design projects. He was a member of the Design Committee of the Jordanian Pavilion in the Expo 2005, in Aichi, Japan. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Children Museum, and also is its Chairman of the Board of Directors. He also is a member of the Amman Commission at the Greater Amman Municipality. In addition, Nahhas received the Dubai-based Cityscape Young Architect Award in 2002.

List of figures:

Figure 1a:	Blue Fig Restaurant: rear façade.
Figure 1b:	Blue Fig Restaurant: main façade.
Figure 2:	Ground floor plan.
Figure 3:	View of western side of house.
Figure 4:	View of house from the main north-south street located to the east of the site.
Figure 5:	View of house from the lower western part of the site.
Figure 6:	Utrecht, Rietveld-Schroder House by Gerrit Rietveld, 1924. (Source: Boston College’s Digital Archive of Architecture, http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/20thc/ SchroderHouse06.jpg, accessed June 2006.)
Figure 7:	Recessed corner window located at the southwestern corner of the house showing wall thickness.
Figure 8:	View of entrance area located at the southern edge of the house.
Figure 9:	View of interior corridor connecting the northern and southern ends of the house.
Figure 10:	Longitudinal section of house.
Figure 11:	Interior view of house looking north and showing the house’s north-south corridor.
Figure 12:	View of living space located at the southwestern corner of the house.
Figure 13:	View of interior staircase in the northeastern part of the house.
Figure 14a:	Mexico City, Casa Gilardi by Luis Barragan, 1975 – 1977. (Source: Arcspace.com, http://www.arcspace.com/exhibitions/barragan/quiet_ revolution_ex/Barragan-1.jpg, accessed June 2006).
Figure 14b:	San Diego, California, South Chula Vista Library by Ricardo Legorreta, 1992 (Source: Arqa.com, http://1999.arqa.com/images/legorre1.jpg, accessed June 2006).
Figure 15a:	Los Angeles, California, Kustin House by Patkau architects, 1986. (Source: Patkau Architects web site, http://www.patkau.ca, accessed June 2006).
Figure 15b:	Columbus, Ohio, Fabrications Installation: La Petite Maison du Weekend, Wexner Center for the Arts, by Patkau architects, 1998. (Source: Patkau Architects web site, http://www.patkau.ca, accessed June 2006).

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