Dubai courtyard installation examines how "architecture evolved in the region"
Emirati studio Some Kind of Practice presented a palm-clad pavilion with a central courtyard at this year's Dubai Design Week, exploring how this architectural feature has been shaped by climate and communities over time.
Titled When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?, the installation was positioned in the Dubai Design District and created by studio founder Omar Darwish alongside co-leader Abdulla Abbas.
The rectilinear pavilion is enclosed by towering walls made of concrete blocks and palm fronds, known as arish, layered on top of a wooden frame.
A deep wind tower was placed in the centre of the roof, covered with corrugated metal sheets, which allows air to circulate through the structure.
The duo wanted to create a courtyard using readily available "off-the-shelf" materials, marrying contemporary design with traditional architecture.
"We do a lot of research on the UAE in general, historically, materially, spatially, looking at how it evolved and how architecture evolved in the region," Abbas explained during a tour of the installation.
"So rather than just simply building a building with four walls and enclosing it and saying 'that's a courtyard', we wanted to look at it contextually."
Stacked concrete blocks were chosen in homage to the piles of stone that Abbas said people historically used to create courtyard boundary walls in the UAE's mountainous regions.
"Rather than stone, we looked at stacking concrete blocks, because in the 60s, when concrete was first imported from Japan, it completely changed the way we constructed in the country," said the architect.
"It led to the abandonment of a lot of these materials, which are still found today, but they're mostly used for temporary stuff," he explained, citing the use of palm fronds for makeshift shade structures.
Corrugated metal was selected to absorb heat and mitigate temperatures within the courtyard – a system that local people have used for decades in harsh climates.
"When you come into the space, it's a lot cooler than outside," acknowledged Abbas.
Abbas and Darwish wanted to imbue the installation with a sense of community, as a nod to the myriad neighbourhoods they visited across the UAE during their research.
A table and chairs were placed within the courtyard for a portion of the design week, and visitors were invited to interact with the structure.
Dubai Design Week, which concluded on Sunday, featured presentations including furniture by Italian studio Draga & Aurel and an exhibition by emerging designers hailing from across the Middle East.
The photography is courtesy of Dubai Design Week.
Dubai Design Week 2025 took place from 4 to 9 November 2025 at various locations across Dubai, United Arab Emirates. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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