Climate · Sep 2026 · 6 min read
Designing for 48°C: shade as a material
In the Gulf, the most important material on a facade is the shadow it casts. Here is how we draw it first.
Every project in our studio starts with a sun study, not a sketch. We model the site for the hottest week of the year and the coolest week, then shape the building so its own overhangs, fins and courtyards do most of the cooling.
Deep cantilevers are the simplest tool. A 2.4-metre overhang on a south-facing terrace blocks the high summer sun completely while letting the low winter sun in. On Crescent Villa that one decision cut cooling loads by more than a third.
Courtyards come next. A narrow, tall courtyard stays in shade for most of the day and pulls cooler air through the rooms around it. Add water and planting and the temperature can drop by five or six degrees in the evening.
Finally, we treat screens as architecture rather than decoration. Timber or stone screens filter light, give privacy and create the patterns of shadow that make Gulf architecture feel calm.
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