Project Name: Swan Lake Residence
Location: New Cairo
Date Completed: September 2017
Architect: DAR Designs
Interior Designer: DAR Designs
Developer: Hassan Allam Sons

The client requested Swan Lake Residence to be an elegantly designed villa that would suite and reflect the lifestyle of the family and their two children. They requested it to be high end with many luxurious details yet simplicity in the designs. Comfort was the core concept for the villa, seeking to cater to the individual preference of the entire family, the residence is fit with a private suite for every family member, a home office for work related activities and a living room as an interactive space. Each suite also has its own dressing room and bathroom. The basement was designed to accommodate a home cinema theatre, in addition to an in-house spa (which includes sauna, steam, Jacuzzi and a gym area).

Valuing coherence between elegant interior design and the residence’s lush surroundings, the client wanted a villa that tastefully uses the natural environment to feed into the beauty of its high-end interior space. The property was to stand out from the surrounding neighbours yet be in harmony with them also. In designing the concept, one of the main aims DAR Design had was to create a luxurious yet sustainable residence; thus, a lot of glass walls for natural lighting were built in both the bedrooms and the first floor, home automation also reduces electrical usage (since light sensors are highly sensitive to presence of individuals in the rooms and hallways).

In the designing and execution DAR Designs were highly attentive to create an environment that accommodates all the needs and comfort of the residents while being still sustainable and that what was achieved. The key factor that contributed to the success of this project was the thorough environmental studies and site analysis done on the property, aiding the architects in coming up with an ideal zoning strategy. It was through attaining in-depth knowledge of the site that enabled the architects to achieve the best orientation for the residence, allowing the client to enjoy the idyllic views of its surroundings, in addition to an increased efficiency in the use of space.

The residence was designed with sustainability and energy efficiency measures taken into consideration. Designed to allow maximum natural daylight penetration all day long while minimizing the use of artificial lighting, these windows can substantially reduce energy consumption. Additionally, designers used shady protruding areas which have a cooling effect, reducing the temperature and thereby minimizing air conditioning use. The sun can be a source of clean, renewable and sustainable energy for the housing units of the future, and that is why architects have chosen to use solar panels to operate much equipment in the residence, this in turn led to reducing the running cost of the energy consumption.