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Travertine Facade and Cantilevered Design in a Sustainable Urban Residence

Authors:
Miad Hanafi, Dalal Hashem, Hanan Alghamdi
Travertine Facade and Cantilevered Design in a Sustainable Urban Residence

Project in-detail

Emphasizing a travertine facade and cantilevered design, the residence integrates sustainable practices and open living spaces to create a harmonious urban family home.
5 key facts about this project
01
Designed with a cantilever that extends over outdoor living space, enhancing usability.
02
Incorporates a travertine facade that reduces thermal gain while providing aesthetic warmth.
03
Features a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor areas through expansive glass panels.
04
Utilizes smart home technology to optimize energy consumption and environmental efficiency.
05
Includes integrated rainwater harvesting and grey-water recycling systems for sustainable water management.

### Project Overview
La Casa Traventina is located in Dubai, UAE, and represents a modern approach to luxury residential architecture, completed in 2023. The design prioritizes clean lines and an open layout, aiming to create a balanced relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces while accommodating the functional needs of its occupants.

### Spatial Strategy
The villa features an open-plan arrangement that connects the living, dining, and kitchen areas, encouraging interaction and community among family members. The ground floor includes essential spaces such as a spacious living room, dining area, and guest accommodations, while a swimming pool extends the interior environment to the outdoors. On the first floor, private areas such as the master and guest suites are strategically designed for comfort and tranquility, with large windows that enhance natural light and provide expansive views.

### Materiality and Sustainability
The material palette consists of travertine, reinforced concrete, glass, wood, and metal, each selected for its aesthetic and functional qualities. Travertine is utilized for its thermal properties and visual warmth, while reinforced concrete ensures structural integrity for the cantilevered roof. Extensive use of glass fosters a connection between interiors and exteriors, promoting natural light. Sustainability measures include energy-efficient design, natural ventilation, microclimate creation through landscaping, smart appliance integration, and systems for rainwater harvesting and grey-water recycling, all of which contribute to a reduced environmental footprint.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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