aya

garden lifestyle

The seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces has been the guiding design principle for the villas. The year-round pleasant climate in Nairobi and Karen in particular, offers the inhabitants of the villas the opportunity to extend their living area into the garden. The courtyard garden is celebrated once stepping into the double story entrance hall; entering the villa is stepping into the garden. The layout of the house embraces this central courtyard garden with the guest-wing - featuring a lounge and vast ensuite bedroom with private terrace - located to one side of the entrance hall and all main living spaces to the other. Cleverly organized different floor heights enhance the spatial experience when entering the dining and show kitchen area. This experience is further enhanced once stepping down into the living space, surrounded by the garden around. The lowered living space extends seamlessly into the terrace areas in the courtyard and garden. Seating benches continuing from the inside to the outside embed the living space into nature. The indoor-outdoor experience continuous on the upper floor. Three bedrooms are located above the living area and come with magnificent garden views. The family lounge and main bedroom come with balconies and planters extending the green character onto the upper floor. From the staircase, one of the key features in the villa a bridge over the double story entrance hall leads to the master-suite. Separated from the other bedrooms this suite provides unique hotel-alike experience with a lounge, dressing area, luxurious bathroom and vast bedroom with balcony overlooking both courtyard and garden. Integrated planters not only allow for a green character but also enhance privacy in the master-suite. The design combines the traditional natural context with modern design to create a unique green lifestyle.

natural materials

The exterior design of the AYA Villas takes inspiration from the natural surroundings. The villas themselves are angled and create surprizing corners and views. The organization of the villas creates multiple microclimates to enhance various planting opportunities to suit the different seasons. The stone walls are strongly embedded in the historical Karen context while the wood-alike screens relate to the natural surroundings. The precise horizontal bands relate to the modern context and create a lively framework for the applied materiality. Window positioning is carefully orchestrated to enable the indoor-outdoor experience and to frame the views into the garden, courtyard and other parts of the villa. Glazed areas and planting are designed to optimize the private character of the interior functions. The embraced green courtyard is the highlight of the design. Here nature and living blend together and seamlessly extend into the interior and garden alike.

• CLIENT ALLURE VILLAS limited
• ARCHITECTURE studio OMT architects
• DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING HassConsult
• GENERAL CONTRACTOR Aztec builders
• STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Brenmah Concepts Ltd