Al Sarh House

Keeping the sun out until five

At this latitude, shade is the material. Openings are set back a metre and a half behind deep reveals, so between eleven and four the rooms take only reflected light off the courtyard floor.

Travertine, wall to wall

One travertine, cut three ways: honed underfoot, split-faced at the courtyard walls, and polished only where water lands. The consistency is what makes the house feel cool before the air conditioning does.

By late afternoon the west screens open and the whole plan turns warm for two hours.