Oman’s natural and cultural landscapes are famous for their astonishing beauty, from dramatic high peaks and canyons, ancient oasis settlements with their traditional forts and houses, dense monsoon forests, barren gravel wildernesses, sand seas furrowed by high dunes, to coastal cliffs and fjords. The challenge of this project was to create different micro-climates, extend the touristic season, and increase the site’s biodiversity.
Six characteristic areas, where each present unique climatic and topographical properties, have been identified to help guide the material choices of the different interventions: Oasis, Coastal Area, Canyon, Gravel Wilderness, Food Production and Lush Valley. Materials, forms, strategies, energy use, waste management and recycling systems have all been studied to ensure the intervention’s maximum sustainability.
