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ARCHITECT Ala Eddin Mansour has picked up two coveted international accolades for his stunning work on a villa project in Bahrain … and helped place the spotlight firmly on the kingdom in the competitive world of design.
The inspirational talent of the 52-year-old impressed a panel of 80 distinguished judges at the prestigious International Property Awards.
His client, Shaikha Haya bint Rashed Al Khalifa, wanted to maintain parts of her historical family home in Riffa, majlis and existing trees in the grounds and was equally delighted and impressed by the stunning result of the work carried out.
The father-of-four from Zinj, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the field, said: “It is a dance between the owner’s personality and the architect’s philosophy.”
The project won Ala Eddin the ‘Best in Arabia’ and ‘World’s Best’ at the awards ceremony in London in the Architecture Single Residence category.
He competed against finalists from Africa, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, US, Central and South America, the UK and the Asia-Pacific region.
The awards are considered the world’s largest and most widely-recognised programme open to residential and commercial property professionals from around the globe.
According to the judging panel, to achieve such an award is a mark of excellence. The judges focused on design, innovation and originality. It was chaired by Lord Caithness and Lord Best, members of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament.
This victory was a dream-come-true for Ala Eddin who has been passionate about architectural drawing from a young age and always had designs on success.
He said: “The International Property Awards are the most recognised body in the property industry and for good reason, of course. Their criteria and judging are quite meticulous and progressive.
“Receiving the highest existing award for the design of this residence is an honour. I am pleased to think this award could shift the perspective in our communities for architects and non-architects alike.
“Achieving this recognition is a validation that my approach towards design and architecture is at the best level and it feels good to back up what I have been saying about architecture all along and what sound architecture truly is. So it’s not just the award, but what it represents, that indicates I have been on the right track.”
Ala Eddin’s task was to modernise the old Bahraini house whilst still preserving its historical features. He also added other elements to the property and its surrounds such as a spa, library, waterfront garden and terrace and a 10-car garage.
He explained: “The two-storey contemporary-style house celebrates the outdoors and is integrated with the garden; where water is an important element as well as in aesthetic beautification, relaxation and sports, and where the outdoor living space enjoys total privacy.
“I believe that my design best highlights my architectural credo. I have always perceived designing homes to have a sophisticated simplicity to it, one which must be addressed delicately.”
Keeping his VIP client’s needs in mind and inspired by a traditional local courtyard design, he worked on preserving existing rooms and using them to accommodate part of the newly-requested facilities such as the spa and the guests’ quarter. He used a central courtyard to tie all the main areas of the home together.
Ala Eddin said: “Only historical rooms with good physical condition and value from the old house were preserved such as the family majlis which is now being used as the winter living room. The other two rooms that were revamped are now the outdoor garden and sanctum office room.”
Ala Eddin’s aim was to create a multi-functional home perfect for family gatherings as well as space for hosting more formal events. The gated residence now includes indoor and outdoor kitchens, a family majlis and winter majlis, a formal and family dining room, gym, herb garden, a service quarter, a guests’ quarter with two bedroom suites and a living room with a pantry, a private sitting room, a guests’ powder room, a courtyard, a swimming pool, a master bedroom with a bathroom and a suite for his client’s mother.
The cost of the project and time of completion has not been revealed.
Ala Eddin, a Bahraini with Palestinian roots, is co-founder and chief architect of Design Studio-Architects (DSA) a company established in 2011 which he runs with his wife, Manar Sirriyeh, 52, managing director. Their daughter, Aseel, 24, works as an interior designer with them.
Their other children Hadil, 28, is the founder and copywriter at Dash Context, Hala, 19, is studying animal management in England at Askham Bryan College in York, and Faisal, 20, is studying international business at nearby Leeds University.
The family is delighted to witness dad’s determination and talent rewarded. Ala Eddin admitted: “This is a great lesson to them that hard work pays off and that all the long hours and effort can finally receive recognition in this way. It’s amazing, we are all very happy.”
This isn’t his first accomplishment in the industry as he was awarded second place by the Jordan Engineers’ Association after graduating from Yarmouk University in Jordan in 1985. He introduced new ideas in villa design and helped develop building regulations in Amman at the time.
Last night he hosted a small gathering to mark his latest achievement at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay but has no plans to sit on his laurels and hopes to display his architectural versatility by entering other award categories in the future. Watch this space …
