AL SILAA - ABU DHABI - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
HOSPITALITY & ECO-TOURISM
Al Silaa Waterfront Glamping is envisioned as a sustainable eco-tourism destination along the Abu Dhabi coastline. The project blends luxury and nature, offering a mix of chalets, glamping tents, and Airstream units, all carefully positioned to maximise views of the waterfront. The masterplan emphasises connectivity, comfort, and environmental sensitivity. Key components include: - A central hub with reception and F&B - Family-orientated beachfront units with private access - Campgrounds with adventure play and communal facilities - Dedicated water-sports hub and active beach areas - Integrated staff accommodation and back-of-house facilities to ensure seamless operations The design prioritises responsive site planning, considering natural edges, view corners, and level changes to create a functional, immersive guest experience.
On-site photography captures the natural beach character, existing recreational elements, and panoramic sea views. These observations shaped the design response, ensuring integration of shaded areas, family-friendly leisure spaces, and maximised waterfront experiences.
The Al Silaa site sits along the U.A.E waterfront, strategically positioned near Al Silaa Port and adjacent to the existing civic infrastructure. Its coastal setting offers unique opportunities for tourism development while ensuring strong accessibility to regional networks.
Site analysis highlights key development constraints and opportunities: natural waterfront edges, view corridors, level change, and high-value developable land. These considerations informed the placement of glamping units and guest facilities for optimal views and functionality.
The Amenity Matrix is a strategic framework used to identify, define, and prioritise the essential functions of a development. Grounded in the Client Brief, it enables designers to understand the full spectrum of programmatic requirements from the very beginning, ensuring that every element of the project is thoughtfully considered. By mapping out these functions early, the matrix provides clarity and direction, helping to shape a cohesive and responsive design approach. Beyond simply listing functions, the Amenity Matrix acts as a 'kit of parts' for design development, offering a structured foundation for refinement and iteration. It allows the team to explore relationships, adjacencies, and operational efficiencies, supporting informed decision-making throughout the process. Ultimately, it ensures that the resulting design is not only functional and efficient but also aligns seamlessly with the project's vision, goals, and aspirations.
Site Plan Render
The rendered masterplan captures the resort’s character: beachfront chalets aligned with panoramic sea views, private and public beach zones, active camping areas with adventure play, and a welcoming arrival plaza seamlessly connected to guest and staff facilities
Development Zones
The masterplan is structured into distinct development zones: the Central Hub for arrival and F&B, Beachfront chalets for premium sea views, Family Beachfront for private larger units, Campgrounds with play and adventure facilities, and a dedicated Back-of-House for efficient operations.
Site Plan
The site plan illustrates spatial distribution across 68,250 m², with a total built-up area of 2,185 m². Key components include one- and two-bedroom chalets, airstream units, central guest facilities, and back-of-house services, all arranged to optimize views and operational flow.
In reviewing the design brief and developing the amenity matrix, along with the review of the existing site conditions, we have developed a prelimary layout. The purpose of this is to validate spatially the project components, scale, compositions, and relationships. This study has allowed us to create hierarchies, group interrelated functions and assess access & operational requirements.
