Abu Dhabi

Nowadays, the United Arab Emirates are well-known as the place with the most cutting-edge high-rise glazed buildings, but in the past, the situation was completely different:
Vernacular architecture in the UAE was deeply influenced by traditional lifestyles, tribal customs, an invariably harsh environment and limited resources. Building materials were simple but were superbly adapted to the demands of lifestyle and climate. Easily portable camel or goat-hair tents provided shelter during tribal wanderings in the winter season. During the summer months spent in date palm plantations, home was an airy ‘arish woven from palm fronds. ‘Arish were also common in the coastal fishing, pearling and trading settlements. Inland more permanent houses were built of stone guss (mud mixture made into blocks) and were roofed with palm fronds. Fossilised coral, cut in blocks, bonded with sarooj (a blend of red clay and manure), or a lime mixture derived from seashells, and plastered with chalk and water paste, was used extensively in coastal regions. These materials have very low thermal conductivity and were therefore ideally suited for the hot and arid climate. Privacy and ventilation were important influences in the layout of domestic dwellings. A central interior courtyard onto which all the rooms opened was restricted to family use. Cooking facilities were located at one end of the courtyard, which also functioned as an eating and sleeping area in the hot summer months. The majilis or meeting rooms where the male members of the family entertained male guests were separate from the family quarters. Although layout and natural materials helped in providing cool interiors, in many cases additional features such as windtowers were also used to improve ventilation. Decorative detail was confined to colourful floor rugs, intricate wooden lattice work on windows and ornate wooden outer doors. Decorative patterns were modelled on traditional Islamic designs.