U+A, a part of Egis Group, and a leading architecture and design firm, has secured the lead design consultancy contract from UAE developer Taraf Holding for its Fay Gardens, the largest sustainable villa community within Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. The contract involves full design scope of the building assets and the masterplan.
The community is planned as a unified composition where villas, landscape, and infrastructure are aligned to support walkable, climate-responsive living in Masdar City and position it as a destination for sustainable, human-scaled living.
It comprises 130 low-rise villas with aa mix of four- to six-bedroom stand-alone villas, each well-spaced to ensure maximum privacy and built as practical, workable living spaces for every family member.
The villas are characterised by serene, contemporary volumes, warm, earthy materials and the interplay of solid walls with openings that manipulate heat gain while providing glimpses to planted courts and gardens.
Deep covered patios, cross-ventilated living spaces, and clearly zoned family areas enhance daily comfort and support a lifestyle that moves easily between indoors and outdoors. At the center of the development, a 540 sqm clubhouse serves as the primary social anchor, said the statement from the Egis unit.
Fay Gardens is planned as a pedestrian-friendly community based on shaded walkways, wadi-like green spaces, and a series of public realm amenities, a community park, and plazas.
The structure is set into the landscape and includes a green roof that residents can walk on; full-height glazing and operable screens draw a gym, multipurpose lounge, indoor kids’ areas, and changing rooms out to the pool deck beyond, combined with shaded terraces.
According to U+A, the project is targeting a sustainability rating of Pearl 3, aligning with stringent standards for reduced energy and water use and environmentally responsible materials embedded in the Estidama framework.
As lead design consultant, its scope of work includes architecture, interior design and landscape, with Egis as partner on all engineering and infrastructure disciplines.
"The relationship between the masterplan grid and the individual villa typologies were the starting point for Fay Gardens," remarked Tiago Sampaio, the Design Principal at U+A.
“This was achieved by calibrating setbacks, courtyard depths and building heights across 4, 5 and 6-bedroom villas in order to create a continuous weave of streets and gardens that reads like one neighbourhood – rather than individual villas. Design in Masdar City is a matter of balancing generosity with environmental performance," stated Sampaio.
"Villas read as uncomplicated volumes, but behind the apparent simplicity, there is precise control over façades, openings, and rooftop screening so that technical requirements such as MEP integration are embedded into the architecture without visual noise," he added.
Wissam El Dik, the Director of Real Estate Development at Taraf Holding, said: "Fay Gardens reflects Taraf and Masdar City’s long-term vision to deliver thoughtfully planned communities that are deeply connected to their surroundings and aligned with the everyday lifestyles of families in Abu Dhabi."
"Our focus has been on shaping a living environment where walkability, neighbourly interaction, and seamless indoor-outdoor living come together naturally — from shaded communal spaces and an accessible clubhouse to homes that open effortlessly onto landscaped gardens," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
