Architect Khalid Al Najjar's style of contemporary, spatial architecture is well-honed and his company, dxb.lab's projects could easily sit on a par with international award-winning designers in that genre. Yet, rather than make a splash with the tallest tower or a seven-star hotel, this Emirati talent is quietly introducing his post-modern concepts to the older areas of Dubai, where his architecture makes a real difference to its surroundings.

A lover of films and film-making - Khalid is a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick's and David Lynch's work - this has influenced the design concept of his own home, which he describes as "a filmic experience". His home is also a perfect illustration of his creative thought process. Constructed over a 15,000-square-foot piece of land in the residential section of Barsha, from the outside, the house looks no more than a square, unassuming structure nestled in a typical, organically developed neighbourhood of Dubai.

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"The house is like a fortress from the outside," Khalid says, "but once you are within the walls, it is totally open with a flow of inside and outside spaces. The design is very similar to domestic, Arabian architecture, where the elements are turned inwards, creating a micro-environment for the people living there, but not for outsiders to see."

By Lena Moosa

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