Studio Toggle, an architecture firm in Kuwait City, brands themselves on the principles of architecture, urbanism and activism. Founded in 2011 by Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna graduates Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George, the studio focuses on “research and computational methods to tackle specific form/space finding and environmental challenges.” They’ve developed public, commercial, residential and hospitality architecture and also design interiors for products, graphic design and branding.
Their “Edges Apartments” were built early this year in Salmiya in Kuwait. The rhythmic brick structures take on the look of semi-carefully stacked boxes that shift from side to side as the eye travels up the building. The architects explained the design:
A simple rhythmic twist, achieved by transposition of the vertices on either side of a finite axis imparts dynamism and drama to the façade. A very restrained palette of locally sourced natural brick and exposed concrete finish further emphasizes the massing and gives the building its unique personality.
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We like the way the design takes a moment to make itself known. It’s as though your brain is a few paces behind the information your eyes are feeding it. The unique twist appears loudest at night, with lights on the underside of each floor. In addition to the look, the architects also had to take environmental considerations into account. They state that the apartments have to withstand the summer heat as well as occasional dust and sand storms.
The fired brick cladding acts as an effective thermal protection as well as being hardy enough, along with the exposed concrete finishes, to withstand the harsh desert climate. The major windows are recessed to block out the direct sun and Aluminum louvers are employed wherever possible to reduce the heat gain and the glare.
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Photographs by Gijo Paul George. Courtesy of the studio.
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