The project is located in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, located on the vast plain bisected by the Tigris River. The Tigris splits Baghdad in half, with the eastern half being called "Risafa" and the Western half known as "Karkh". The land on which the city is built is almost entirely flat and low-lying, being of quaternary alluvial origin due to the periodic large floods which have occurred on the river.

Baghdad has a hot desert climate, featuring extremely hot, prolonged, dry summers and mild to cool, slightlywet, short winters. The humidity is typically under 50% in summer due to Baghdad's distance from the marshy southern Iraq and the coasts of Persian Gulf, and dust storms from the deserts to the west are a normal occurrence during the summer. Snowfall, though quite rare, has been reported with accumulations across the city in recent years.

Baghdad is divided into 9 municipal districts. The project site is located within Karrada, an upper-class district of the city. Created by a sharp turn in the Tigris River, the district has much waterfront property, making it a desirable and expensive district. Karrada shares the peninsula with Al-Jadriya district. It is a small district which lies at the southern tip of the peninsula, where the Tigris River makes its major turn and heads to the north-east. Its significance comes from its quality of life, and its real estate is, along with Karrada, some of the most expensive in Baghdad. The University of Baghdad Campus, designed by Walter Gropius, AIA, Louis Mcmillen and Robert McMillan of The Architects Collaborative in 1958 also added to its value since it has become one of the most important locations in the city.

The project site is an approximately 1300 sqm land with a rectangular shape with its longitudinal axis in the East-West direction. The main access to the site is on the East end, bounded by the main street.

The story of a house always begins with its site. Offering an open, porous living space that breathes with its surroundings, the house must both give shelter, privacy and comfort to its inhabitants while strengthening its connection to its context. At once light and breezy, but also cool and comforting, the house is an oasis in the dense city fabric of Bagdad.

The linear site is divided into two primary zones, namely the “front yard” located close to the street, containing two mature trees that should be protected; and the “back yard” that extends to the end of the plot, providing a large space for the garden and main outdoor areas of the house. The 500 square meter footprint is deployed on the site as a singular volume. The building footprint is broken into 4 smaller volumes, consolidating the street front while creating two smaller courtyard spaces in between living spaces and increasing the exposure to light & air throughout the house.

The site is separated into three main outdoor zones. The first courtyard mediates the interface with the street entrance, covered by the existing mature trees and provides access to the two guest lounges, as well as the basement and guest rooms on the floor above. The second courtyard, located at the center of the house, offers a protected outdoor space and connects the family living spaces and bedrooms above to the outdoors. The main garden of the house consists of an open green area, sundeck, lounge seating, pool and shaded outdoor cooking and dining zones.

The two guest lounges, one small and one large, connect directly to the entry courtyard and are situated in close proximity to the kitchen and service area for hospitality functions. The guest lounges are organized such that they can maintain separation from each other and also be accessed directly from the rest of the house as needed. The main living, dining and kitchen spaces wrap around the central courtyard, defining the heart of the house. The living room is oriented towards the backyard to maximize views of the garden area, but also has the flexibility to be opened up to the central courtyard for cooling breezes from each side. The kitchen is located in between the two courtyard zones so that it is able to cater both to the living and guest lounge spaces as needed.

The first floor follows the ground floor organization principle, situating the guest bedrooms around the first courtyard while the family bedrooms are located around the second courtyard. The two master bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms look out to the backyard to enjoy pleasant garden views, while the other bedrooms face the interior courtyards.

Shaded terraces are provided to create in-between spaces between the exterior and interior, creating buffer zones and promoting connections between the house and the outside while creating shelter.  A small terrace is provided at the roof overlooking the backyard.