Assoufid Master Development

Assoufid is a high-end mixed-use development in Marrakech, Morocco, which spreads over 222 hectares on a naturally undulating terrain. The site development strategy for this luxury community is driven by a desire to reveal and accentuate the poetry of the existing site. The site’s rolling topography provides vantage for views of the Atlas Mountains, cultivated groves, and natural oasis, all juxtaposed against the raw desert landscape. Development of the master plan for a hotel, golf course and 80-unit residential development is based on indigenous concepts of environmental sustainability that respond to the unique climactic conditions of each portion of the site. This includes optimizing solar and wind orientation, efficient water usage, selective and appropriate use of plantings, and minimal negative impact on the surrounding natural desert landscape.

The first phase of this ongoing development included the Assoufid Golf Club, now open for play, while the second phase of the development includes a 5-star hotel and luxury branded golf villas.

Assoufid Development Villas

U+B was hired to design prototypes for eighty houses are situated on the arid landscape outside the city of Marrakech. Individual properties are enclosed within ksours and contain gardens that balance the desert landscape and the lush garden tradition of Marrakech. Each house has been sited for optimal solar and wind orientation, and to maximize views to the Atlas mountains. The houses vary in style including models inspired by indigenous hillside architecture, Art Deco homes based on Morocco’s colonial buildings of the 1920′s and contemporary houses with a clean, harmonious aesthetic. All house styles integrate and embrace details rooted in local craft traditions that still remain vibrant in Marrakech, making each of these homes unique.

Marrakech Villa 401

The aesthetics and design of this home is a tribute to the rich history of the art deco architecture of Morocco with particular inflections that capture the outdoor lifestyle and unique palette of Marrakech. A culture known for vivid and colorful design, the diversity of color included in this home holds unique connotation. The traditional salmon-colored walls of the exterior are symbolic of the female, childbirth and relates to a happy marriage while the ivory colored interior walls speak to beauty and good luck. In addition to the architectural design, U+B also developed the complete interiors package for this home and designed many of the custom fixtures and furniture.
The skill of the local artisans provided us with a rare opportunity to design and execute custom architectural elements and details in metal, tile and plaster which might only be accessible in a country with this rich craft tradition.