MARASSI BAY – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Posted by: Alexandria Ramos | 03/13/2019

BY KATJA MARTINEZ

Overview

Situated on the Northern coast of Egypt along Sidi Abdel Rahman Bay 80 miles east of Alexandria, Marassi Bay marks one of the most prestigious global launches by EMAAR. The increased positive growth of Egypt’s economy has made it a highly coveted location by investors and customers alike. EMAAR’s launch of Marassi Bay follows the interest generated by the company’s recent reopening of the historic Al Alamein Hotel.

Marassi Bay offers spectacular sea-view villas, top of the line amenities and superior quality of life overall. Nestled ten meters above sea level on the north tip of the development, the homes are surrounded by the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Residents will enjoy pristine, white-sand beaches and breathtaking sunsets while having access to a year-round beachside lifestyle among the Maldives-esque waters.


Site visit/workshop



Cairo, Egypt – 2 February 2018

As the clock strikes midnight, the wheels of our flight finally touch down at Cairo International Airport. We are greeted by our driver, who accompanies us for the duration of our three-day trip. The next day, despite feeling incredibly exhausted from the long flight and encountering rush hour traffic in the heart of Cairo, we arrive four hours later at the Marassi site. The plan itself was developed in 2008 and is divided into seven distinct lifestyle districts and stretches over an area of 1,544 acres.

After checking into our hotel, we meet the EMAAR development team, a wonderfully talented group of people, for lunch at the Beach Clubhouse, a gorgeous project previously designed by JZMK. The project team itself consisted of fifteen developers, eleven of which were women.

The 15-acre site to be developed is located at the very tip of the Marassi Master Plan community; to this day, it remains untouched, its exquisite beauty exemplified by the by the abundant white sand dunes, natural rock formations, and crystal-clear blue water. The natural scenery gave us both a great starting point and a unique challenge: how can we create a design that both reflects and complements the incredible beauty of the place surrounding it?

 


(photo taken on site, during site visit)

 

The Master Plan/Villa Design

On the first night of our visit we drew up a list of objectives, chief among them was ensuring that each villa allows for premium ocean views. We developed a concept that involved a four-tier approach: orienting each of the villas toward the Mediterranean Sea to allow generous enough overviews without compromising the overall design and feel of each beach residence. Other challenges we encountered in the design process included whether we would need to build a retaining wall in order for the tiered design to work, as well as the possibility for additional costs attached to that.

In addition to the tiered villas, we developed a plan for a small community center which includes a modern gymnasium as well as a children’s play area and a swimming pool. The contemporary elevation design allows for floor-to-ceiling glass windows, granting each space an abundance of natural light.

When discussing the look and feel of this new community, we felt it should reflect a clean and contemporary look that would mirror the environment in which it will be developed; ultimately, it should enhance its natural surroundings instead of interrupting them. Originally, the plans called for a more traditional design for the villas, but it was later decided to continue with a fresh, modern approach. With that in mind, we decided on designing the villa community in a Santa Barbara style, drawing from contemporary elevation styles in order to appeal to a broader buyer’s market. This too provided us with new challenges; the concepts we had proposed were new to the development, and in order to achieve the desired look of the community, precision is key.


(Typical sea view from private rooftop deck.)