Liwa Farm Village | Inca Hernandez

"Originality consists in returning to the origin." – Antoni Gaudí – 

Liwa Farm Village emerges as a living landscape where heritage, community, and sustainability intertwine. Rooted in the desert's identity, the project draws inspiration from the timeless wisdom of vernacular traditions, transforming them into a contemporary space for collective growth. It is a place that celebrates the dialogue between people, nature, and memory, shaping a cultural horizon where the past and the future coexist.

The design reimagines ancestral techniques such as windcatchers (ملقف), aflaj irrigation systems (فلج), rammed-earth walls, clay latticework (نقش شبكي), and palm-built shelters (Arish system) for roofing. Each element is not only a building strategy but also a vessel of cultural continuity, embodying the values of resilience, collaboration, and respect for the environment.

Within a working date plantation, the masterplan unfolds as a network of spaces dedicated to agriculture, gathering, and cultural expression. A Majlis for community meetings, a farm-to-table restaurant, a spa inspired by the Sahn (صحن) courtyard typology, and small vernacular bungalows invite reflection and connection. Together, these spaces nurture both the land and the community, reinforcing the essential relationship between sustainability, culture, and identity.

Materiality plays a central role in bridging past and present. Rammed-earth walls breathe with the climate, offering natural insulation while reducing environmental impact. Pigmented concrete platforms protect buildings from drifting sand, while clay lattice screens filter sunlight and invite natural airflow. Inside, furniture crafted by artisans harmonizes with contemporary design, giving the interiors a timeless character that feels both rooted and renewed.

In honoring the desert’s legacy of fortresses, qanats (قناة الري), and fishing villages, Liwa Farm Village reaffirms that the future of design lies not in rejecting the past, but in learning from it. As Gaudí’s words remind us, “Originality is returning to the origin.” In the Liwa Oasis, this return becomes a timeless architecture where tradition, sustainability, and community grow together.

Lead Architect: Inca Hernandez.
Location: Bateen Liwa, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Team: Evelin Garcia, Luis Enrique Vargas, Jesùs Navarro.
Photography: Studio Navarro and Alfonso Castelló.
Construction area: 7,000 sqm.
Land area: 30,000 sqm.
Year: 2025.