A Gulf house by Civil Architecture brings the courtyard typology to the 21st century
Wallpaper* Architects' Directory 2026 spotlights 30 of the world's most exciting emerging studios. Here, we meet Civil Architecture, whose work rethinks Gulf domestic architecture through research and reinvention.
Every year, the Wallpaper* Architects' Directory spotlights the emerging practices shaping the future of architecture. For its 2026 edition, our annual survey features 30 studios from around the world whose work is redefining residential design through fresh ideas, local knowledge and ambitious thinking. Among them is Civil Architecture, a young Bahrain- and Kuwait-based practice exploring how contemporary architecture can respond to the Gulf's climate, history and rapidly changing urban landscape.
Who: Civil Architecture
Straddling two Middle Eastern countries, Bahrain and Kuwait, Civil Architecture is the brainchild of two architects – Ali Ismail Karimi (registered architect in the former territory) and Hamed Bukhamseen (registered architect in the latter). Founded in 2017, the studio was set up as a response to the needs of our time, asking what it means to ‘produce architecture in a decidedly uncivil time, presenting a new civic character for a global condition,’ the two directors say.
A desire to find alternative ways to inhabit their region is central to the duo’s architectural explorations. This is not only about thinking critically, but also about physically intervening and creating solutions, the founders believe: ‘The Gulf is one of the centres of the globe's metabolism, and its architecture is a reflection of larger alchemical and economic transformations worldwide.’
‘The Gulf is one of the centres of the globe's metabolism, and its architecture is a reflection of larger alchemical and economic transformations worldwide.’
Civil Architecture
‘The combination of design projects, exhibitions, research work and publications we feel positions us as a practice that attempts to define its context and the ways to respond to it.’
Civil Architecture has worked on a variety of projects, from exhibition design and publications to homes and civic buildings in the region, but its portfolio was built around strategic decisions, reinforcing its inherent fascinations. ‘We work in thematics, picking one-to-two-year projects internally that shape our interests, allowing us to develop an aspect of the practice and research trajectory. The influence fluctuates along these lines, allowing different pre-oil narratives, precedents, or ways of directing the practice to new formal projects,’ the pair explains.
What: House With Seven Gardens
It is not unusual for Gulf region houses to feel introverted. A mix of local traditions and climatic conditions means that often, residences here are courtyards that face inward - seemingly blank and windowless from the streetside. House with Seven Gardens was a response to a desire to maintain a healthy balance between those age-old ways of arranging domestic space and contemporary building codes, which typically dictate two to three-metre setbacks from the plot boundary – which effectively invites that ancient courtyard typology to be inverted.
Located in the suburban neighbourhood of Diyar Al Muharraq in Bahrain, the project takes advantage of the gap created between that setback and the boundary wall to create ‘miniature gardens in multiple courts.’ This also allows for each room to have its own courtyard, which in turn maintains its own planting and lighting conditions - and therefore, character. Additional openings on the street-facing wall ensure the building has a relationship with the context around it, too.
Why: Architects Directory 2026
When the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory was conceived in 2000, it was built as our bespoke international index of emerging architectural talent. Now in its 25th edition, our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe (now comprising over 500 alumni) champions the best and most promising young studios - a snapshot of talent showcasing inspiring work from all corners of the Earth with an emphasis on the residential realm.
This year’s anniversary survey includes 30 young studios (one for each of the 30 years of Wallpaper*), from Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, France, Ivory Coast, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, India, Morocco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam. Welcome to the promise, ideas and exciting architecture of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026.
