Syn Architects in Saudi Arabia makes it into the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.
Who: Syn Architects
Focusing on ecologically sensitive architectural design, Syn Architects was founded in 2018 by Saudi architects Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi. The creative duo looks to create buildings that are contextually aware. Each project’s aesthetics are extracted from nature, and express the beauty of where each material is found.
While working to create innovative designs that contribute to the collective urban environment, Alissa and Alsudairi have also established the Um Slaim collective, a critical investigation into the displacement of vernacular Najdi architecture in central Riyadh. They are also the co-founders of saudirchitecture.org, an independent organisation that aims to research and archive modernist and post-modernist buildings in Saudi Arabia.
‘We are curious about how people live and how space can quietly shape everyday life,’ share Alissa and Alsudairi. ‘We are motivated by the idea that spaces should not only perform well, but also create a sense of atmosphere and belonging.’ Together, they examine a place, the people and climate, and let these conditions inform the design, they explain: ‘This process allows us to create spaces that feel thoughtful, contextual and quietly distinctive.’
What makes their work stand out is the understanding that a project will evolve based on its cultural, environmental, and material contexts. By not imposing a predetermined style, they create spaces that feel rooted and timeless.
What: Project Orion
In Najd, the central part of Saudi Arabia, traditional houses are built from mudbricks, while the roofs and doors are made from tamarisk wood. Using this as inspiration, Syn Architects created Project Orion. Rather than a single residence, the project comprises three villas and is a contemporary response to traditional architecture.
Located in Alkhozama, Riyadh, the residences embody spatial values, using privacy as the driving factor to shape how the homes are inhabited. As a result, the projects showcase how openness, light, and outdoor living can coexist with seclusion.
Three main volumes were carefully situated to allow natural light throughout the interiors, while balancing selective views. The complex’s limestone facade highlights its fortress-like silhouette, which merges into the landscape.
Say the architects: ‘We strive to challenge the architectural process by finding alternative approaches to creating environments that are mixed, inclusive, and accessible, where different people can get together.’
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.
One of the project’s key adaptive and contextual solutions is its recessed balconies. Instead of the typical jutting-outwards form these features usually take, here, terraces are carved into the mass of the building, providing both privacy and shade. Balancing a sense of cool sturdiness, as well as a play of shadow and light, Project Orion feels deeply rooted in place while also offering a contemporary flair to the city’s landscape.