Set at the foot of Mount Alvaah in the Sharjah Emirate, the Al Faya Lodge is nestled into the UAE’s prehistoric desert landscape. ANARCHITECT has applied its contextual modern approach to architecture to reimagine two single-story, stone-built structures from the 1960s, previously occupied as a clinic and grocery store, into a contemporary boutique hotel and restaurant; with the addition of a newly built saltwater spa building. The project pioneers the region’s architectural movement towards adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and structures, using local vernacular and contextual choice of materials as a starting point for the architectural discourse. Client: SHUROOQ (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority) Project Status: Completed 2019 Area: Floor area 500 sqm