There is no doubt that the UAE is home to some spectacular properties. From penthouse apartments to plush villas with sprawling gardens and incredible pools, it’s a real estate haven.
Each week, The National showcases some of the finest homes on offer in its Property of the Week. Here, we take a closer look at a modern villa on Frond N of Dubai's Palm Jumeirah.
The key details
This five-bedroom, six-bathroom beachfront home is spread over three levels and covers a 8,598-square-foot total built-up area and 6,767-square-foot internal built-up area. It also has 1,831 square foot of balcony.
It is positioned to receive sunset views with Atlantis, The Palm visible, and has been finished to the highest level of luxury.
It is on the market with Knight Frank for Dh65 million.
What's the story?
Dubai is well known as a city embracing the future. Smart technology and innovation are at the core of the city's development plans, so it should come as little surprise to see the housing market embrace some funky new gadgets and techniques to make lifestyle that little bit more luxurious and intuitive.
In this case, the main futuristic feature is the windows. There's no unlatching and pushing open to be done here to feel a breath of the winter air. Instead, it has a motorised window system that can be operated from your smartphone. Now that is smart.
Even if the windows weren't next-level technology, they would be hugely impressive due to their size and the amount of light that is allowed in.
There's also integrated Ubiquiti Wi-fi and Mobotix high-security surveillance systems. Provisions are in place for two automated panel blinds or curtains and a custom central water filtration system for safe and healthy water.
It's the overall design and style that really deserves a thumbs up, however. It's modern without feeling like you're living too far in the future, and the double-height windowed lounge must be one of the finest living areas created in Dubai.
Elsewhere in the house there are marble and wooden floors, a walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom, a Jacuzzi bathtub, roof terrace and study.
To top it all off, the garden has a huge pool with Italian pearlescent mosaic tiling and swimming jets.
What the broker says ...
Is this one of Palm Jumeirah’s most technologically advanced properties?
Undoubtedly this villa is one of the most technologically advanced on Palm Jumeirah. But it is not just the technology that stands out, it is the overall design and attention to detail from the pocket doors to the Minotti furniture, the bookmatch grey marquina marble to the full automation of the blinds. The swimming pool even has a custom designed machine to generate waves for active swimmers.
How do the ‘motorised window systems’ work?
The motorised guillotine windows by Swiss company Vitrocsa are one of the most impressive features of the house. Each pane weights more than 500kg, meaning there is 1.5 tonnes of double glazed specially heat reflective and tinted glass. These uniquely thin frames of 20 millimetre allow the frames to have a minimal impact on the views. Meanwhile a special stainless steel bearing system allows for effortless opening of these huge panels to create the prefect indoor-outdoor living environment. On top of all this the windows are fully integrated with the Crestron home automation allowing them to be operated by iPhones and iPods and they can even be voice controlled through Alexa.
How has architecture on the Palm evolved? Has it become less traditional/more extravagant?
Certainly the shift in Dubai and the Palm has been to more modern contemporary villas, but very few have managed to achieve this level of authenticity, quality and design that enables it to stand out from the crowd.
Is there anywhere else in Dubai you could find a home like this?
Quite simply, no. This home was custom built and crafted to perfection. Most homes in Dubai have been engineered by master developers. This home has been designed as a bespoke piece of modern architecture and as such is quite unique.
- Andrew Cummings, partner and head of prime residential at Knight Frank
