Dar Al Sakinah
Khorfakkan, UAE
Beyondthe Ordinary
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Bespoke villas shaped by individuality, lifestyle, and place.
DGD is the independent studio of designer Drew Gilbert in Dubai. Each house begins with one person, one site and one idea of how life could be lived there, and is designed from that starting point rather than from a catalogue.
Latest projects
All projects
A home should be as individual as the person who lives in it.
I design for clients who want more than a well-proportioned box. The work starts with you: how you spend a morning, where you want to be at sunset, what you would like to feel when you come home.
The site matters as much as the brief. Orientation, views, wind, privacy and the character of the plot shape the plan long before materials are chosen.
The aim is architecture with real ambition, sculptural where it should be and calm where it needs to be, made for one owner and one place.
The design journey
Three stages, each one personal.
The conversation
You get in touch by email or on Instagram at @DrewGilbert_. We meet, often over coffee or somewhere convenient for you, get to know one another, and talk about the goals, ideas, aspirations and way of life behind the project.
The understanding
I study the project as a whole: the site, its orientation and views, the surrounding context, your brief, the way you live, local building codes and the practical constraints. Each of these informs the design, rather than being treated in isolation.
The architecture
Everything is brought together into one coherent architectural idea: a highly individual home, suited to its owner and its place. It is authored and considered, never a formula.
Meet The Award-Winning Architect
Drew Gilbert is an American architectural designer based in Dubai, UAE, whose work explores the intersection of bold architectural expression, contextual sensitivity, and emerging technologies. With professional experience spanning internationally recognized design practices, including Perkins+Will, Killa Design, and OBMI, Drew has developed a distinctive approach to architecture that challenges conventional thinking while maintaining a deep appreciation for materiality, proportion, and the human experience.
DGD is led personally by Drew Gilbert. You work directly with the person designing your home, from the first conversation to the final architectural idea.
About DGDEvery extraordinary home begins with a conversation.
Tell me about the project you have in mind, or the one you have not yet been able to describe.
Begin a project
Or message on Instagram @DrewGilbert_