Landscaping Essentials in This Marassi Summerhouse by A-Squared

Stepping outside on grey travertine, the owners of this beachfront residence in Marassi Bay - a high end residential area in the North Coast - will be able to look out to find the Mediterranean before them, before settling into the selection of Minotti furniture arranged around their neat, crisp pool. This serene landscape design was orchestrated entirely by A-Squared Landscape, a household company founded by civil engineers Ahmed Alaa and Ahmed Mohsen in 2014, with a portfolio that includes Marassi Clubhouse renovation and the unreal outdoors at Tanoak Hotel in Ain El Sokhna, only naming a few. 

“The client wanted it to be light in colour, and simple and neat in form, to blend with its surroundings,” Alaa tells SceneHome. Alaa is quite familiar with the area, having previously worked as the head of landscape at Emaar. “People’s mindsets have changed in the recent couple of years. Now we are more private and stay at home a lot, which is why swimming pool creativity is in high demand.” 

A-Squared emphasised the colour and volume of the swimming pool, choosing white mosaic tiles to ensure that the shade of blue bringing joy to the eye was the result of the natural reflection of skylight on water. The jacuzzi was designed under an architectural skylight, in touching distance to the interior. “It’s connected to the house and improved functionality, while offering access to a bit of self-treatment,” Alaa says. 

Choosing plants can be a challenging task when they’re for beachfront residences, even for one of Egypt’s most specialised landscapers. “Not everything works, we had to make a selection that fit the environment and matched the client’s vision,” Alaa says, describing the Washingtonia Robusta palms that tower above the more agile Plumeria Alba trees and the colourful Bougainvillaeas that are often planted in El Gouna, while the ground is covered with monotoned White Vincas. “Landscape is about being tidy and easy with the selection of greenery and ensuring that the layout design maintains comfortable circulation.” 

Initially, A-Squared focused mainly on swimming pools, but in 2018 they rebranded and began expanding their scope to feature more of the outdoors, until they became a one-stop-shop for landscape designs. “We try to provide a service that is adaptable to every client, and caters to the different needs of their homes. They have to love it and its mood, but it also needs to be technically flawless to function properly,“ Alaa says. “We are specialised in this niche and take pride in that.”

A-Squared is currently working on a number of projects that display their ambitious designs and technical flair. We aren’t talking about your typical wet decks, with built in chairs and sofas that offer immediate dipping access - rather, we’re talking about sunken areas, underground pools and glass borders. Plenty to dive into once they are completed.