Adjacent to the Gate Building located in the heart of Dubai, this is a mixed-use complex consisting of ten buildings raised on a podium. A new urban community has emerged on this podium level with various types of shops and restaurants, while the upper floors of the buildings consist of offices, residences and hotels with penthouses on the top two floors. Learning from the tradition of Arab villages, many shaded areas are created on the streets of the podium by adjusting the height and volume of the buildings in pursuit of outdoor comfort in the severe climate of this region. Having streets of varied width and length together with plazas encountered at times, the narrative-rich townscape creates a vivid atmosphere. Canopies over shops give a human scale to this urban space. All ten buildings use stone for their facades to which different surface finishes and textures are applied in harmony with their orientation. Deeply set windows are designed to block strong daylight and an additional element, inspired by the mashrabiya screen, the traditional sunshield method common to the area, is introduced to create shade. Some staircase towers moderately segment the entire complex, resulting in a unified group of buildings, while giving each of them individuality. The staircases enclosed by thick concrete walls provide good insulation, thereby maintaining a comfortable interior environment.