sharjah’s district 11 masterplan envisioned as a ‘work resort’
In central Sharjah, HWKN is set to develop the UAE’s first AI-planned district featuring offices, cafés, childcare and healthcare facilities, and a mosque. District 11 responds to a specific urban gap the city that is historically residential and institutionally rich, but lacking in integrated commercial hubs. HWKN’s approach proposes a walkable ‘work resort’ that reflects the local context while introducing new forms of professional and social interaction, and integrated living.
Each of the masterplan‘s eleven buildings has been shaped by AI-generated prompts informed by HWKN’s research into Sharjah’s climate, cultural identity, and urban morphology. These inputs guided the planning of massing, shading strategies, and spatial configurations, particularly in relation to heat mitigation and walkability, with the goal being to expand the possibilities of automated design by using AI to compress research cycles and simulate environmental and programmatic outcomes before a single line was drawn.
all images courtesy of HWKN
hwkn fuses cultural research with ai-generated prompts
District 11 aims to rethink the structure and social function of office neighborhoods in the Gulf, particularly by embedding AI into the conceptual framework of the masterplan itself. Matthias Hollwich, HWKN’s founding principal and known for his early research into aging and workplace design, describes the firm’s approach as a ‘reverse-engineering process,’ where AI is deployed to generate form based on desired social outcomes. Here, that means prioritizing collaboration, walkability, and thermal comfort, concepts that are less centered in commercial development, especially in the Gulf.
This AI-influenced methodology is also not HWKN’s first. The firm introduced the Work Resort concept in London’s Canada Water Dockside development, bringing together commercial workplace and hospitality logics. In Sharjah, that model is taken further and scaled to the level of an urban district, with the firm using AI across the entire project lifecycle: from environmental simulations to spatial programming and long-term adaptability. The intention is to use AI as a tool for reverse-engineering environments that prioritize collaboration, climate responsiveness, and walkability — criteria that is often secondary in conventional commercial planning.
HWKN is set to develop the UAE’s first AI-planned masterplan in central Sharjah
eleven mixed-use buildings encircle a central boulevard
Commissioned by Al Marwan Real Estate Development Group, the masterplan is characterized by porous edges, shaded courtyards, and interconnected public spaces to integrate work, leisure, and wellness. Importantly, the project’s location between established residential zones and major cultural institutions, including the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and the Sharjah Art Museum, also positions it as a new connective tissue in the city’s fabric.
District 11’s buildings unfold around a canyon-like central boulevard that serves as the project’s spine, while side passages and courtyards weave in all of the various programs, reframing the conventional office district as a full-spectrum community aligned with the cultural values of the UAE. In particular, HWKN places emphasis on spatial variety and human comfort, integrating public areas shaded by architectural forms, and interiors designed to support flexibility, interaction, and well-being.
District 11 features offices, cafés, childcare and healthcare facilities, and a mosque
the masterplan is characterized by porous edges, shaded courtyards, and interconnected public spaces
each of the buildings has been shaped by AI-generated prompts informed by HWKN’s local research
the buildings unfold around a canyon-like central boulevard that serves as the project’s spine
project info:
name: District 11
architect: HWKN | @hwkn_architecture
location: Sharjah, UAE
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