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PAD10’s Role: Adaptable Housing for a Democratic Future
“Architecture is about trying to make the world a little more like our dreams.”
— Bjarke Ingels
Housing is the only universal denominator in public policy. Every person needs shelter—whether rich or poor, urban or rural. Unlike education, work, or even health services that vary by age or situation, housing is a daily constant and a structural determinant of quality of life.
But in most economies, rent consumes 30% to 50% of a household’s income—especially in urban areas. For low-income families, this burden can exceed 60%, leaving little for savings, education, or healthcare.
OECD data shows that in countries like France, Italy, and the U.S., renters in the bottom 20% spend over 40% of their income on rent.
This is a structural trap:
PAD10 sees this imbalance as a design flaw—not of economics, but of architecture and planning.
Our approach flips the model:
PAD10’s adaptable housing addresses this by:
In Chile’s Elemental model, families begin with partial ownership of a core unit and expand it over time.
In Singapore, over 90% of citizens own subsidized homes via long-term leases, contributing to one of the world’s highest rates of wealth stability and home satisfaction.
At PAD10, we view housing as a financial right—not just a shelter. A home should store value, not extract it. And architecture is the key:
We are not just building homes—we are designing platforms for independence, foundations for participation, and futures that can grow.
Conclusion: Building Democracies from the Ground Up
“The right to a home is a right to the city for its people”
If democracy is to endure, it must be lived, not just legislated.
That life begins at home—not only in physical shelter, but in the emotional and civic foundations that homes provide. Housing must evolve from a site of survival to a site of transformation.
PAD10 believes architecture is not neutral. It reflects what we value—and it shapes what we become.
“We build the society we want by building the homes we need.”
Through adaptable, inclusive, human-centered housing, PAD10 reclaims architecture as a catalyst for equity, participation, and democratic renewal.
From owning to growing—from dwelling to engaging—this is how we design democracy.
(Click to read our Adaptable Housing to empower the Lebanese Youth to own in their country)
Architecture as DNA: Designing Upward Mobility
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”
— Winston Churchill
Architecture isn’t passive—it programs how we live, grow, and relate to one another. A home isn’t just a shelter; it’s a framework for personal and social development.
PAD10’s adaptable housing vision:
Example:
Alejandro Aravena’s Elemental projects in Chile pioneered incremental housing, giving families a half-completed house with full infrastructure—letting them expand based on their means and needs. This turned low-income families into long-term stakeholders.
Example:
Vienna’s Gemeindebau model maintains large-scale public housing with world-class architectural quality—enabling diverse income groups to share high-quality urban life without stigma.
(Click to read our Adaptable Housing to empower the Lebanese Youth to own in their country)
Rethinking the Safety Net: From Rescue to Elevation
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
— Frederick Douglass
The traditional welfare model is downstream—it reacts to crisis. But true democratic equity requires an upstream approach, anticipating needs and enabling growth before collapse.
We propose a dual framework:
Example:
In Finland, housing-first policies provide permanent homes to the homeless before requiring sobriety or employment. This upstream model has virtually eliminated street homelessness while reducing public health and policing costs.
Example:
Singapore’s HDB system allows 90% of citizens to own homes through subsidized long-term leases, with built-in ethnic and economic integration—turning housing into a tool of cohesion and asset building.
(Click to read our Adaptable Housing to empower the Lebanese Youth to own in their country)
Democracy Needs a Spine
“Democracy is not just the right to vote—it is the right to live with dignity.”
— Naomi Klein
Democracy is not sustained by ballots alone. It is grounded in the ability of citizens to participate meaningfully—to think critically, act freely, and shape their future. But what gives people that ability?
It isn’t only education or income. It’s stability, security, and a sense of place. The foundation of a healthy democracy isn’t just legal—it’s spatial.
Housing is the spine of democracy. It anchors people in community, empowers them to contribute, and allows them to dream beyond survival.
(Click to read our Adaptable Housing to empower the Lebanese Youth to own in their country)
August-2-2024
Many have asked why I chose the name PAD10 for my first creative studio in Kuwait, and why I later launched PAD7 in Beirut and PADx in Paris. In this blog post, I will explain the meaning and the history behind these names.
PAD stands for Publishing, Architecture, and Design. These are the three fields that I am passionate about and that I wanted to bring together under one roof. A pad is also a floor or a level in a building, where different creative minds can collaborate and exchange ideas.
The first PAD studio was on the 10th floor of a building in Kuwait City. I registered the website on November 18, 2009, before the iPad was even launched by Steve Jobs on January 27, 2010. So, no, I did not copy Apple’s naming convention. It was just a coincidence.
In 2014, I decided to open a new PAD7 studio in Beirut, on the 7th floor of a building in Mar Mikhayel district. This studio has a special significance for me, as it houses my library of books and magazines that I have collected over the years. The library was moved from Kuwait to Beirut after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest addition to the PAD family is PADx. This studio is located in Paris, the city of art and culture, and it serves as a hub for exchanging ideas, connecting and communicating with all the other PAD studios. The letter X also has a connection to the origin of PAD10, as it is the Roman numeral for 10. The PADx logo was registered in France on January 23, 2022. Interestingly enough, Elon Musk also changed his Twitter name to X on July 24, 2023. Maybe he was inspired by me? Or maybe it was just another coincidence.
Whatever the case may be, I believe that great minds think alike. And that’s what PAD is all about: bringing together great minds from different fields and backgrounds to create something amazing. It just is!
August-1-2024
April-19-2024
Just wrapped up an invigorating three-day exploration at #SaloneDelMobile2024 in Milan. From scouting unique furniture pieces, with combinations in mind to marry between a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor, solidity and transparency, textured and minimalist designs, that are hosted in spaces we design @pad10
The venue itself put a smile on my face with it ageing gracefully thanks to architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas @fuksas_architects , an architect I interned at in the 90’s; yep, long time!
Another good coincidence and highlight was catching up with Jeanne Gang’s, @jeanne_gang, insightful talk on grafting in architecture, advocating for sustainable urban growth and the harmonious integration of the new with the old—no more tabula rasa, but a celebration of continuity. The “final assignment” resonated with how more than a decade back, we @pad10 managed to watchdog and ended up retooling @pearlmarzook, while more than 50% of the area around was undergoing demolition, making way for faceless constructions!
Although going to expos is never my cup of tea, still it’s always worth keeping an eye on what’s out there, as most will make its way into my architecture, add to them the collectable ones! #DesignThinking #SustainableArchitecture #Innovation #architecture #interior
August-1-2023
We were awarded as finalists for the Architects in Residence – 100 Architects for 100 Houses International Design Competition was conducted on behalf of The Royal Commission for AlUla
February-10-2023
December-10-2022
Offices of the real estate company have been designed by PAD10. Client to move in beginning of 2023.
January-23-2022
January-23-2022
A new project for TSC starts construction as part of Kazma Club, in Adailiya – Kuwait. The project is approximately 4,000sqm.
September-6-2021
Hind Residence fit-out package will be launched soon, upon the completion of the core-and-shell one. Project was launched on December 2020.
From a Sol LeWitt figure ground emanates a private residence. The monochromatic abstract art shades the internal courtyards, stepping up at multi-levels, with multiple permutations throughout the day. The street façade detaches from the building’s, with an urban high window and a wedged entry opening, to preserve the intimacy of the courtyard in-between.
We are thrilled to having designed this project and are currently doing supervision. Design is one thing, yet ensuring its achievement of full potential, with the Architect on board during construction, is another!
May-18-2020
Baraka Chalet, recently got a “Merit Award” as part of the 2019 AIA Middle East Design Awards, organized by the American Institute of Architects, Middle East Chapter. The Project was one of 3 Built Projects to gain such recognition in the MENA region. As per Iyad Alsaka, OMA partner and jury member, PAD10’s Chalet 66 is “An innovative interpretation of a traditional Kuwaiti living; a Family House, Guesthouse and Diwaniya with a seamless flow to the generous internal courtyard and the external seaside. True design ingenuity of the three volumes with a poetic relationship to the natural light and materiality.”
June-26-2019
PAD10 was recently awarded a Certificate of Honor for its participation in the architectural design competition for North Design Union Headquarters in China.
March-27-2019
PAD10 was voted 5th by an international jury out of 110 entries from 25 countries in a 2-stage international design competition for KFAS New Headquarters in Kuwait. It was the only Kuwaiti and Arab office that was a stage-2 finalist.
The competition was organized as a restricted, international, 2-stage design competition with prior open pre-qualification procedure. The procedure maintained the competitors’ anonymity. The procedure was organized in agreement with the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA). This competition was conducted by [phase eins], Berlin-Germany, on behalf of KFAS.
PAD10’s entry embodies what KFAS stands for, where architecture stands beyond its bounds to become one with its surrounding. The building integrates and invites the surrounding landscape in, setting back from Pearl Marzouq, an architectural beacon of Kuwait’s modern era. It opens up to the breathless views of the Ras peninsula without constraining them on others.
March-24-2018
Naji Moujaes Speaks at TEDxUniversityOfBalamand Conference ‘New Rules’
October-15-2017
The article is extracted from the debate, moderated by Ricardo Camacho, between Dr. Asseel Al-Ragam and Naji Moujaes, noting the latter’s answers. This was titled “The Boom”; one of the architectural debate series, hosted alongside the exhibition: “Modern Architecture Kuwait: 1949-1989”, at Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah
February-22-2017
February-22-2017
Click here for full article
May-25-2016
Simultaneous with the exhibition and publication on ‘Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949-1989’, a series of architectural debates host architects and architectural historians. Naji Moujaes, of PAD10, and Dr. Asseel Al-Ragam debate at Yarmouk Cultural Center, of DAI, on ‘the Boom’ in Kuwait, moderated by Ricardo Camacho.
May-20-2016
PAD10 will contribute to the third Kuwaiti Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale, entitled ‘Between East and West: A Gulf’.
February-20-2016
Naji Moujaes, of PAD10, lectures at Benchmark 16 Forum organized by YourAOK at Al Shaheed Park Kuwait City
December-20-2015
“Collaborators: NCCAL, docomomo International, docomomo Kuwait, PAD10
Unit Tutors: Zara Ferreira, Naji Moujaes
Guest Speakers: Hubert-Jan Henket, Caecilia Pieri,
Kareem Ibrahiem, Zara Ferreira, Naji Moujaes.
Workshop Brief:
This workshop focuses on the legacy of Wilson and Mason architects, the heritage value of their work, and their contribution towards a local identity not only in Kuwait, but other oil producing nations in the Middle East.
With a specific focus on the Former Bank of the Middle East building as a case study, we will launch an investigation on scenarios to reprogram the building and interpret its heritage value, applying heritage reuse and design strategies that focus on enhancing the link to the urban fabric and propose possible investment concepts that could achieve a profitable city for people. The social and economic exchange context of the building is considered to be one of the most vital areas of Kuwait´s capital city and a rare case of a sustained market community and zoning program that endured the sudden eruption of the urban evolution in the old city.
December-15-2015
PAD10, in collaboration with NCCAL (National Council for Culture Arts and Letters), Docomomo International, and Docomomo Kuwait conducts a workshop from Dec 5-9. It is on rethinking, restrategizing, and reusing Kuwait’s Modern Heritage, with case study focusing on BBME (British Bank of the Middle East), designed by Wilson and Mason. Guest speakers in the workshop include Hubert-Jan Henket (president and founder of Docomomo International), Caecilia Pieri, Karim Ibraheim, Zara Ferreira, and Naji Moujaes of PAD10.
December-10-2015
November-20-2015
November-15-2015
September-20-2015
April-20-2015
Tafaseel, ‘Details’ in Arabic, was organized by AIAS at Al Hamra Tower Exhibition Hall. It featured installations by select architectural design practices, alongside KU architectural graduates’ works.
November-20-2014
The Kulture Files,Vol. VI is published and available in art galleries around town.
Read it online
October-27-2013
Workshop | Process: Architectural Research & Diagramming
March-20-2013
The Kulture Files,Vol. V is published, Read it online.
December-20-2012
Construction of PAD10’s Pearl Marzouq Architectural Design Package of the Penthouses has started.
November-20-2012
PAD10 produced a Limited Edition of Press Designs Stationery to Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyya.
September-20-2012
PAD10 is featured in Khaleeejesque Oct-Dec 2012 issue 4.
June-20-2012
The Kulture Files,Vol. IV is published and available in art galleries around town.
Read it online.
April-20-2012
The Kulture Files,Vol. III is published and available in art galleries around town.
Read it online.
February-20-2012
Construction of PAD10’s Pearl Marzouq Architectural Design Package of the Facades has started.
September-20-2011
The Kulture Files,Vol. II is published and available in art galleries around town.
Read it online.
May-20-2011
The Kulture Files,Vol. I is published and available in art galleries around town.
Read it online.
