‘Mediterranean’ architecture varies in its countries of origin, and for the Shams ArRiyadh community in Saudi Arabia numerous styles were evaluated at the outset for aesthetics as well as for adaptability to local building methods and materials. Technical adaptations meant using masonry construction and predominantly flat roofs, and taking advantage of the availability of local stone; and the most appropriate design influences are a mixture selected from the small towns along the upper Spanish Costa Brava, the French Riviera (Cote D'Azure), and the hills of Tuscany, in Italy.

The design of the villas that range from 400 to 600 square meters villa adapts this stylistic vocabulary to fit local user preferences. Thus, windows are quite large, but retain their verticality; tiled roofs are used as ‘shed’ roofs set against parapet walls that surround usable flat roofs; and local stone is used as a building base and to articulate major pavilions. At the detailed level, stylistic resonance is achieved by observing massing proportions; by designing authentic details for eaves, windows, doors, and decorative ironwork elements; and by using traditional plaster-work, colors, and decorative tile work.