Award-Winning Residences in Dubai: When Vision Meets Flawless Delivery

Dubai’s residential landscape is evolving beyond spectacle, with homes designed not only for today but for decades ahead. Leading this shift are two award-winning residences — Dragonfly at La Mer and Monsella on Pearl Jumeirah, conceived by ISTO Design&Architecture and brought to life by Designsmith.

Precision in Build, Fit-Out and Joinery

Turning a visionary concept into a built reality requires acute technical mastery. For Mihir Sanganee, Founder & CEO of Designsmith, “Turning vision into reality demands more than execution; it requires craftsmanship at every stage of the build.” With expertise in construction, joinery, and high-end fit-out, Designsmith ensures that ISTO’s award-winning designs are delivered with precision and durability.

Mihir Sanganee, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder at Designsmith

For Serhii Bykov, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of ISTO Design&Architecture, architecture is about meaning rather than metres. “Design is not about square metres — it’s about shaping experiences that last for decades,” he explains. Dragonfly and Monsella embody that philosophy, earning international recognition for their human-centred approach, bold form, and timeless character.

Serhii Bykov, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of ISTO Design&Architecture

Interiors of the Dragonfly villa

Office

One of the projects undergoing completion in collaboration with both teams is a 2,500 sqm villa in La Mer termed ‘Dragonfly.’ Positioned along Dubai’s coastline, Dragonfly captures the fluidity of its seaside setting. Its open, light-filled spaces dissolve boundaries between inside and out. The project won a design award for residences in the Middle East. “Translating those curved forms into a structurally sound build required customised engineering and on-site precision. On top of that, the finishes were extremely high-end, so we had to implement strict quality controls to make sure every junction and detail matched ISTO’s intent without compromise.” shares Sanganee.

Monsella

The second project called Monsella is located in Pearl Jumeirah. Monsella balances elegance with functionality, redefining exclusivity and setting new benchmarks for residential living. “For Monsella, the challenge was really the scale of the villa combined with the ambition of the design.” shares Sanganee. “We had to run very tight coordination between structural works, interiors, MEP and bespoke joinery, all while working against a tight delivery timeline. It was a project where sequencing and cross-trade collaboration were key, making sure nothing slipped and every stage kept the design integrity intact.” Monsella was a winner for best design of the year at an international awards forum.

Dragonfly and Monsella demonstrate the new standard in Dubai’s luxury residential sector: visionary design paired with flawless delivery. ISTO leads with creative direction and internationally recognised design, while Designsmith ensures technical assurance from start to finish.

As Dubai’s skyline continues to grow, its most enduring residences will be those shaped by visionary design and flawless execution. In projects like Dragonfly and Monsella, ISTO sets the vision, and Designsmith ensures it is delivered without compromise.

Cover image: Dragonfly villa