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It's impossible, of course, to disentangle these ideas from the contentious history of the Middle East. But Mr. Abdelkader does not overload this theme with obvious references; his emphasis on the land feels intuitive, a central obsession of his work.
An apartment building, designed by Senan Abdelkader, in an Arab neighborhood near Bethlehem.
A house, north of Tel Aviv, designed by Senan Abdelkader.
In his Bet Safafa apartments, the theme emerges in a radically different context: an Arab neighborhood on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Built on a steep site overlooking the Jerusalem skyline, the concrete structure is clad in a modern interpretation of a mashrabiya, a traditional latticed window screen. Here, the wooden screen is reimagined in rough concrete bricks spaced slightly apart to let light and air flow through the building while absorbing heat. On the apartment building's upper levels, large openings are cut out of the screens to take advantage of the view.
The screens evoke the works of older Arab Modernists like Rifat Chadirji, an Iraqi architect who sought to update traditional Arab forms with a modern abstract simplicity.
A narrow gap separates the building's screenlike facade from the structural frame on which it is mounted, creating a remove that underlines the juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary values. The screen acts as an expression of cultural cohesion; inside, the chaos of individual life reigns.
Once again, it is the building's relationship to the ground that draws you in. A concrete retaining wall carves through the hillside along one side of the property before turning in front of the building to envelop a small entry court. A stone deck sweeps directly underneath the building to the back of the site, where it folds up to become an enormous retaining wall, protecting the building from the hill behind it.
Behind the apartment building, several steps lead down into Mr. Abdelkader's basement-level office, whose uppermost level is slightly above ground level. A long horizontal band of glass cut into it frames a view of the Jerusalem skyline.
This is his private lair: a creative sanctuary rooted deep in the earth. It could also be a metaphor for Mr. Abdelkader's place in his profession.
Having retreated to a place where he can breathe and evolve, he has the opportunity to take the next step in a promising career.
