Beirut House
Achrafieh, Lebanon
2009
Located at the heart of Beirut’s Achrafieh district this 3-storey house replaces a car park, which replaced an apartment building raised to the ground during the Lebanese war. The ‘broken’ and irregular appearance of the house resonates with the scars of the surrounding buildings following 15 years of destruction.
The modeling of the house is the result of detailed studies into the transmission of natural light, cooling and heat without a heavy reliance on mechanical means that sadly seems to be the norm for new builds in Beirut these days. Mamluk architecture of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria was inspirational in devising such solutions.
The concrete structure has a fair-faced finish, which is complemented and softened by the use of Sindian Cedar internally. Unbleached white cotton screens wrap around balconies becoming extensions of the interior.
The house is oriented to negotiate specific privacy conditions and opens up when facing the palm tree garden situated at the rear of the property.