OPAD / Office for Planning Architecture Design

NYC

Lot #192 located in Qatteen, a village 600m above sea level north of Greater Beirut, is part of a picturesque rural fabric, rich in natural and architectural heritage. It overlooks a valley marked by the monolithic architecture of a 19th century convent, located 200 meters to the south-east, and backs onto a very dense forest belonging to a religious congregation and which will hopefully remain protected on the very long term. In this steep lot, the traces of the past are manifested by the vernacular architecture of a 3*13m barrel vault dating back to the 18th century. The lower part of the plot is dominated by a massive and impressive geological rocky formation. The attention brought to each of the mentioned layers will lead to designing a house composed of two pavilions articulated around a glass-roof atrium. The top of the vault becomes a welcome garden, extended by an elevated walkway to the main entrance. A courtyard on an intermediate level connects the rooms to the multi-functional vault. The cantilevered rock frames a second troglodytic access on the lower side.