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Luna Mansour Landscape Architecture Student
Adobe Illustrator Lumion Rhinoceros 6 ArcGIS
CONTACT INFO. Beirut, Lebanon LunaMansour99@gmail.com +961 71192713
EDUCATION
2017-2021 American University of Beirut Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Diploma of Agricultural Engineering
PUBLISHED ARTICLES Energy-Efficient Building World Green Building Council - News & Media Net Zero Energy Building World Green Building Council - News & Media
Adobe XD Autodesk Civil 3D
EXPERIENCES: HIGHLIGHTS Teaching Assistant Oct. 2019 - Ongoing American University of Beirut Intern Jul. - Aug. 2019 Green Building Council - Amman, Jordan Vice President Sept. 2019 - Ongoing Landscape Architecture Student Society (AUB) Project Manager Oct. 2018 - Ongoing Lebanese Red Cross - Youth Department
HOBBIES & INTERESTS Reading & Writing
Hiking & Trekking
Painting
Landscape Rehabilitation
TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg. 4 - 9
ONTO NEW SHORES
Re-invisioning Mina’s Beachfront - North Lebanon
Pg. 10 - 14
THE COCOON
Pg. 15 - 17
EMBARKING ON A NATIVE JOURNEY
Pg. 17 - 19
SELECTED WORK
Pg. 19 - 20
A Cultural Hiking Trail - Mount Lebanon Region
Convent of St. John the Baptist - Mount Lebanon
Art & Graphic Design
CANOPY WALK: CONSTRUCTION
Site Engineering Workshop - Beqaa, Lebanon
ONTO NEW SHORES: URBAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN STUDIO Being a major coastal city, El-Mina is known for its strongly embedded connection to its seafront. But nowadays, the increasing pollution and the erosion of its promenade has led the coastal strip to begin to lose its value as the city's strongest asset. "Onto New Shores" is a linear intervention that aims to achieve social resilience by connecting the coastal strip to the urban fabric through an environmentally-resilient and socially-inclusive landscape design. The intervention happens on two levels; a reinvisioning of the promenade’s topography & design, and a minimal intervention along the sandy shore. The concept is inspired by elements of Mina’s natural seascape; the upper promenade’s form and urban furniture mimic the curvatures of waves and tides, and the on-shore platforms are abstractions of the vermetid platforms.
FALL 2019-20
A dynamic space that accomodates acts of both activity & recreation. The promenade serves as a multifunctional social hub that strengthens the relationship to the seafront by facilitating accessibility and blurring the borders between the streetscape and the coastalscape. The integration of a central ampthitheatre allows for a smooth flow of movement; and the ramps on either sides of the promenade ensure inclusion and equal accessibility for all users. As for the platforms on shore, they’re designed in a manner that ensures minimal to no harm to the vulnerable nature of the coastline; whilst allowing for accessible and diverse activities.
Section BB’ - Exaggerated Vertical Scale
Front Elevation - Exaggerated Vertical Scale
Lighting Plan
Softscape Plan
THE COCOON: CULTURAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN STUDIO
SPRING 2019
Kahlouniye is a culturally and naturally rich village situated in the middle of Lebanon's greenest mountainous regions. Urbanization in the village is minimal and confined around its main axis - and limited by the village's topography; as it begins to go downhill from its axis - until it reaches the river. The site of intervention, henceforth, is a trail connecting the village's core to its ecologically-rich riverbank. The journey through the trail is enthused by Kahlouniye’s journey through time; as the process of silk production inspired the main concept of the design. Each zone along the trail responds to either the cultural or natural character of Kahlouniye - or both.
The plot towards the beginning is transformed into a pine forest that opens up to the main road, thus allowing for parking spots as well as gatherings underneath its canopies. The trail is first introduced with the cocoon – an overhead structure that serves as a focal point. The first stop is the mulberry orchard; a space for gathering and reminiscing that “wraps” visitors in the nature and history of the area. Next is an elevated pathway that allows visitors to reach the overlooking peak of the hilltop. This pathway’s strong choice of hardscape provides an overpowering notion – being an element of stainless steel mesh that uses girders for structural support. From this point onwards, the design allows itself to fully blend in with its surrounding; a rehabilitative & native planting design approach becomes the core focus of the trail in an attempt to naturally restore the rich ecology of the area with a wide range of native garrigue and naturalized herbs. Vistors are then guided to explore the village's fractured limestone formations – revealing around the corner the historic wheat mill and Ottoman bridge of Kahlouniye. It is at this point that the historical zone of the trail is introduced - encompassing wild rye plants that bring back memories of Kahlouniye’s rich wheat-trade history. The trail finally ends alongside the riverbank – which is allowed to remain intervention-free, out of respect for the vulnerability of the natural Riparian landscape.
Section AA’ - Exaggerated Vertical Scale
Cross-Section - Exaggerated Vertical Scale
Section BB’
The Orchard
Butterflies’ Zone
Garrigue Zone
Softscape Palette
Hardscape Plan
Hardscape Palette
Cultural & Recreational Activities
EMBARKING ON A NATIVE JOURNEY: PLANTING DESIGN STUDIO Situated on a mountaintop overlooking the capital, the sea, and the nearby valleys; The convent is defined by its echoing spiritual character and strategic location. The monastery’s backyard, though often overlooked, is considered highly valuable for its open view and significant topography. It slopes downwards until it reaches the very tip of the summit, resulting in an open 360-degree view of a series of mountains and valleys. The site is also directly adjacent to a growing grove of pine trees, which - once crossed - eventually leads to the convent’s archaeological site. It is hence a connective element between the site itself, its context, and its historic value. The site is also a strategic point along the bird migration pathway; for that, biodiversity remains at the core focus of the convent’s principles.
Masterplan
FALL 2019-20
With a native, naturalistic approach, the design aims to mimic the natural landscape of the Lebanese Mediterranean forest – ranging from the wild maquis to the distinctive pine forests. A tailored trail takes visitors on a journey throughout the site; initially giving them the chance to experience the serene feeling of being on top of the mountain and overlooking everything around, then slowly transitioning through a field of bird-attracting vegetation, allowing them to pause and enjoy designated settings in the pocket moments, and eventually taking them through the pine forest where they are humbled by their surrounding nature before they end up within the archaeological ruins. The journey, in that sense, is designated in a way that takes you from the site’s present, throughout its existing context and nature, and back to its history – all while cautiously preserving its character as a spiritual site, and its role in promoting biodiversity.
SOCIAL MEDIA TEASERS’ DESIGNS: COMMUNITY DAY PARK
COMMUNITY PARK DAY An event organized by the Landscape Architecture Student Society at AUB, in collaboration with the Municipality of Beirut, that aimed at highlighting the importance and use of public spaces within the city. As the graphic design team leader, and an organizing member, I had the chance to work on the following: - Event Flyer - Fundraising Event Flyer - Social Media Posts/Teasers - Event Schedule
EVENT POSTERS’ DESIGNS: COMMUNITY DAY PARK
SELECTED ARTWORK: WATERCOLOR
Beirut in my eyes - a local perspective
CANOPY WALK DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION: WORKSHOP
SUMMER 2019
Collaborative Work - Landscape Architecture Class of 2021
Located in the Beqaa valley, Lebanon’s agricultural hub, AREC (Advancing Research, Enabling Communities Center) is an extension of the AUB campus dedicated to research and education regarding agriculture, the environment, and sustainable rural livelihoods. AREC also hosts faculty members, students, researchers, staff, and staff-correspondents all year long – especially during Spring and Summer. As part of our Site Engineering course, we spent a week in AREC – immersed in the rural landscape – to implement the design of the structure we had been working on as a class. Our concept for the project revolved around creating an inclusive, playful structure that’d blend in with the landscape and enrich the experience of the campus’s residents and visitors. Situated in a pine grove, the structure includes a series of elevated platforms and bridges, designed to provide a sense of adventure. It consists of two elevated walkways and a suspended bridge; with each entrance designed differently – including poles, ladders, and reused wheels. Underneath is a series of playful hanging ropes to end with a relaxing swing after an adventurous experience.
CANOPY WALK DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION: WORKSHOP
Top View
Bottom View
Hanging Bridge
Section
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