Frankly Girih: Theater of Responsible Freedom by Chris Norcross

Frankly Girih Theater of Responsible Freedom

Chris Norcross

Contents

Introduction

Lebanon

University of Balamand

Design

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

172

Can architecture play a role in solving social divides in progressing the future?

Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean sea, Lebanon is a country with an extensive history. Some of the oldest human settlements were in Lebanon. Mediterranean cultures such as the Phoenician, Greek, and Arab societies all worked to establish the complex and prolific country of Lebanon. Modern day SĹŤr, SaydÄ , and Jubayl were all major points of trade and culture in the 3rd millennium BCE. It was during the 1920s that France established the state of Greater Lebanon and incorporated the country into the League of Nations mandate. In 1926 Lebanon became a republic but it was not until 1943 that Lebanon as a country proclaimed its independence. Lebanon is a country of contradictions it has wonderful aspects such as a rich culture, environment, history, and cultural influences but also has negative features such as its current political turmoil. It is a country that for some time has had difficulties controlling its own destiny.

Lebanon

Tripoli

University of Balamand Byblos

Beirut

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Zahle

SYRIA LEBANON

ISRAEL 7

Lebanese Culture

Lebanonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great diversity is due in part from the layers of influence of its neighboring countries. Surrounded by its Arab neighbors of Syria, Jordan, and Israel; Lebanon serves as the location of a demanding commercial and cultural center for the Middle East. These neighboring countries also force Lebanon to deal with socioeconomic and political debacles in addition to the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own complications. The country went through a civil war in 1975 which lasted for 15 years and caused devastation to its land and people. The war damaged the infrastructure of the country as well as depleted its natural resources, polluted the environment, and destroyed its economy. Lebanon is continuously trying to rebuild its country into a stable, peaceful, and prosperous country. Major cities of Lebanon include Beirut and Tripoli. Beirut is a very liberal city it is the capital and largest city in Lebanon. The population of Beirut reaches nearly two million people. The city is a large commercial trading point; host to banks, local and foreign businesses. Tourists from around the world flock to visit this beautiful and historic city. Tripoli is a fundamentalist city home to important religious centers, mosques, churches, education centers, transportation hubs, and communication centers. It is the second largest and the second most populated city in Lebanon.

Climate

While using Climate Consultant for the analysis of the climate of Lebanon two decisions were implemented. One was the decision to use Tel Aviv, Israel as the location in which information was gathered. This decision was based on multiple reasons. First it was the closet city that Climate Consultant had for availability of information. Secondly, and most importantly, the climate Tel Aviv has in comparison to Koura, Lebanon is quite similar. They both are coastal areas impacted by the Mediterranean climate. They are also close by which means that most information regarding sun patterns and temperature are relatively similar. The second decision was to use the California Energy Code Comfort Model (2013) as the base for the Climate Consultant data. This was because the information can be adjusted as needed. Otherwise it was assumed that the comfort level was between 68˚F and 75˚F. It also assumed that at 66 ˚F the humidity would be around 80% while the dew point was defined as 27 ˚F. The climate of the area is that of a temperate climate. This is because the winter months need heating to stay comfortable. While in the summers cooling is needed via mechanical systems or using the southwest coastal wind to the buildings advantage. Summers last from June to September. Autumn is October and November. Winters are mild and generally is the wettest season lasting from December to March. Then April and May are the spring months. The annual temperature range is mid-50s to mid-70s. The mean is around 66˚F. The designed high and low temperatures are for any mechanical systems implemented for the building. They can be associated with the record high or lows. December through February are the cooler months with average temperatures between mid-40s to high 60s. Throughout the year it the temperatures increase. The highest temperatures are seen in the months July to September. The average temperatures fall between mid-60s to high 80s.

Architectural Climate Response There are 4 styles of houses found in Lebanon that respond to both history and the climate. The houses consist of the closed rectangle house, gallery house, court house and central hall house. All of these houses are historic styles that are generally not used as much as in the past. The closed rectangle house is thick walled and generally one space for the family. There are minimal openings but some small ventilation openings near the roof. The gallery house utilizes the gallery as an active space that connect spaces within the house. The galleries are generally facing the south or west even the southwest depending on the orientation of the house on the site. This helps to utilize the daylight but also the wind patterns seen in the region. The court house style is less seen than that of the others on this list. They are usually seen in the mountains with a central open space and rooms flanking on the left and right. As for the central hall house there are many versions of the house. The central hall is the primary circulation space for the house but variations do have a secondary circulation path. There is generally cross ventilation allowed in the house because of the central hall. Due to the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the World Wars and gaining independence created an evolution in housing for Lebanon. Houses became more private. The central hall style house generally was the basis for house styles. The number of floors increased since each floor was for a family. During the time of independence apartments did not take the whole block but apartments now shared a floor. The faรงade generally had a terrace but if there was natural light the warner the apartment was. Many apartments required cross ventilation to keep the spaces comfortable but unfortunately due to demand and design cross ventilation was nonexistent.

University Of Balamand

Mission Statement

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The University of Balamand is a private non-profit independent Lebanese institution of Higher Education licensed by the State of Lebanon. It was founded in 1988 by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV in the name of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox. The University admits students from Lebanon and the Region without discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, or physical handicap. Inspired by the Tradition of the Antiochian Christian Orthodox Church in promoting the welfare of humanity and its highest values, the University is committed to principles of tolerance, compassion, and openness and Christian-Muslim understanding. The University is dedicated to graduating professionals who are wellrounded, critical thinkers, life-long learners, and active citizens in their respective societies. The University also seeks to limit the influence of dogmatism and fundamentalism in intellectual, social, political, religious and cultural fields. The University believes in responsible freedom, in the role of reason in uncovering the truths, and in the deepening of human existence under God. Through quality education, rigorous research, concern for the public good, and engagement with the community, the University seeks to contribute to nation building, ethical standards, inter-cultural dialogue, environmental responsibility, and human development.â&#x20AC;? University of Balamand is a welcoming haven for individuals of many basis of religion, gender, and physical handicap. It was founded under the beliefs of Antiochian Christian Orthodox Church, whose mission is to ensure the welfare of highest values in humanity. It is desired and achieved at the University that there are principles of good faith and humanitarian morals such as tolerance, compassion, and openness, with the additional more direct understanding between Christians and Muslims. The teachings are formulated in a way that provides the highest standards in creating graduating professionals that have the characteristics of being well-rounded, critical thinkers, life-long learners and active citizens each of their respective societal cultures. It must be noted that under the creation of the Antiochian Christian Orthodox Church many religious specific understandings are taught. Each individual is to possess responsible freedom towards religious equality, uncovering truths, and ensuring a spiritual connection between human existence under God. Individuals at the University must support their newfound knowledge and protect their higher education against the influence of dogmatism, and fundamentalism. The region faces many forces of intellectual and societal oppression from corrupt governments and rebel militias. Access to quality higher education, discipline under research and the morality towards the good of the community is essential. The University wishes to contribute to building Lebanonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inter-cultural dialogue, environmental stewardship, and ethical standards in quality of life for all.

History Of The Koura Campus The University of Balamand has two main campuses. The first is located on the 454,000 square meter campus located in Al Koura an area of northern Lebanon. The second of the two locations is the Souk El Gharb region which is about 20 minutes away from Beirut. This 48,000 square meter campus is situated on Mount Lebanon. The campuses are about 1.5 hours drive from one another along the coast of Lebanon. The original ownership of the site was a Greek Orthodox Monastery that houses followers under religious vows. In February 1988, the university’s founder His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV, the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East, defined what he believed would be the present Orthodoxy has to offer to both Christians and Muslims alike: a university that serves as a beacon of learning, of love, and of tolerance that emanates from the very core of the Orthodox theology. The Patriarch chose to place the university on a plot by the historic Monastery of Balamand, founded by the Cistercian monks in the 12th century. His choice comes as no surprise given the monastery’s long heritage of being a center of learning in North Lebanon during the 19th century and home to the first printing press in Lebanon. It also offered ample space to build a campus that is situated conveniently on a spectacular hill some 10 kilometers south of Tripoli, one kilometer east of the Mediterranean Sea, and 70 kilometers north of Beirut. With no other university in North Lebanon and a pledge of 480,000 m2 of land, The University of Balamand would answer a pressing local need to its surrounding community. It opened its doors with three faculties to a few hundred students and a handful of professors. Two of them existed before as independent entities, namely the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology (founded in 1970) and the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA, founded in 1936). A third, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was created to meet the stipulations of Lebanese law. The same year, the Patriarch appointed a board of trustees, who were drawn to The University of Balamand by the idea of a community of great scholars. The board who is the highest governing authority at the university, elected Dr. George Tomeh, a philosopher, a diplomat, and professor at the American University of Beirut, as the first president. In 1990, the leading Lebanese statesman and journalist, Mr. Ghassan Tueini succeeded Dr. Tomeh. Mr. Tueini took on the management of the university in addition to his responsibilities as publisher of the al-Nahar Newspaper. By 1993, the Board appointed Dr. Elie A. Salem as a full-time president who would preside at the university’s main campus and assumes full responsibility for its further growth. Dr. Salem diligently served the university for the next consecutive 25 years (1993-2018) and was succeeded in October 2018 by Dr. Elias Warrak.

UoB Koura Campus

The location of our site is in El-Koura, Lebanon. El-Koura is roughly 20 minutes from Tripoli and an hour from Beirut. The University of Balamand boldly chose El-Koura as the location for their main campus. Their goal as a school was to create a campus that would entice students to seek their facilities for higher education. Through the University of Balamandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contact with Sasaki architectural firm they collaborated to create a master plan for the campus. Their objective was to develop a master plan that would give the campus an identity, allow them to understand the precious nature of all the things they were surrounded by and respect the nature, vegetation and land while creating an environment of learning and safety. The University of Balamand Koura Campus is located on a coastal plain and is roughly 8 minutes from the shore. It begins to ascend to higher elevations as being a part of the foot hills leading up to the Lebanese mountain range. This coincides with receiving a substantial amount of rainfall and runoff. Vegetation coverage of the surrounding area is various but the largest portions are assorted shrubs, olive trees, and oak trees. Most destinations for student are accessed within a drive of an hour, while the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s border to Syria lies within a 3 hour drive going east across Lebanon. The University of Balamand and the Koura District has a consistent road system and utilizes three major highways that create a trifecta for the area. The specific site which will host the design is on the southern end of the campus that is of higher elevation. On this site is the Path of Learning which physically creates an axis for both ends of the campus. The Path of Learning was designed by Sasaki and introduces a series of stepped terracing and a an abundance of olive trees. On the southern end of the University of Balamand the main program usage is residential being the dormitories for the student. Only few have been built as of today but the master plan calls for several more creating a ring of dormitories around the design site.

Campus Surroundings Program The location of the site is in the southern part of the Balamand campus. Being in the campus, it is accompanied by a village southwest, a small retail/ restaurant west, and the historic monastery north of the university. Vehicular and Pedestrian traffic are separated from one another. The campus is completely served to pedestrians with courtyards and sidewalks that generally taper off to the monastery and to the site of the project. Low vehicular traffic wraps the campus and the project site. A street also cuts through the center of the campus as well, but is a monitored space, intended for pedestrians and students. The largest road conveniently passes just west of the campus, however doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interfere with the students or school itself in any serious way. Secondary roads split off the main road and disperse around the retail building and down to the village and beyond. The campus is a relatively low sound polluted area, especially at the projected site.

Campus Vegetation Coverage

Surrounding the campus is an abundance of natural and untouched vegetation that accentuates the landscapes and views around the campus. Parts of the Monastery and central/ southern areas of the campus hold vegetation that has been manicured, maintained, and/or adjusted. Locations, such as Monastery or student housings have gardens that accompany and comply with the pedestrian accesses. The campus prospers with an olive grove that prospers from the most southern area of the campus and wraps up and around the campus. The two villages North and South hold land and vegetation that is manicured as well. Certain views around campus have layered vegetation experiences where one can see all three vegetation types at one time.

Learning About The Site With the given site located on the hill of the University. I began to figure out what qualities each part of the site offered. I was intrigued by the densely vegetated areas, filled with Oak and olive trees. I found all of the rock walls and boulders emerging from the hillside to be interesting and decided to use the boulders as a design concept. To help with how I placed my building on this site, I researched the traditions of Islam. Anyone who practices Islam, must pray 5 times a day, during these prayers they must orient themselves towards Mecca. This direction towards Mecca is called the Qibla. One way to calculate the Qibla is to look at where the sun is in the sky when it is noon at Mecca on certain days of the year; one of those days is July 16th. By figuring out the azimuth of the sun when it is directly over Mecca I could find the Qibla direction. At this site, Mecca is directly 18 degrees east of direct South.

North

West

East

Mecca

Developing The Program To guide my design for this project I studied and analyzed the House without Qualities by Oswald Mathias Ungers. This was to demonstrate how the design principles used in one project can be used again and a different project, regardless of the building typology, scale, or location. By the end of this design process, I had learned much about my own tendencies while designing and ways to improve. The program that I used for this assignment required a spiritual space of 1,500 square feet, a social space of 1,200 square feet, and many smaller spaces, such as a kitchen, administrative offices, storage, an ablution room, and a lobby. After looking through the program requirements, I decided to increase the size of the social space to match that of the spiritual space, and add a student lounge to the program as well.

PROGRAM CODE EVALUATION: THEATER OF RESPONSIBLE FREEDO Arch 513/413.01_SU2019

PROGRAM Zone

Program

Accessory Storage Areas

Social Space Storage Spiritual Space Storage

Assembly w/o fixed seats (standing)

Area (net)

OCCUPANCY Total Area (net) Total Area (gross) Type Category Fl Area/occupant-NET Fl Area/occupant -GROSS (60% eff) Occupants

Quantity

350 350

S S

250 250

1 1

250 250

300 1.166666667 300 1.166666667

Social Space Spiritual Space

1200 1500

1 1

1200 1500

A-3 A-3

5 5

240 300

Assembly w/o fixed seats (unconcentrated)

Ablution Room Lobby

300 300

1 1

300 300

A-3 A-3

15 15

20 20

Business

Administration Offices Work Rooms

600 300

1 3

600 900

840 1260

B B

100 100

8.4 12.6

Kitchen, commercial

Kitchen

400

560

A-2

200

2.8

Total Assembly w/o seating (unconcetrated) Secondary Total

Sprinklered Max Travel Distan

606.1333333 Outdoor Social Space

2000

A-3

133.3333333 739.4666667

Yes

250

landscape. The house is heavily geometrically based, having every dimension relative to one another and all of the volumes and spaces derived from specific line work that can be viewed in a plan of the house. For example, window spacing is half the height of the window, all the rooms are the same dimension aside from the double height central space, the dimensions for all parts of the chairs are 45 centimeter, the house was laid out on a 45 centimeter grid base unit that then adds up or divides to equal windows, doors, flooring, furniture, elements, basically everything is derived from this process. In his words, and referencing one of his five points, “All rooms are the same, all walls are the same; there is only one rhythm.” (Cantz). Roman-antique dimensions are used, which is the same idea used by the Parthenon, that all the building dimensions are related and derived from one another. Using a compass and division or multiplication of line lengths and spacing, all the dimensions on the facades can be achieved, and related back to one another. Initially his style was more complicated, and he was trying to prove himself, but now that he has proved himself as an Architect, he began to switch styles to Rationalism. His house is of the rationalism style which directly opposes the baroque style which was super extravagant, so this style that Ungers developed is in a sense a minimalist style. Ungers said in an interview that “It is more exciting and takes more concentration to do less, as little as possible.”

Ungers’ thought process for the creation of the house without qualities or “Haus ohne Eigenschaften” was to basically take the essential elements that define a house, and strip all other elements away, leaving just the bare minimum, almost shell if you will of a house construct. All houses share the same basic elements no matter the type, and he wanted to emphasize these fundamentals and celebrate the house as a work of art. He set the house on a low plinth that was inspired by the stylobate, which is found in many Greek buildings, and is where the columns land. He did this in order to showcase and focus on the house, showing it as a piece of art. In plan it follows the classic center hall design, consisting of five rooms, four identical and one that is the central hall and double height space. Closets, storage, pantry, and other miscellaneous elements are located in the hollow slab walls on either side of the central bay. Ungers had a five point method that he used in the process of designing minimally for the house. The points are rhythm, symmetry, proportion, axis, and contrast. Rhythm is represented throughout the house in the sense that all the rooms, dimensions, elements, and scale are related. Symmetry is shown through the room layout on either side of a central axis, being symmetrical on both sides, and he attempted to make every single element of the house symmetrical, both to keep the appearance simple and to reduce architectural elements. Proportion is expressed mathematically by making every element or configuration proportional to another. The spaces are all proportional back down to the smallest detail. The axis are found throughout, not just in symmetry down the axis of the central room of the house splitting it in two. Every window, room, piece of furniture, and element can be found either by rotating on a central axis with a protractor, or through division along a central axis. Contrast is represented through the dark furniture and the light white walls. Also, since the windows are set in, it creates dark boxes in contrast with the white exterior, and at night the light from within the house creates a stark contrast between boxes of light, and a big dark box and the darkness of the surrounding

Regulating Geometries

The House without Qualities is heavily geometrically based, having every dimension relative to one another and all of the volumes and spaces derived from specific line work that can be viewed in a plan of the house. For example, window spacing is half the height of the window, all the rooms are the same dimension aside from the double height central space, the dimensions for all parts of the chairs are 45 centimeter, the house was laid out on a 45 centimeter grid base unit that then adds up or divides to equal windows, doors, flooring, furniture, elements, basically everything is derived from this process. The House without Qualities has many great design principles but after the analysis I felt that the house was missing a connection to the site. In order to establish a stronger connection with a site I decided to reinterpret Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; regulating 45 cm grid. I started research Islamic mosaics and I found the Girih Tiles, which I used to create a regulating system. Girih Tiles are a set of five tiles used in Seljuk architecture for decorating arches, domes, and facades. The set of tiles is composed of a regular decagon and pentagon, two hexagons (one elongated and one bow tieshaped) and a rhombus; all of these shapes have sides of equal length and interior angles that are either a multiple of 72 degrees or 108 degrees. From the site analysis I knew that Mecca is 72 degrees south of East, this angle would allow for a pentagon to be oriented so that one side is perpendicular to Mecca, and another side & corner would have an EastWest orientation. With this in mind I started to use the Girih Tiles to create tessellations which fill pentagons. From this tessellation exercise I started to understand the intricacies of the tiles and put together Pentagon tessellation to which I used to compose the arrangement of spaces. In addition to the pentagonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s I also tessellated the Girih Tiles to create larger rhombi and decagons, which served as ancillary spaces and a patio respectively.

1 Social Space 2 Lobby 3 Lounge 4 Ablution Room 5 Spiritual Space 6 Work Rooms 7 Kitchen 8 Patio

7 1

3 8

Distinguishing Spaces

There’s a distinct arrangement of spaces in Ungers’ house, I felt that this was an important design principle and I decided to use it as part of my design process. Ungers arranged his house so that all the spaces, except for the living room, or the exact same size. The kitchen, bedroom, office, and study all have the same what length and height. The living room is the only exception to this design system, it is a double-height space which is wider than the other spaces as well. This was Ungers way of creating a hierarchy amongst these spaces and showing the importance of the living room. Using this logic I arranged for pentagon’s arcing around is the decagon patio. These pentagons all have the same surface area, but the pentagon at either end of the arc are the most important spaces the program, the social and spiritual space. I treated these spaces along the same line as Ungers’ as living room, by giving these spaces a higher ceiling. Ungers also used sets of doors to separate the spaces in his house, this established a clear definition of where the each room began and ended. Following Ungers’ example, I used thick walls to form thresholds between the spaces, which also creates access for the ancillary spaces.

Ancillary Spaces

The design principle which helped Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spaces become so clear, is his consolidation of ancillary spaces into the pochĂŠ of his thick walls. With the ancillary spaces out of sight of the main spaces, Ungers could make the main spaces simple & clean. To do this in my design, I arranged the ancillary spaces to allow access only from the threshold conditions which connect the main spaces together. To keep the ancillary spaces out of sight, I relegated the spaces to the east side of the building, which was built more into the hillside than the west side, which is composed of the public spaces and serves as the main face of the building.

Form & Materiality

To figure out the form and materials of my design, I looked to the vernacular and my concept of boulders emerging from the hillside. In Lebanon many buildings are made out of concrete, which acts as a thermal mass that keeps the heat out during the day, but radiate set during the cool nights. The concrete gives the building a stone appearance, and to reinforce that I projected the walls up to create a pyramidal domed ceiling. At the top of the domes I cut out an oculus, or skylight to introduce natural light into the spaces. In rooms such as the social & spiritual space I added light wells that lit up the corners of the room through translucent polycarbonate panels. The slight well technique is also used in the spiritual space to create a glowing mihrab. In the social space there are two keyway windows that provide views over the dramatic landscape.

Appendix 1

Oswald

Villa Steimel, 1961-1962, Hennef, Germany

Mathias

Ungers

Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar Research & Oceanography, 1980-1984, Hamburg, Germany

Messe Torhaus, 1983-1984, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Kunsthalle Hamburg Extension, 1986-1996, Hamburg, Germany

House Analysis: General Ideas The House Without Qualities was Oswald Mathias Ungers’ third house that he made for he and his wife in 1995. In comparison with his first house, the two are starkly different. In 1958 when Ungers was designing his first house, Belvederestraße 60, he was a young architect with no reputation yet. Ungers used this house to help establish himself as an architect in Germany. He did this by using as many architectural tricks to make his name known and show what he was capable of. In addition to this house being used as an advertisement for Ungers’ potential, the program included room for Ungers’ architecture office and two apartment flats which helped to fund Ungers’ construction of the house. In later additions to the house, Ungers’ added a library to house his collection of architecture books and artifacts. Ungers designed this house during an important stage of his life and career, Ungers was becoming involved with architecture on a global scale and meeting with other architects from around the world. In 1953 Ungers attended the ninth conference of the CIAM, during this conference saw the younger generation of architects argue with the older generation about Modern architecture. As a result of this conference, Team X was formed from the young architects who opposed the older generation of architects. Ungers joined Team X and in the following years he studied architecture at the Venice Biennale and the Milan Triennale. These events gave him a broader perspective off architecture and helped him to form a design language which led to Belvederestraße 60.

The Villa Glashütte, 1988, quite a step away from Belvederestraße 60. Unlike Ungers’ first house, Glashütte is located in a rural town near the Luxembourg border. This house has fewer architectural elements than Belvederestraße and a more simplified form. The footprint of Glashütte is a simple square with smooth exterior walls which join together with the roof forming crisp edges. In plan the house is symmetrical

along two axes on the first floor and along one axis on the second floor. The exterior walls are identically punctured by square doorways and seven windows, the only element that places GlashĂźtte in the house typology is the shallow gable roof. The very existence of the house is represents Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; principle of design of contrast. The stark white walls and sharp edges complement, yet oppose the natural environment which surrounds it.

Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thought process for the creation of the house without qualities or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Haus ohne Eigenschaftenâ&#x20AC;? was to basically take the essential elements that define a house, and strip all other elements away, leaving just the bare minimum, almost shell if you will of a house construct. All houses share the same basic elements no matter the type, and he wanted to emphasize these fundamentals and celebrate the house as a work of art. He set the house on a low plinth that was inspired by the stylobate, which is found in many Greek buildings, and is where the columns land. He did this in order to showcase and focus on the house, showing it as a piece of art. In plan it follows the classic center hall design, consisting of five rooms, four identical and one that is the central hall and double height space. Closets, storage, pantry, and other miscellaneous elements are located in the hollow slab walls on either side of the central bay. Ungers had a five point method that he used in the process of designing minimally for the house. The points are rhythm, symmetry, proportion, axis, and contrast. Rhythm is represented throughout the house in the sense that all the rooms, dimensions, elements, and scale are related. Symmetry is shown through the room layout on either side of a central axis, being symmetrical on both sides, and he attempted to make every single element of the house symmetrical, both to keep the appearance simple and to reduce architectural elements. Proportion is expressed mathematically by making every element or configuration proportional to another. The spaces are all proportional back down to the smallest detail. The axis are found throughout, not just in symmetry down the axis of the central room of the house splitting it in two. Every window, room, piece of furniture, and element can be found either by rotating on a central axis with a protractor, or through division along a central axis. Contrast is represented through the dark furniture and the light white walls. Also, since the windows are set in, it creates dark boxes in contrast with the white exterior, and at night the light from within the house creates a stark contrast between boxes of light, and a big dark box and the darkness of the surrounding

As mentioned in spread two, the project stemmed from the idea of stripping down the definition of a house to its most basic elements and then making that a reality. The goal was to find one rhythm for the architectural elements, limit the elements, and create a form that is pure and uninfluenced. In another interview, he stated this clearly, “My concern is for pure form, for the abstraction, the basic type, the elementary building.” (Cantz). The house without qualities dates to 1995 and follows a traditional plan of a center hall house. From the ground up, the house is kept simple, geometrical, and follows an order. The house sits on a sort of plinth foundation that was designed specifically to set the house in a way that showcases it as an

artistic piece. The window and door openings are laid out in a geometrical fashion. Window and door openings are 2.7 meters tall and the vertical spacing between them is half the height of the openings, and the horizontal spacing is derived from height of the openings and the equal division of the facade; all based on a geometrical axis, proportion and rhythm. The windows and doors are all the same component, as to limit architectural elements on the facade and to provide continuity throughout the facades.

Unlike his previous houses, when designing this house Ungers reduced the architectural elements even further. Both BelvederestraĂ&#x;e 60 and Villa GlashĂźtte clearly expressed their materialities, the facades of this house do not indicate any materials. The wallsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bricks were plastered over to create a smooth, uniform, clean white surface. Together these walls compose a simple box, which can be thought of as the furthest that someone can abstract architecture. In plan, the house is laid out on a grid of 45 centimeter squares, that is then combined or divided to equal wall thickness, room spacing, furniture placement and dimensions, window and door placement, etc. The plan depicts five spaces, three bays run from the front to the back of the house, with the middle bay being the widest and also a double height space. The two side rooms are echoed onto the second floor and are connected by a bridge element that spans along the back wall of the central space.

House Analysis: Structural Logic We went through a few different phases and ideas for consideration as to what we thought the structure consisted of within the house. We tried to find construction photos, to no avail and we tried to filter through the interior photos of the house in an attempt to look for clues that would indicate one method of structural construction over another. The first indication was phrasing in a book that stated the interior walls were made from concrete. This gave us the idea that it was a potentially concrete structure for the floors, but we were hesitant to conclude with that idea as the walls did not look like they were concrete and in plan they were far too thin to carry structural load as concrete.

Another idea was perhaps metal studs but these would have shown up in plan so we knew this was not the case, and there would still need to be big load carrying steel beams which were not present in the sections. We attempted to gain access to construction photos of the house that would reveal it’s construction by reach out to Ungers’ daughter from the Ungers archive website. Unfortunately, we did not receive a response so we still did not have a resource for construction documentation. Looking through other books, magazines, and resources online and in the school library, we found one section that displayed floor variations that depicted the characteristics of a one way concrete slab. Now that we knew the floors were structural concrete slabs, we began to decipher the wall situation. It is hard to make a structural system that goes from concrete to wood, and knowing Ungers’ style it would be unlikely for both wood or steel to be used for structure as this would add elements and make the building more complicated. One element and one structural technique seemed to be the case. In conclusion we argue that the outer walls consist of concrete block. The inner walls are variable, two of which are fully concrete (on either side of the staircase), and the opposite set of two is not entirely concrete down the length, but consists of four concrete piers spaced evenly.

The little information available about the house makes it difficult to figure out the house’s structural system. One magazine stated that the house was “built conventionally” which is quite vague and does not offer many hints about the structure, Another magazine referred to the thickened walls as having structural openings, this is supported by one book which states that the interior walls are concrete. Assuming that the exterior brick walls are load bearing, the plan can be broken into three parts, two equally sized sides and a slightly wider middle. With this information there are still many possibilities for what this house’s structure could be. To figure out the structure, one has to think as Ungers did. Everything in this house is based off of a 45 centimeter grid, such as the floor materials, the custom furniture, the doors and windows, and the kitchen cabinets. Ungers was adamant about the 45 centimeter grid, so it only makes sense that the structure is based off of this grid. Even though the structure is unseen when the house is completed, this was Ungers’ personal house, so he put much care and attention into every aspect of it.

Taking the lines which are already present on the plans, and extending them where necessary, the load bearing walls and primary beams can be determined. Dividing the sides of the house, using the same dimensions that Ungers used to place the windows on the front and back, will result in six lines. These six lines are representative of a one directional spanning concrete floor system.

House Analysis: Geometry

1 Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design method often involved starting with basic geometric shapes, squares or cubes, and then manipulating to create the forms of his buildings. In the case of this house, Ungers took two equally sized squares and overlaid them in a Venn diagram-esque manner. 2 This diagram shows the geometrical relationship starting at the opening rectangle size and working itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way up through bigger and bigger rectangles that all land on integral points such as the midpoint, door openings, window openings, and wall intersections. 3 This diagram depicts just the openings in relation to each other when mirrored across the plan. 4 This diagram shows the perfect division of the house into fourths, that lands on the midpoint of the house, and the interior edge of both doors in each of the interior walls. 1

5 Here the relationship of geometry is very apparent, and it is shown that the opening dimension creates a pattern of vertical and horizontal boxes across the plan, perfectly landing on the midpoint. 6 The walls in the house contain most of the services, this diagram shows how the walls are broken down into smaller units of squares and rectangles. All of the squares (blue) are located at the corners of the house and serve as ventilation shafts. The windows and doors (red & purple) are all the same width, which distinguishes them from the wider service rectangles (green). 7 When the plan is divided into fourths laterally, and then circles are inscribed these quadrants, a set of circles with equal radii are created. 8 This set of circles can be rotated 90Â° and overlaid on other areas of the plan, which show many geometries coincide with the set of circles.

9 By stretching the prominent forms in the plan (side windows, interior walls, & exterior walls) to the perimeter of the plan creates a tartan pattern. This pattern shows how the prominent forms in the plans overlap and how the plan responds to these overlaps. 10 Drawing circles centered at one of the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corners and tangential to the window openings on the side of the house shows how the side windows and the front windows use the same spacing system. 11 The arrangement of the rooms in the plan is designed in order to create a hierarchy amongst the rooms and have geometric alignments, such as the corners of the rooms when used as points to define a circle. 12 The circles and curves in this diagram are depicting the interior and exterior relationship between the doors and window openings again, by showing how curves starting at the point of one opening will encounter the point of another opening as they move through the house. 9

13 This diagram is representing the main circulation corridor that rings the first and second floor. It crosses through the doorway on both the internal walls and brings one through both the center of both furniture arrangements in the side bays. 14 This diagram of circular axis and arcs shows the geometric relation between the door and window openings at every instance. One quarter of the circle will reach between two openings on a corner instance or from an internal doorway point to the opposite point on an external opening. Half of the circle will reach from one point on an internal door to the mirrored point on the other door in the wall. Upon completing four interior curves, and then drawing a line across the axis where they meet, it will align with the door edge between the interior spaces. 15 By taking the two overlapping squares in plan and transferring them to the front elevation shows that the parts of the two squares which do not overlap can each be halved into squares which are indicative of the rooms behind the facade.

16 Overlaying the side facade onto the front facade shows how the windows on both facades are spaced similarly, the only difference being that the side facade skips the second window. 17 The windows on the facade are spaced according to a Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; geometric rules he used for designing. By drawing a circle centered at the bottom of a second floor window and tangential to the ground, the circle will also coincide with the middles of the adjacent second floor windows and will also be tangential to the top of the facade. 18 Drawing a line from one corner of a window to the same corner of a window diagonally from the first window results in a line which is at 45Â°. By repeating this for the rest of the window corners, a grid of perpendicular lines is formed. 19 A circle, with the diameter of the windowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; height, can be drawn two more times to show the facade is three times as tall as the windows. Drawing six circles that divide the height of the facade shows that the spacing between the first and second floor windows is the same as the spacing between the top of the second floor windows and the top of the facade.

20 A circle with a radius of the height of the windows bisects the window above it when centered at the top of a first floor window. When this circle is centered in the middle of an individual window frame, the circle is tangential with the top of that window, the adjacent window, and the edge of the facade. 21 This heavily geometrically based diagram shows half a circle that starts at the bottom left of a window opening, rises to the top of the window, and then falls onto the same bottom corner of the next window opening. When rotated 90 degrees this curve hits important axis again, by using the same bottom corner of a window on the first floor, and then rising to the midpoint of the window on the second floor. 22 The circles in this diagram show the even spacing between each opening, and the consistency of the geometry across the facade. 23 A circle that coincides with the corners of four windows has the same diameter as a circle whose diameter is the height of the windows.

24 Stretching the form of the atrium in both directions to the perimeter of the house, gives negative spaces which are equal to a quarter of the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s width. 25 The width of the atrium can be repeated twice to give the same width as the house.

26 The space between the windows and the space between the windows and the edge of the facade are related. 27 A circle with a radius equal to the spacing of the two interior walls can be overlaid on the plan and elevations, which demonstrates a relation between the spacing of the windows and the spacing of the two interior walls.

House Analysis: Plan & Section Analysis

1 This diagram is showing the essential 45cm grid and underlying dimensional basis for the house that everything was then created off of by either adding or dividing the geometries to create the desired dimensions for everything from the rooms, facade, and the furniture. 2 The diagram here highlights the two hollow walls that house circulation, utilities, storage, and other such functions of the house. 3 The programmatic arrangement of the house creates six axes through the house. There are four axes perpendicular to the long facade and two perpendicular to the short facade. The axes are defined by the window openings, breaks in the service bars, and the arrangement of furniture within each room. 4 All ancillary service are arranged into four services bars. The bars are in essence thickened walls which contain services such as toilets, stairs, storage, and ventilation ducts. There is a service bar along the long facade of the house on either side and two bars within the house; establishing thresholds between the rooms.

5 This diagram has the facade boundary removed and just the openings floating in space, to imply that the outside does not reflect the inside layout or function, and that the windows could be anywhere in space and give you just as much information about the interior as they do being located where they truly are on the facade. 6 Ungers was well versed in art and architectural history, the simplicity in the design of the facade can be seen as his interpretation of Marc-Antoine Laugierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Primitive Hut. This house is free of ornamentation and is solely there to serve its function as a barrier from the weather. The facade is just a simple box, with clean sharp edges; Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; distillation of what a facade is. 7 This diagram is a horizontal circulation diagram for the house and shows every possible circulation path on an axial grid. It runs through every opening on the facade and interior, and the paths cross creating nodes of important circulation options. 8 Where the service bars meet there are some of the more commonly needed services, such as toilets and the elevator.

9 At the center of the house is the living room. The living room is the only space in the house with a double height ceiling and it is connected to all of the other rooms in the house. 10 Next to the living room are the kitchen and gathering room on the first floor and the bedroom and the study on the second floor. These rooms all share the same dimensions and have a connection to the living room; on the second floor the rooms are linked by two walkways which look over the living room. 11 The two inner service bars create a buffer between the living room and the side rooms. At the ends of these bars are breaks which house two pairs of doors. Within this space in the bars, some service elements can be accessed. 12 The circles represent the general area allocated in each room for the social gathering space, stemming from the focal point in each social space which is either a table or coffee table.

13 The circulation of the house is established by the furniture arrangement and the breaks in the service bars. The furniture in each room is kept towards the center of the rooms, which establishes a threshold between the parts of the rooms that serve their function and the parts that serve as circulation. 14 The fenestration in the facade forms the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrangement. 15 Two vertical lines can split windows into three groups of four windows; providing four windows for each room. 16 Two horizontal lines separate the windows from the primary central part of the rooms and affiliates the windows with the circulation and the service bars.

17 In a section of the house, the clear arrangement of the program can be seen. The bedroom is in orange, the living room is purple, the study is green, the kitchen is red, and the gathering room is blue. This also demonstrates the hierarchy of the different rooms, in which the living room is the most prominent and the other rooms are equally present. 18 In plan the hierarchy of the program is evident. The living room (purple) is wider than both the kitchen (red) and the gathering room (blue). 19 A section of the house can also reveal the levels of privacy in the house. The living room is the most public room, the kitchen and gathering room is where Ungers hosted his guests and these rooms are slightly less public, but not necessarily private. The bedroom and Ungersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; study upstairs are the most private parts of the house. 20 This is a vertical circulation diagram, showing the staircase and elevator in relation to the plan of the house. 17

21 When looking at just the service portions of the plan, the thresholds for the rooms are still present. 22 When looking at the negative of the services in plan, the rooms become one large space and lose the thresholds which define them. Despite the rooms losing their form in this diagram, the services are still discernible. 23 This diagram highlights water or plumbing locations within the house. 24 The diagram here represents the water closets in the house, with the second floor being overlaid on the first.

House Analysis: Constructed Plans, Sections, & Elevations

In our journey to fully understand the house and appreciate all of the thought and geometrical processes that have gone into its conception, we began to really scrutinize the construction of the house, analyzing any information we had in an attempt to decode what lies within the stucco walls. There is virtually no information about the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction. The elevation views provide no detail, and the sections just provide us with pochĂŠ walls that allude to no basis of construction means. The plans do however, provide us with a detailed layout based on the 45cm x 45cm grid, which helped us map out the house well. I emailed back and forth with the Ungers association in an attempt to find construction photos, or more detailed sections/plans that would depict the method of construction and what the layers of the wall and floor slabs look like. As it turns out, not even the Ungers association has photos or better drawings than what we have access to in books and online. With no information found on the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction, turned to focusing on the pure geometries that were used to construct the house. One drawing in particular depicted many semi circles and intersecting lines that covered the facade and showed how all the components related directly to one another. We realized that if we followed the geometry shown, we would be able to construct the facades and in turn the whole house, and most likely without flaw so long as we stuck with the rules laid out by the geometry. Initially we were mapping out the geometries on trace overlaid on the elevations, plan, and sections. Using compasses and triangles, we made swift, calculated geometric relations that lined up perfectly. Along with following the geometry shown in the drawing Ungers did of the facade, we explored a lot of our own geometries on the plans, sections, and elevations. Using the compass, triangles, and paper was really helpful in actually understanding the geometries and their relationship to everything about the house. Later, when we were making the same geometry, as well as new ones, in CAD, we were not getting as much of an understanding of

the geometry as we were when we constructed drawings by hand. This is the flaw with using computers and not understanding the geometry going into a building before hand. Since we understood well what the geometries were when we did them on trace, we were able to confidently map out the house using both the grid and the geometries.

House Analysis: Experiential Plans & Sections

The house evokes a real sense of spatial awareness as you move throughout it. Some of the spaces are identical yet they have a different function and different furniture. Other spaces such as the double height space and the pool area really counter the symmetry that the rest of the spaces follow. The double height space provides a unique moment where the private and public spaces meet and interact through the dividing plane of the second floor. In a stark contrast, the pool area is actually cut off from the rest of the house as well as the outside. Every room has a direct connection with the outside environment except the pool. This room is only accessible by the staircase or elevator. One is able to fluidly move throughout the whole entire house, and through every space without retracing their steps. The movement through the house is rigid in the sense that there are clear axis of egress but it is loose in the sense that one can stray easily from these clear axis and move freely across each space and arrive at another axis, mixing up their path of travel each time. Originally the movement reminded me of an Escher print in the way that there were multiple levels and a continuous, never ending circulation route through the house. I was imagining the house as a twisted up path that turned on right angles, but the whole house could be laid out as one long chain of spaces where a person could continuously move from one space to another without having to travel back through a previously discovered space. I decided that a more geometrical and grid like approach would be more appropriate for a drawing relating to a house by Ungers. In the spirit of the house I laid all the rooms out in plan and made a path from one room to the next, creating one continuous loop but using only squared off angles to orient to the next room. I basically broke the grid apart and elongated the doorway vestibule that transitions the viewer in to each room. In this exploded plan, it is easy to see the direct relation from one room to the next and understand the movement through the house. All lateral movement is done through

the same type of doorway, and all of the vertical movement is done using the same stacked staircase or an elevator. An interesting concept is that this arrangement could have happened many different ways, since there are multiple entrances to the house and multiple paths that one can take through the spaces. The defining feature of this house is its 45 centimeter grid; furniture, door openings, flooring, structure; everything in the house is derived from this grid. This grid is the controls the house in plan, section, and elevation, the house is embedded within this 45 centimeter grid. The grid defines the placement of the windows for each room, the windows are a connection to the outside, and serve as circulation for the house. The views from the windows depict scenery that is not controlled by Ungers' 45 centimeter grid.

House Analysis: Model Of Solid

When understanding the spatial layout of the house, it is important to initially distinguish whether you would consider the majority of the space circulation, or as an actual part of a room. For instance, most rooms can be considered circulation if the spaces are thought of as such, due to the fact that there are more than one door into each room. We made the decision to consider the spaces that contain the stairs, elevator and the two walkways through the double height space to be circulation. We then focused on the rooms as being mostly just for their intended purpose and function, instead of being representative of circulation. It is important to keep in mind that the entire house has cross axis that act like large paths of circulation across multiple spaces and from inside to outside. This is important to note because although we decided to highlight the spaces within each room, we still kept in the back of our mind that really almost any space located within the house can be considered circulation. In the model, we broke the house up into four sections: utilitarian, circulation, public, and private. The entirety of the external wall elements function as utilitarian, holding flues, chase ways, plumbing, storage, doors and windows. The rest of the house is contained within this shell and there is no way to enter the house than besides going through this shell. Upon entering the house, the entire first floor is public space. This includes the double height space, which we considered to be public in its entirety since the public can view up into the second floor section of the middle space from the first floor. This space is then framed by circulation on three sides: the two bridges overlooking the space on the second floor, and then the staircase in the wall on one side of the double height space. The elevator is right on axis with the stairs and this created a sort of circulation bar that divides the house at this point. Upstairs in the model, there are two identical blocks of private space, which are spanned by the two bridges. These directly relate but are allowed to exist as separate entities on either side of the house potentially

in an attempt to separate work from leisure within the house, as the two private spaces are the study and bedroom. This description divides the first and second floor up. The pool area was a tough one since we were unsure whether to make it public or private. Obviously guests would be welcome to use the pool and perhaps cocktail parties embarked down to this level, but it is so cut off from the rest of the house and inaccessible that it feels like it should be considered a private space. In the end we decided to consider it private due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost invite only essence since it is so cut off from the rest of the house. The first and second floor flow very well together and seem to welcome each other and work in harmony because they reflect each other and associate through the double height space in the center of the house. This also emphasizes the idea that the central room is the core of the house, connecting all the spaces, providing a unique interactive moment that does not reflect on the facade of the house whatsoever.

House Analysis: Materiality

From the outside of the house, the viewer has no real sense of what the spaces within are like. All that can be established is that there are two floors, and it is obvious where the second floor plate ends since the windows on both floors also function as doors and are placed right at floor plane level. On the inside, the house is very dramatic with a big central double height space, two cat walks, and symmetrical side rooms on the first and second floor. To show the hidden difference from internal to external conditions of the house, we decided to make sectional model right through the central double height space, and include the facade as well. The model represents half of the house and sits on a plinth like the real house does. When looking at the model from the corner, one can see both the interior conditions and easily understand how it corresponds to the facade. We then used photoshop and images of the model to create a flat image of that perspective. This image also includes a full section of the interior space, which is applied right next to the exterior. We applied a gesso layer to the exterior face of the model, which is representative of the conditions that are on the real house, which are stucco. The likeness and feel to stucco is accurate. The gesso began to warp the material we constructed the facade out of due to the two and a half coats on it, and we had to straighten it by applying pressure while it was wet in the opposite direction until it dried. The section view of the model is laser cut into foam core. On the facade of the model, the windows are cut out and we actually printed out views of the room interiors that pertain to each window opening on the model. The views are lined up perfectly with the scale of the window and top of the doors, creating a true view of the interior through the simulation of open windows.

Appendix 2

Table Of Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................94 Lebanon...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................98 University of Balamand ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................104 Koura Campus..........................................................................................................................................................................................................107 Design Site...............................................................................................................................................................................................................122 Program Occupancy Loads......................................................................................................................................................................................142 References..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................144 Sub-Appendix......................................................................................................................................................................................................................146

Introduction

Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean sea, Lebanon is a country with an extensive history. Some of the oldest human settlements were in Lebanon. Mediterranean cultures such as the Phoenician, Greek, and Arab societies all worked to establish the complex and prolific country of Lebanon. Modern day SĹŤr, SaydÄ , and Jubayl were all major points of trade and culture in the 3rd millennium BCE. It was during the 1920s that France established the state of Greater Lebanon and incorporated the country into the League of Nations mandate. In 1926 Lebanon became a republic but it was not until 1943 that Lebanon as a country proclaimed its independence. Lebanon is a country of contradictions it has wonderful aspects such as a rich cultural, environment, history, and cultural influences but also has negative features such as its current political turmoil. It is a country that for some time has had difficulties controlling its own destiny.

Can architecture play a role in solving social divides in progressing the future?

Lebanon

Tripoli

University of Balamand Byblos

Beirut

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Zahle

SYRIA LEBANON

ISRAEL

Lebanese Culture

100

Climate

101

Architectural Climate Response

102

There are 4 styles of houses found in Lebanon that respond to both history and the climate. The houses consist of the closed rectangle house, gallery house, court house and central hall house. All of these houses are historic styles that are generally not used as much as in the past. The closed rectangle house is thick walled and generally one space for the family. There are minimal openings but some small ventilation openings near the roof. The gallery house utilizes the gallery as an active space that connect spaces within the house. The galleries are generally facing the south or west even the southwest depending on the orientation of the house on the site. This helps to utilize the daylight but also the wind patterns seen in the region. The court house style is less seen than that of the others on this list. They are usually seen in the mountains with a central open space and rooms flanking on the left and right. As for the central hall house there are many versions of the house. The central hall is the primary circulation space for the house but variations do have a secondary circulation path. There is generally cross ventilation allowed in the house because of the central hall. Due to the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the World Wars and gaining independence created an evolution in housing for Lebanon. Houses became more private. The central hall style house generally was the basis for house styles. The number of floors increased since each floor was for a family. During the time of independence apartments did not take the whole block but apartments now shared a floor. The faรงade generally had a terrace but if there was natural light the warner the apartment was. Many apartments required cross ventilation to keep the spaces comfortable but unfortunately due to demand and design cross ventilation was nonexistent.

103

104

University Of Balamand

Mission Statement

105

History Of The Koura Campus

106

The University of Balamand has two main campuses. The first is located on the 454,000 square meter campus located in Al Koura an area of northern Lebanon. The second of the two locations is the Souk El Gharb region which is about 20 minutes away from Beirut. This 48,000 square meter campus is situated on Mount Lebanon. The campuses are about 1.5 hours drive from one another along the coast of Lebanon. The original ownership of the site was a Greek Orthodox Monastery that houses followers under religious vows. In February 1988, the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV, the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East, defined what he believed would be the present Orthodoxy has to offer to both Christians and Muslims alike: a university that serves as a beacon of learning, of love, and of tolerance that emanates from the very core of the Orthodox theology. The Patriarch chose to place the university on a plot by the historic Monastery of Balamand, founded by the Cistercian monks in the 12th century. His choice comes as no surprise given the monasteryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long heritage of being a center of learning in North Lebanon during the 19th century and home to the first printing press in Lebanon. It also offered ample space to build a campus that is situated conveniently on a spectacular hill some 10 kilometers south of Tripoli, one kilometer east of the Mediterranean Sea, and 70 kilometers north of Beirut. With no other university in North Lebanon and a pledge of 480,000 m2 of land, The University of Balamand would answer a pressing local need to its surrounding community. It opened its doors with three faculties to a few hundred students and a handful of professors. Two of them existed before as independent entities, namely the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology (founded in 1970) and the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA, founded in 1936). A third, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was created to meet the stipulations of Lebanese law. The same year, the Patriarch appointed a board of trustees, who were drawn to The University of Balamand by the idea of a community of great scholars. The board who is the highest governing

UoB Koura Campus authority at the university, elected Dr. George Tomeh, a philosopher, a diplomat, and professor at the American University of Beirut, as the first president. In 1990, the leading Lebanese statesman and journalist, Mr. Ghassan Tueini succeeded Dr. Tomeh. Mr. Tueini took on the management of the university in addition to his responsibilities as publisher of the al-Nahar Newspaper. By 1993, the Board appointed Dr. Elie A. Salem as a full-time president who would preside at the university’s main campus and assumes full responsibility for its further growth. Dr. Salem diligently served the university for the next consecutive 25 years (19932018) and was succeeded in October 2018 by Dr. Elias Warrak.

107

The location of our site is in El-Koura, Lebanon. El-Koura is roughly 20 minutes from Tripoli and an hour from Beirut. The University of Balamand boldly chose El-Koura as the location for their main campus. Their goal as a school was to create a campus that would entice students to seek their facilities for higher education. Through the University of Balamand’s contact with Sasaki architectural firm they collaborated to create a master plan for the campus. Their objective was to develop a master plan that would give the campus an identity, allow them to understand the precious nature of all the things they were surrounded by and respect the nature, vegetation and land while creating an environment of learning and safety. The University of Balamand Koura Campus is located on a coastal plain and is roughly 8 minutes from the shore. It begins to ascend to higher elevations as being a part of the foot hills leading up to the Lebanese mountain range. This coincides with receiving a substantial amount of rainfall and runoff. Vegetation coverage of the surrounding area is various but the largest portions are assorted shrubs, olive trees, and oak trees. Most destinations for student are accessed within a drive of an hour, while the country’s border to Syria lies within a 3 hour drive going east across Lebanon. The University of Balamand and the Koura District has a consistent road system and utilizes three major highways that create a trifecta for the area.

Route To Tripoli, Lebanon

108

University of Balamand to Tripoli - 16mins, 12.9km or 8mi, via Tripoli-Batroun Highway/Route 51M Tripoli is a significant destination for students of the University of Balamand and the Koura area as a whole because it is the cultural center of Islamic society and has maintained a conservative cultural position in Lebanon.

Route To Beirut, Lebanon 1hr 5mins, 75.1km or 46.7mi, via Coastal Highway/Route 51M Beirut is highly important to the students of University of Balamand because it is the prized jewel of modernity in Lebanon with a vibrant artistic and scientific culture of progressive attitude. It has the highest rates of tourism and is economically the most sufficient.

109

UoB Brief Graduates: 16,000+ Currently Enrolled Students: 5,700+ Scholarship Recipients for Academic Year 1718: 1,580+ Faculty and Staff: 1,300+ International Students: 55+ Yearly Students Events Across Campus: 235+ Partner Universities: 100+ Majors: 69 Undergraduate Degrees: 55 Graduate Degrees: 57 Faculties: 9 Institutes and Research Centers: 10 Medical Specialty Degree Programs: 28 Teaching Diplomas: 13 University Diplomas: 3 Degrees: 68+

110

At a glance it can be seen that the University of Balamand is still rather small in comparison to other well-established universities. However, it should be noted that they are growing fast for a university that has only existed for nearly forty years and is located in a particularly intense societal condition. There is plenty of potential development physically of campus which will encourage more students to enroll as well as accredited majors that will lead to more courses offered and higher graduate rates.

Geographic Condition The University of Balamand is located in the Koura District, Northern Governorate, Lebanon. The Koura District is found in a coastal plain, total area of district is 173kmÂ˛ or 67sqmi, highest elevation in district is 800m or 2624.7ft above sea level, begins the mountain range leading to Mount Lebanon. Mount Lebanon has been a tourist attraction for hikers to enjoy with a national park at its base. At its very peak Mount Lebanon reaches an elevation of nearly 3,050ft above sea-level. Koura District of Lebanon is experiencing a growing population since the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creation in 1988. More families are considering this area to live in hopes that their children receive the most modern and excellent higher education to become professionals. The demographics of this region has variety when addressing a religions basis. Koura District has 52 established villages its total population is roughly 70,000, the capital of the district is Amioun which has a population of about 10,000 as of the 2010 census. The religious followings in the Koura District is diverse with 72% as Greek Orthodox, 18% as Maronites, 8% as Sunni Muslims, and 3% as Melkite Catholics and Shia Muslims. The University of Balamand is fixed upon the nations most traversed arteries the Coastal Highway/Route 51M. It is also surrounded by other substantial roads such as Chekka-Amioun Road and the Tripoli-Kousba Road. These two additional roads acts like tributaries and converge into a larger system that lead towards the eastern border connecting to Syria. Larger cities in Syria such as Damascus and Homs are only roughly 2 to 3 hours away via car if conditions are pleasant.

111

112

UoB Koura Campus Location

113

114

Campus Program

115

UoB Campus Axis

116

The campus holds two major gathering points, where one major axis points cuts through. The most centralized is the Forum space where many axisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pass through and the other, south, is a student center. The major axis point can go through multiple buildings and have a minor axis that can lead one outside. One minor axis can lead an individual from the monastery all the way to the project site, south. Another minor axis can lead one from the center of campus, past the athletic field and to the site as well. The heaviest pedestrian traffic is located further north and away from the project site.

117

Campus Vegetation Coverage

118

2 1

119

Campus Views

120

The nature of the slope allows for interesting and different views around the campus and to the landscapes. Important focal points include the Monastery, the athletic field, the centralized clock tower, and the infamous goat house located south of the project site. Depending on where one is located on the site a different view experience can be achieved. The goat house is a versatile area that can hold views down to the Mediterranean, to the open landscapes, or the villages. The Monastery is an important landmark and focal point on the campus and can be viewed from a courtyard space that students occupy. “View 2” showcases a response urbanistically to the students where a small courtyard space, public sidewalk, and bus stop is all present. South of this view holds a focal point of the clock tower, as well as the projected site, that can be visibly be seen through the neighboring building. “View 4” is a view from a new construction that shows a layered experience of landscape and the campus. From this point one can see the projected site very easily as well..

121

122

Site Analysis

Design Site Location The specific site which will host the design is on the southern end of the campus that is of higher elevation. On this site is the Path of Learning which physically creates an axis for both ends of the campus. The Path of Learning was designed by Sasaki and introduces a series of stepped terracing and a an abundance of olive trees. On the southern end of the University of Balamand the main program usage is residential being the dormitories for the student. Only few have been built as of today but the master plan calls for several more creating a ring of dormitories around the design site.

123

Design Site Program

124

Zooming into the projected site, there are a mix of building types. To the west, an alumni center and two student and faculty halls are present, along with an outdoor amphitheater. This area will project the most amount of noise pollution and hold the most amount of entourage. To the north is an environmental center that is linked to the types of vegetation that is present on the site itself. Student housing is located to the west of the site, facing the olive groves directly. The northern/eastern area of the site are the most public areas that hold little privacy comparative to the southern side. Circulation takes an individual from the most populated spaces to more private and secluded spaces of the goat house and the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house. The axis that take one to the southern part of the site each have a different experience. One path takes one through a dense and more private route of vegetation. Another path takes one through a more open, but still quiet route. Finally the path along the student housing is the least private.

Topography The slope of the site allows different experiences and views. Generally, the southern part of the site is the highest point and slopes down towards the north, allowing for views down all the way to the Mediterranean. Most inclines are within 10 to 20%, however some parts can vary to 20 to 30%. The higher slopes are located generally in the denser areas of the vegetation. Other views, such as the goat house or Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, can be an element of attraction too.

125

126

Design Site Experience

127

128

Path Of Learning Vegetation

129

130

Design Site Vegetation Coverage

Design Site Circulation

131

132

Design Site Views

133

Winter Wind Direction

134

The site in Koura, Lebanon is located on top of a hill which makes the winds slightly more intense than they are at a lower altitude on the site. In the winter months many of the winds comes from the southeast to the west. With higher peak winds generating from the southwest to west. They experience very minimal winds from the north west with less than 1% from the north east. Wind speeds can raise to 20mph or more during the winter months meaning the winds can cause small trees to sway.

Spring Wind Direction During the spring months the 180 degree pattern pictured on the wind rose from east to west with the highest winds coming from the south. The relative humidity of the location is 70% or greater for the majority of spring. Temperatures range between 32Â° and 68Â°. Winds are shown to have reached more than 30mph meaning according to the Beaufort scale, entire trees are in motion and walking outside could become difficult.

135

Summer Wind Direction

136

The majority of the winds during the summer months come the west and north west. Temperatures range from 75째-100째 during the day to 32째-68째 at night. Peak wind levels reach 20mph where small tress begin to sway. The humidity of these summer months range from 30-over 70% humidity.

Fall Wind Direction In the fall months many of the winds come from the north with speeds reaching 15mph meaning small branches will begin to move in the breeze. Temperatures during this time range between 68Â°-100Â° and relative humidity ranges from 30-over 70%.

137

Winter Sun Path

138

On the Winter Equinox, December 21, 2019 is at 6:10. The sunrise is at 6:38. Koura will get roughly 10 hours of sunlight at this time of year with peak sun level being at 11:34 in the morning. Sunset follows 5 hours later at 16:30. Dusk is at 16:58. The altitude is 16.73Â°and the azimuth is 224.98Â°.

Spring Sun Path During the Spring Equinox, March 21, 2019, dawn is at 5:14. Sun rise is at 5:39 and the point when the sun is at its peak is at 11:45 in the morning. Sunset on the spring equinox is at 17:49 and dusk occurs at 18:13. The total amount of sun during the day totals around 12 hours. The altitude is 35.75Â° and the azimuth is 240.99Â°.

139

Summer Sun Path

140

On the Summer Equinox, June 21, 2019, dawn is at 4:55 and the sun rises at 5:24. The sun is at its peak level at 12:38 in the afternoon. Sunset occurs at 19:52 and dusk is at 20:21. The total hours of sunlight during the summer equinox is 14.5 hours. The altitude is 60.41Â° and the azimuth is 256.86Â°.

Fall Sun Path During the Fall Equinox, September 21, 2019, dawn occurs at 5:58, the sun rises completely at 6:23 and the sun reaches its peak height of the day at 12:30 in the afternoon. On the Fall Equinox the sun sets at 18:36 and dusk occurs at 19:00. The total amount of sunlight hours during the Fall Equinox is roughly 12 hours. The altitude is 43.93Â° and the azimuth is 230.46Â°.

141

PROGRAM CODE EVALUATION: TH Arch 513/413

PROGRAM Zone

Program

Accessory Storage Areas

Social Space Storage Spiritual Space Storage

Assembly w/o fixed seats (standing)

Area (net)

OCCUPANCY Total Area (net) Total Area (gross) Type Category Fl Area/occupant-NET Fl Area/occupant -GROSS (60% eff) Occupants

Quantity

250 250

1 1

250 250

350 350

S S

300 1.166666667 300 1.166666667

Social Space Spiritual Space

1200 1500

1 1

1200 1500

A-3 A-3

5 5

240 300

Assembly w/o fixed seats (unconcentrated)

Ablution Room Lobby

300 300

1 1

300 300

A-3 A-3

15 15

20 20

Business

Administration Offices Work Rooms

600 300

1 3

600 900

840 1260

B B

100 100

8.4 12.6

Kitchen, commercial

Kitchen

400

560

A-2

200

2.8

Total Assembly w/o seating (unconcetrated) Secondary Total

606.1333333 Outdoor Social Space

2000

142

Program Occupancy Loads

2000

A-3

133.3333333

739.4666667

HEATER OF RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM 3.01_SU2019

EGRESS Sprinklered Max Travel Distance (ft) Max. Common Path of Travel (ft) Number of Exits Egress (in) Max. dead end (ft) Female WC

FIXTURES Urinals Female Sinks Male Sinks

Male WC

Water Fountains

7 7

1 1

0 0

2 2

3.692307692 4.615384615

1.92 2.4

1.2 1.5

0 0

1 1

0.266666667 0.133333333 0.266666667 0.133333333

0.1 0.1

4 6

1 1

0.037333333 0.037333333

0.014

12.87835897

6.914

Yes

250

1 1

8.624

2.051282051 1.066666667

0.666666667 0.666666667

14.92964103 9.690666667

7.580666667 7.580666667

5 1 6

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144

References

“Climate – Lebanon.” Climates to Travel. https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/lebanon. Accessed 7 July 2019. Ragette, Friedrich. Architecture in Lebanon The Lebanese House during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Beirut, American University of Beirut, 1974. Google Earth, Google, earth.google.com/web/@34.3660568,35.78317387,319.83576936a,8276.15631047d,35y,360h,0t,0r. “SunCalc Sun Position- Und Sun Phases Calculator.” SunCalc, www.suncalc.org/. “About the University of Balamand.” University of Balamand, University of Balamand, 2019, dba.balamand.edu.lb/home/Pages/default.aspx. “Mission Statement.” University of Balamand, University of Balamand, 2019, dba.balamand.edu.lb/home/Pages/default.aspx. “History and Evolution.” University of Balamand, University of Balamand, 2019, dba.balamand.edu.lb/home/Pages/default.aspx. “UOB at a Glance.” University of Balamand, University of Balamand, 2019, dba.balamand.edu.lb/home/Pages/default.aspx. “Aerial Photo of Beirut, Lebanon’s Capital”

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146

Sub-Appendix

147

Temperature Range Annually

148

While using Climate Consultant for the analysis of the climate of Lebanon two decisions were implemented. One was the decision to use Tel Aviv, Israel as the location in which information was gathered. This decision was based on multiple reasons. First it was the closet city that Climate Consultant had for availability of information. Secondly, and most importantly, the climate Tel Aviv has in comparison to Koura, Lebanon is quite similar. They both are coastal areas impacted by the Mediterranean climate. They are also close by which means that most information regarding sun patterns and temperature are relatively similar. The second decision was to use the California Energy Code Comfort Model (2013) as the base for the Climate Consultant data. This was because the information can be adjusted as needed. Otherwise it was assumed that the comfort level was between 68˚F and 75˚F. It also assumed that at 66 ˚F the humidity would be around 80% while the dew point was defined as 27 ˚F. The climate of the area is that of a temperate climate. This is because the winter months need heating to stay comfortable. While in the summers cooling is needed via mechanical systems or using the southwest coastal wind to the buildings advantage. Summers last from June to September. Autumn is October and November. Winters are mild and generally is the wettest season lasting from December to March. Then April and May are the spring months. Rainfall is primarily seen in the winter months. November through March generally have high rainfall accumulations. December through March reveal that there are more than 10 days per month, on average, of rain. June through August have generally no rainfall. The transitional months for Spring have little rain ranging from half an inch to 2 inches. While Autumn has zero inches to under 2 inches.

Temperature Range Daily The annual temperature range is mid-50s to mid-70s. The mean is around 66Ë&#x161;F. The designed high and low temperatures are for any mechanical systems implemented for the building. They can be associated with the record high or lows. December through February are the cooler months with average temperatures between mid-40s to high 60s. Throughout the year it the temperatures increase. The highest temperatures are seen in the months July to September. The average temperatures fall between mid-60s to high 80s. The 3D temperature chart shows a sliver for each day. It reveals that evenings fall between 32Ë&#x161;F to 68Ë&#x161;F. The highest temperatures are during the daytime hours of noon to 6 PM. During May through September the temperature occasionally stays high through the night.

149

Solar Radiation

150

The radiation range chart shows the monthly UV rays as well as the annual average. The yellow bar is the Direct Solar Radiation. The green is the Horizontal Solar Radiation. The orange represents the Tilted Surface Radiation. The break in the bar are the averages for each section in each month. There are recorded highs and lows for each month represented visually by the corresponding colored dots.

3D Wind Chart Daily The 3D wind chart maps each day and each hour of the wind for this specific area. It only shows the speeds in which are documented rather than also the temperature and humidity like the wind wheel does. Taking away this info creates a simpler chart to show only the speed in miles per hour (MPH). This chart shows that during the summer months the wind is constant during the noon to 6pm hours. The wind speeds range generally from 10 to 20 MPH. During the winter and spring months the wind is generally higher speeds and throughout the day.

151

Wind Direction

152

The wind wheel reveals much about the wind for the area. Generally during the cooler months, winter, there is more wind ranging from speeds of 10 MPH to 30 MPH. The wind comes from the South and Southwest. As it turns into the summer months the wind shifts to come from the West. This is understandable because of being on the coast and getting coastal winds. The wind speeds generally peak at 15 MPH. August is an outlier month since half of the data is not known via Climate Control. What it does show is that the winds come from the West and peaks at 10 MPH. Heading into Autumn the winds shift to the North and the East and begin to increase speed peaking at 25 MPH. Climate Control shows one day the winds hitting 40 MPH in December, this can be assumed due to a storm since it is one of the wet months of the year.

Wind Velocity For a better understanding of the wind of this area it is best to use the Beaufort Scale. This scale translates wind speed into environmental conditions. The Beaufort Scale ranges from 0 to 12. Zero being calm while 12 is a hurricane. For this area the lowest wind speed recorded is 5 MPH which translated on the scale is a light felt wind and causes the leaves to rustle. From there 10 MPH is a gentle breeze that causes constant movement of leaves. A moderate breeze is the 13-18 MPH range; this causes paper to need a paper weight and small branches are affected. 20 MPH is considered a fresh breeze where small trees, such as an olive or fig tree, begin to sway. The range that 20 MPH is accompanied with is at a level 5 on the scale. From there a level 6 is 25-31 MPH and is considered a strong breeze where umbrellas are not generally useful and large branches are being moved by the wind. The highest wind speed documented is 40 MPH which is a gale forced wind that causes cars to feel the affects and small branches to break.

153

Winter/Spring Sun Path

154

The sun charts are created as if there is a flagpole placed and the sun casts a shadow and that point at which the shadow falls is represented with a colored point on the chart. The blue represents temperatures that are outside of the comfort zone with cooler temperature and low humidity. The red represents the higher temperatures or higher humidity that goes above and outside of the comfort zone. The yellow are the times in which it falls within the comfort zone. The winter to spring months reveals that most of the time the sun is beginning to get higher in the sky and shifts from below the comfort zone towards the comfort zone.

Summer/Fall Sun Path On the other hand, the summer to fall months reveal that the sun is shifting from a higher altitude to a lower altitude as it heads into winter. It also shows that the sun is primarily above the comfort zone throughout the summer. Only after October does the sun enter the comfort zone more often rather than be above the comfort zone. Towards December it shifts to below the comfort zone.

155

Winter/Spring Sun Shading

156

A sun shading chart shows the suns location in the sky every 15 minutes represented by one of the dots. The dots location is based on the suns bearing angle, the azimuth, and the vertical location, the altitude, of the sun. Each dot is color coded based on the temperature. The red dots represent overheating conditions and above the comfort zone conditions. While the blue represents the opposite. They represent the cooler conditions and the lower comfort zone conditions. The yellow is comfortable conditions and within the comfort zone indicated by the psychrometric chart. The winter to spring months are the polar opposite of the summer to fall months. Majority of the time the sun is needed because the climate is below the comfort range. From March to April is when the sun enters the comfort zone for most of the time. April to June the sun starts to shift into the higher comfort zone level where shade is needed to protect from the sun.

Summer/Fall Sun Shading The summer to fall months show that much of the sun causes uncomfortable conditions. It also reveals that there is minimal comfort zone sun during the months of June and July. During the fall the comfort zone is primarily when the sun is closer to the horizon. During the month of December, the sun is needed to help warm the spaces up since it shows that during that month it is primarily out of the comfort range with cool conditions.

157

Standard Comfort Zone

158

The relative humidity for the year shows that overall it is generally an uncomfortable place to live. The comfort zone only consists of 11% of the days of the year. The rest reveal that it is too humid, too hot, or too cold. The human comfort zone is very specific. The temperature is generally between 68Ë&#x161;F and 72Ë&#x161;F, while the humidity is 20%-80%. This can be seen on the yearly psychrometric chart. October and November have slightly higher comfort levels, 16% for both. These months are transition months. October is coming from summer, while November is heading into the wintertime. October has some hot days with low humidity, but then there are days that are cooler than comfort with high humidity. November has more cooler days with high humidity. November tends to trend cooler since its closer to winter. The springtime has the highest comfort levels; 20% of April and 26% of May. The charts reveal that the springtime can be very humid but a cool temperature or less humid but warm. April is coming from winter, so it has lower temperature and higher humidity. While May is transitioning into the summer season with higher temperatures and higher humidity. But these days for both months allow for more comfortable days.

Strategic Comfort Zone Taking this information regarding the relative humidity and implementing certain design strategies creates a more comfortable space for people to exist within. The first step was to decide the hours of operation that the space would be used to help decide what the next design strategy steps were to be. The hours of operation were assumed to be 7 am to 10 pm. This would accommodate sunrise services and evening services. As well as account for Ramadan even meals after sunset. The design strategies chosen for this space was implementing high thermal mass where it flushes at night, the use of natural ventilation for cooling the spaces, internal heat gain, passive solar gain, dehumanization to respond to the humidity. As for active systems both heating and cooling were chosen to help create a more comfortable space. While cooling is being used it helps to dehumidify the space while heating helps to humidify the space when needed.

159

Rainfall And Elevation

160

Lebanon is part of the Mediterranean Basin, which experiences wet and rainy weather in the winter and summers with hot and dry weather. This climate is ideal for the flora that are found in Lebanon. Lebanon was once almost entirely covered with large coniferous forests; which spread from sea level, all the way up to the peaks of Lebanon’s mountains. These forests were where the Lebanon Cedar was found; this large tree became an icon of the region and is seen on Lebanon’s flag. Over the course of centuries of humans living in this region, Lebanon’s forests are no longer the size they once were; today Lebanon’s forests only cover 13% of the country, and there are few old Lebanon Cedars remaining. Recently there have been initiatives introduced by the Lebanese Environment Ministry to create protected zones for the forests and to regenerate the forests by planting two million trees each year until 2021.

Tree Species Distribution The Lebanese landscape is quite diverse, given the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small size; there are coastal plains, coniferous forests, deciduous forests, shrub lands, grasslands, rocky mountains, and dozens more. At higher altitudes, the vegetation mainly consists of hardy plants which prefer the dry, rocky soil; such as coniferous trees and shrubs. Low lying hills are not as harsh as a climate as the mountains, which allows for more variety of vegetation.

161

162

Tree Chart

Name & Species

Plant Type

Size

Thirstiness & Roots

Sunlight

Typical Ecosystems/ Bioclimates

Other Facts and Requirements

Cilician Fir Abies cilicia

Coniferous Tree

Up to 120’ Tall Up to 20’ Wide

Deep roots

Full sunlight

High altitudes, 2,600’-7,000’ Well-drained, rocky soils

Montpellier Maple Acer monspessulanum

Deciduous Tree

30’-50’ Tall

Drought tolerant

Full sunlight

Found on souther slopes, 2,000’-3,200’

Cretan Maple Acer sempervirens

Deciduous Tree

Up to 33’ Tall

Drought tolerant

Full sunlight

Found on well-drained hill sides

Heat tolerant

Lebanon Cedar Cedrus libani

Coniferous Tree

50’-130’ Tall 30’-80’ Wide

40”-60” of annual precipitation Deep growing roots, 30’:10’ root depth to height ratio

Full sunlight

Grows best at higher altitudes, 4,300’-9,800’ Well-drained, rocky soil on Northern and Western slopes

National symbol of Lebanon Only found on mountains around the Eastern Mediterranean

Judas Tree Cercis siliquastrum

Deciduous Tree

Up to 40’ Tall Up to 32’ Wide

Prefers moist soil

Full sunlight or partial shade

Rocky hillsides Moist but well-drained soil

Has bright pink flowers which bloom in spring

Mediterranean Cypress Coniferous Tree Cupressus sempervirens

Up to 115’ Tall

Prefers wet winters Deep roots

Full sunlight

Grows well in dry mountainous areas Can grow in poor soil conditions

Can grow to be over 1,000 years old

Syrian Juniper Juniperus drupacea

Coniferous Tree

30’-130’ Tall

Greek Juniper Juniperus excelsa

Coniferous Tree

20’-80’ Tall

Found in mountainous rocky areas, 2,600’-5,600’ Deep roots

Full sunlight

Found in mountainous areas Indifferent to soil type, but prefers well-drained soil

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164

Tree Chart

Name & Species

Plant Type

Size

Thirstiness & Roots

Sunlight

Typical Ecosystems/ Bioclimates

Other Facts and Requirements

Stinking Juniper Juniperus foetidissima

Coniferous Tree

20’-80’ Tall

Deep Roots Likes dry soil

Can grow in the shade

Found in costal and mountainous areas Grows well on dry, rocky, well-drained, gravel slopes

When crushed, the tree’s foliage smells bad

Lebanese Wild Apple Malus trilobata

Deciduous Tree

Up to 50’ Tall Up to 25’ Wide

Prefers moist soil

Full sunlight or partial shade

Hills, 3,300’-4,900’ Moist but well-drained soil

Leaves change to red and deep purple in the fall Has white flowers and yellow fruit during April and May

Turkish Pine Pinus brutia

Coniferous Tree

60’-115’ Tall

Drought tolerant Deep roots

Grows at lower altitudes, 0’-2,000’ Can grow in a variety of ecosystems

Commonly used for paper production Seeds are used to make pastries Cones are fire resistant and can grow in burnt areas

Aleppo Pine Pinus halepensis

Coniferous Tree

50’-85’ Tall

Drought resistant Deep roots

Full sunlight

Grows well in a majority Grow well in hot areas, of the bioclimates especially when around the exposed to forest fires Mediterranean Grows in lower altitudes, 0’-660’

Austrian Pine Pinus nigra

Coniferous Tree

60’-180’ Tall 20’-40’ Wide

Drought resistant Deep roots

Must be in direct sunlight Intolerant to shade

Grows at lower altitudes, 0’-6,600’

Mount Tabor Oak Quercus ithaburensis

Deciduous Tree

Up to 50’ Tall

Lebanon Oak Quercus libani

Deciduous Tree

Up to 26’ Tall

Styrax officinale

Deciduous Shrub

6’-16’ Tall

Wind, cold, and draught resistant Great for slowing soil erosion

Found in lowland hills, 0’-1,600’ Drought tolerant

Full sunlight or semi shaded

Indifferent to soil type

Grows in wooded areas and on dry rocky slopes

Can withstand strond winds Can not survive in salty maritime climates

165

Site Vegetation

166

The vegetation on the University of Balamand campus for the most part consists of small and medium sized plants. The site for this project is filled with small shrub like oak trees, which vary in density. A long grove of olive trees separates the oaks from the housing to the East of the site. The olive grove is distinguishable from the oak trees based on the artificial arrangement of the trees.

Olive Groves

High Density Growth

Low Density Growth

167

Route To Homs, Syria

168

University of Balamand to Damascus, Syria - 3hr 2mins, 184km or 114.3mi, via Coastal Highway/Route 51M to Beirut - Damascus International Highway/Route 30M in Mount Lebanon Governorate Homs is another large city to the north of the University of Balamand. It is a landmark of reasonable size to include but has been recently destroyed due to the Syrian Civil War.

Route To Damascus, Syria University of Balamand to Damascus, Syria - 3hr 2mins, 184km or 114.3mi, via Coastal Highway/Route 51M to Beirut - Damascus International Highway/Route 30M in Mount Lebanon Governorate Damascus is the capital city of Syria and is the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main economic and cultural backbone. It has the largest population and is known for its deep history, architecture, and cuisine.

169

170

National Maps

171

172

Appendix 3

173

Initial Ideas With the given site located on the hill of the University. I began to figure out what qualities each part of the site offered. I was intrigued by the densely vegetated areas, filled with Oak and olive trees. I found all of the rock walls and boulders emerging from the hillside to be interesting and decided to use the boulders as a design concept. To help with how I placed my building on this site, I researched the traditions of Islam. Anyone who practices Islam, must pray 5 times a day, during these prayers they must orient themselves towards Mecca. This direction towards Mecca is called the Qibla. One way to calculate the Qibla is to look at where the sun is in the sky when it is noon at Mecca on certain days of the year; one of those days is July 16th. By figuring out the azimuth of the sun when it is directly over Mecca I could find the Qibla direction. At this site, Mecca is directly 18 degrees east of direct South. To guide my design for this project I studied and analyzed the House without Qualities by Oswald Mathias Ungers. This was to demonstrate how the design principles used in one project can be used again and a different project, regardless of the building typology, scale, or location. By the end of this design process, I had learned much about my own tendencies while designing and ways to improve. The program that I used for this assignment required a spiritual space of 1,500 square feet, a social space of 1,200 square feet, and many smaller spaces, such as a kitchen, administrative offices, storage, an ablution room, and a lobby. After looking through the program requirements, I decided to increase the size of the social space to match that of the spiritual space, and add a student lounge to the program as well.

North

West

East

Mecca PROGRAM Zone

Program

Accessory Storage Areas

Social Space Storage Spiritual Space Storage

Assembly w/o fixed seats (standing)

Area (net)

Quantity

Total Area (net) Total Area (gross) Type Ca

250 250

1 1

250 250

350 350

S S

Social Space Spiritual Space

1200 1500

1 1

1200 1500

A-3 A-3

Assembly w/o fixed seats (unconcentrated)

Ablution Room Lobby

300 300

1 1

300 300

A-3 A-3

Business

Administration Offices Work Rooms

600 300

1 3

600 900

840 1260

B B

Kitchen, commercial

Kitchen

400

560

A-2

2000

Total

174

Assembly w/o seating (unconcetrated) Secondary Total

Outdoor Social Space

A-3

175

Geometry Experiments

176

177