Located in Channiir in the Mount Lebanon district, CH730 Villa is set on a mountainside, with its stepped plan facing north and access located to the south, at the top of the slope. The site is challenging, to say the least, with a sharp incline that makes it difficult to build anything in a conventional way. But the views make it all worthwhile, taking in the valley of Channiir below. The steepness of the incline inspired the architects to come up with a design that puts the focus on those views — and they had to do it all on a budget.

The firm explains: “The basic conceptual idea behind this project was to build a home with three main objectives: achieving a good adaptation in the overall streetscape, inserting the building into the topography of the original terrain, and implanting the client program: the result, conserving the environment with a potential of altering different views. DAZ regards each project as a unique opportunity to create tailor-made solutions and designs.”

“The team’s thorough attention to detail, finishes, and materials allows us to create harmonious projects. Thus, the idea of the house is based on placing a monolithic concrete structure on a black glass platform following the cliff overlooking the spectacular view of the 500-meter hillsides between it and an old river. This parallelepiped module follows the direction and the angle of the cliff so that the house appears to be naturally encrusted into the hillside.”

The DAZ team adds: “The architectural design is kept basic in form, allowing the architecture to shine through its shape and facade details. Geometric forms and contemporary details translate the simplistic and monolithic overall of the design. The volume’s composition results from the rotation of the upper part of the volume on an axis following the natural slope or topography, while the lower part maintains its horizontality, especially towards the side of the slope. DAZ transformed a simple rectangular volume into a better and improved shape that answers all the site’s requirements and obstacles.”

The architects see the monolithic qualities of the volumes and their gray cladding as visual references to massive, solid boulders and mountains, as softened by the use of wood cladding. Inside, the effect is a little cozier. Two of the home’s four levels project out from the slope, while the other two are built into the hill, “forming a support to the parallelepiped module.” Measuring about 6,100 square feet, it’s organized to offer seamless circulation in both horizontal and vertical directions.

In this case, you could interpret “ground floor” in a number of different ways, but the architects define it as the point from which you enter, at the top of the slope. These spaces hold the living and dining areas, kitchen, and other communal areas, while the next level houses the master bedrooms, children’s bedrooms, and a second family living room. Below that is a level housing a TV room, entertainment room, guest bedroom, and additional living room, while the lowest level is a basement from which the infinity pool and outdoor terrace can be accessed.

The design is quirky, to say the least. All of the different window shapes give it a bit of an eclectic look, and the portion of the house that appears to be leaning from the outside is purely decorative, ultimately blocking some of those desirable views — but it’s definitely an eye-catcher!

The post Quirky Cliffside House Looks Like It’s Tumbling Down a Hill first appeared on Dornob.

“AB Workspace” is the firm’s own mobile office, designed to act as both a demonstration of their abilities and a practical space that’s accessible to three key Lebanese districts. Its rural location makes it easy to travel back and forth, and also gives it a certain level of exposure it might not have in a crowded urban setting.

The brand new studio, led by interior architect Ali Bazzi, specializes in a range of practices: architecture, interior architecture, design, landscaping, scenography, 3D visualization, set design, furniture design, and product design. You can see examples of just about all of these in the tiny 237-square-foot cabin.

Set against a backdrop of mountains and sky, the workspace has a decidedly theatrical flair. Upon entering, visitors find black and white interiors full of dynamic lines like triangular windows that make the space feel larger than it really is. The firm’s own lighting, furniture, and other details, including a metallic desk, add up to a cohesive representation of its signature aesthetics. A ladder leads to the rooftop terrace, offering spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

But part of what makes the AB Workspace great is the fact that it doesn’t just feel like a showroom. It’s functional, it’s eye-catching, and it stands as a cool example of the tiny office trend in its own unique way.

Designed to be self-contained, the workspace includes its own rainwater collection and storage on the roof, and it’s powered entirely by solar panels. It’s also partially prefabricated and sized to be easily picked up and transported to a new location, if the firm should ever want to move it. Completed in 2018, the workspace takes full advantage of its location without being restricted by it.

The AB team explains: “This new cabin has been a totally new challenge for us at AB architects as it was all about achieving our vision, creating an innovative workspace that connects us with our diverse client base with all possible luxury, and invit[ing] people to experience good design as an investment to evolve along with our work culture.”

AB Workspace is also part of a larger trend toward small mobile workspaces, whether they’re built by and for architects or commissioned for personal use. Some, like this one, are semi-permanent, installed at a certain location with the possibility of moving elsewhere in the future. Others are truly portable, perhaps housed in campers, vans, or trailers so their owners can decide where they want to work on any given day and make it happen.

Is that living the dream or what?

The post Modern Mobile Workspace Shows Off AB Architects’ Chops first appeared on Dornob.

Seemingly the kind of fantasy project that looks beautiful in renderings but is destined to remain unbuilt forever, the dramatic ultramodern cliffside home ‘Casa Brutale’ by OPA is actually set to be constructed in Lebanon. The Netherlands- and Greece-based architecture firm announced that they have chosen a building site for their cutting-edge project on Faqra Mountain outside Beirut, at an altitude of 5,250 feet. Originally envisioned as looking out onto the Aegean Sea, it will now take in views of the mountainous countryside.

When the concept images of the luxury cliffside home were first released, critics questioned whether it was even feasible to build such a structure, which requires excavation into the mountain to make the roof of the home level with the road that leads up to it. Essentially subterranean yet also looking down from an elevated perch, the home is a contradiction requiring quite a feat of engineering, encased within the rocky earth with its all-glass face looking out.

The literal crowning jewel of the structure is a rooftop swimming pool with a glass bottom, acting as a giant skylight for the entire home and casting watery reflections all over the interior spaces. The floor-to-ceiling glass covering the entire cliff-facing facade brings in additional sunlight, not to mention those incredible views.

The architects also expanded the size so the home can accommodate up to six residents, and added an underground garage for up to three vehicles. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms are tucked into the mezzanine level, with a third bedroom & bathroom downstairs. Not only are swimmers on display as they enjoy the pool, they can look right down onto the beds on the upper floor.

The simplicity of the cast concrete walls and floors puts the focus on the lines and form of the house as a whole. Horizontal lines on the walls, along with the support beams beneath the pool, draw the eye right out the glazed facade. The James Bond-esque home will cost an estimated $2.5 million to build, which seems like a bargain given its uniqueness.

The post Jaw-Dropping Cliffside Home ‘Casa Brutale’ to be Built in Lebanon first appeared on Dornob.