My Architectural Projects at a Glance (2) | Best of Architech Studios

My first project in this second prepared list is a Housing and Commercial, located in the caza of Al-Koura, Tripoli side. I will publish for the first time, the ground floor being the commercial area. in direct contact with the main road, and the current floor (2 repetitive housing floors) related to the project.

The project conception was hard to conceive in the first place.

The four elevations of the building: a mixture of modern and classic styles together

Why is that? The next lines will give you answers;

The first force majeure if we can say was the lot itself, where the obligated percentage of the superficial area of exploitation permitted within this zoning area is reduced to its minimal value for only 30% of the total lot area. In other terms, the area to be built is only limited to 30% of the total superficial area, according to the zone system.

In that case, for instance, let us assume that we have around 3717 sqm for the assigned lot area; the previously given condition will limit our project area to not exceed 30% of the 3717 sqm, as to be inferior or equal to the approximate value of 1115.1 sqm.

But as we can see in the figure below, the lot's perimeter is far from being a regular shape which is not a helping factor at all. Therefore, and as the principal access to the lot is limited by the main road located on the west, the only part of the Lot that is the most preferable to implant our project is the portion settled along that road.

The site plan shows the irregular shape of lot #123, published as it is from the permit folder documents for information purposes

The inconvenience of this restriction is not being able to benefit from the rest of the lot convenably and properly unless to use it as parking for the cars related to our project. As for the second constraint or as we called it previously force majeure, it is the project itself; as the owner has required a minimum of 3 apartments per floor with an acceptable area for each unit.

The truth being said, it was very hard to ensure all those conditions with the given data (lot's area, plus the required apartment spaces)

... and the work started in conjunction with the challenge of delivering a nice and successful project that will last in mind for both its architectural and functional goals. I worked first on assuring the minimal area for living comfortably within a small space, which means every single centimeter has been used convertibly, reducing the wasted space to its insignificant value as much as possible.

The current housing floor features 3 apartments per 1 floor, Photo: Furnished plan from the Brochure

The commercial Ground Floor features 6 variable stores in areas for miscellaneous usage, Photo from the Brochure

Anyway, words cannot describe what I am trying to say here, because the related drawings shown above will perfectly do the task. However, the result is as agreed: 3 units per floor, which varies in space according to each individual needs;

Whether a newlywed couple, a small or big family they'll surely find their appropriate space in there. In addition to its location, it is near the most famous educational facilities in town (such as the International School (IS) and the Chouwaifat School... etc.)

Here is the advertisement note extracted from the brochure I composed and designed myself:

• A Luxurious Design. The CLARA Center residential project in Deddeh _123, benefits from the calm of the province and the chaos of the city. Its good location makes it ideal for a nice and healthy living. The project is surrounded by olive trees, middling Al-Koura's famous Olive Plain. Divided into three level floors; The ground is reserved for trading with various storage space choices with an average of 40 sqm each; The two other levels are for residency. Each floor contains three different units in variable areas (between 110 and 166 sqm). The Ground Level apartment (App. A) benefits from an outdoor extension of 92 sqm that can be either a garden or an open terrace. On the other levels, the choice can be made between the following: two or three bedrooms, large living rooms, a kitchen, and a storage room, which can be a maid's room. Each apartment benefits from large balconies with an adorable view, never-to-be-obstructed, over the mountains, and the new cathedral construction, nearby. Its modern architectural concept makes it the right choice for a Better Modern Living!

The average available apartment areas are 165, 130, and 110 sqm.

Likely, you will admire the outside of the building with its natural stone cladding in selected areas together with wide painted walls, breaking the monotony created sometimes by the repetition of stone regularly. The colors also were finely selected to match the surroundings.

Concerning the red tiles roofing, in addition to being an obligation according to the zoning rules, it enhanced the intimacy and the unity of the whole concept of the building.

View1 from the main road featuring the car ramp to the basement, rendered with mental ray, © 2015 Archi- Tech+ Studios

View2 from above the main road, rendered with mental ray, © 2015 Archi- Tech+ Studios

123, Deddeh-Koura Project ID

• Area_Built: The area built as per Permit Folder equals 404 sqm per floor→ which makes a total area of around 1950 sqm.
• Type of Construction: Housing, Commercial
• Location: 123- Deddeh, Koura- Lebanon
• Architectural Style Used in the Construction: Classic to Modern Design Conception
• Documents Submitted: Permit Folder which includes all the mandatory documents (All levels floors, 2 sections, 4 elevations*, mass plan, sewer water treatment layout)

(*) The 4 elevations are required in case of usage limitation of external natural stone cladding otherwise two are optional. In our case, the minimum amount required is 60% of the total surface of the elevation.

• Additional Documents: Complete Brochure ready to print (Inner and Outer Covers), 3 Rendered plan layouts (Photoshop presentation) + 2 Rendered views with Mental ray
• Issue_Date: June 2015
• Owner_Name: Mr. and Mrs. Wassim Semaan
• Issuer: Wassim Semaan, Civil Engineer | Nadim Maani, Architect
• Cost: As per Syndicate Pricing per sqm.
• Status: Progressing, Executed