Aamchit Courtowers

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

AAMCHIT COURTOWERS

Hashim Sarkis

ARCHITECTS
Hashim Sarkis

LOCATION
Lebanon

CATEGORY
Houses

MANUFACTURERS
Vitrocsa, Bega, Duravit, Fiandre

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Polygon, sal.

AREA
1392.0 m2

PROJECT YEAR
2016

STRUCTURE
Rudolphe Mattar

MECHANICAL
Roger Kazopoulo

ELECTRICAL
Roger Njeim Horticulture: Exotica

TEAM
Hashim Sarkis, Boulos Douaihy, Rola Idris, Sandra Frem, Wissam Chaaya, Samir Bitar, Pablo Roquero, Cynthia Gunadi, Penn Ruderman, Christopher Johnson, Charif Tabet, Helena Briones

Text description provided by architect.

The project consists of four single-family houses on the coast of Aamchit, Lebanon as well as the rehabilitation of the existing landscape and old houses.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

The site slopes west towards the Mediterranean, its angle allowing for embedding the houses in the landscape in such a way that the front is open to the view and breeze whereas the other sides of the house are protected by earth.

Each house consists of a double-layer wall that retains the earth from the east and slopes with the land north and south.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

The framing/retaining wall is doubled to create insulation and service passage against the soil’s humidity and to draw in cool air into the house.

The double perimeter wall also works as a structure and is used for all the services of the house, leaving the ground floor open.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

A courtyard is inserted in the back to enhance cross ventilation and create a microclimate in the extreme days of summer and winter.

A tower that houses the bedrooms is placed at the southeastern side of the courtyard to provide shading. It works like a chimney to release the heat from the courtyard and the bedrooms.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

The stair and bathrooms are located at the east and south side to provide a thermal mass against the summer heat while the northwest corner is completely clear of the structure, turning the bedrooms into balconies when the windows are open.

The combination of the courtyard and tower produces a new house typology that is used with degrees of variation on the site as the development grows around its common facilities and the sea.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

LANDSCAPE

The general landscape strategy consists of creating a xeriscape that sets a transition from the ‘beach’ to the ‘mountain’.

This is mainly achieved by the ground covering and associated plants and trees (ferns, weeds, flowers, and olives). Along with the ground covering design, the site plan revives the old eucalyptus road as a pedestrian spine for the new houses.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis

Relying on a cut and fill strategy that preserves all the fill on-site, the houses are placed in such a way as not to block each other by lifting the back houses on fill.

Emphasizing the path network, shrubs are planted to enhance the experience of approaching the sea.

Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis


Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis
Aamchit Courtowers
© Hashim Sarkis


Aamchit Courtowers
Section
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Section
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Section


Aamchit Courtowers
Axonometric
Aamchit Courtowers
Axonometric
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Axonometric


Aamchit Courtowers
Plan 4
Aamchit Courtowers
Plan 3
Aamchit Courtowers
Plan 2
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Plan 1
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Plan 0
Aamchit Courtowers
Elevations


Aamchit Courtowers
Detail
Aamchit Courtowers
Elevations
Aamchit Courtowers
Gif
Aamchit Courtowers
Detail


Aamchit Courtowers
Site Plan

Aamchit Courtowers
Diagram