My Architecture Projects at a Glance (3) | Best of Architech Studios


Important Disclaimer

The main purpose of publishing those kinds of projects is only informative and instructive. Because of the huge lack of references, notably in the Arab region that limits especially the Architecture academic students from doing their research, I hope these posts will bring some help where needed.

Furthermore, because of some old mentality that forbids their owners from bringing their projects to light due to their possession of the copyright of the material in question, as they said, in which I have serious doubts...

Finally, I hope that the general concept of the following projects will stay respected for its minimal levels; I hereby ban all kinds of copying and cloning, just for the general benefit, and as our Lord told us: "If you want to help someone teach him how to fish and don't give him a fish for just one meal instead".

Architecture, Projects Reviews, Architecture in Lebanon, Traditional Lebanese Architecture, Koura, Housing Projects, Private Residences, Villas in Koura, Duplex in Lebanon, Permit Folder, Execution Drawings, Official Documents, Personal Portfolio, Commercial Projects, Modern Style, Classic Style, Public Buildings
The best of my Projects, Photo-Pin: 101ArchiTech © 2020,
All rights reserved


I only allow the beneficial and positive inspiration of my designs in a way that leads at the end to a personal conception, which is my aim in posting this article and others in the series.


If you need further information and advice, I am ready to help!
Drop me a line at my e-mail address: info@101architechprojectsandblogs.com
or message me on my WhatsApp at +961 3 577506

The following projects have been sorted randomly, and for information purposes only, and they are Copyrighted Materials as well.

So please consider Inspiring not just Cloning!

The Partially-Designed Projects (Architectural Works)

As I did explain in my previous posts, my projects are sorted into two categories, and in this post, I will be reviewing the partially-designed ones.

To be more clear, the partial work provided could be a study for the elevations, concerning the materials to be used or for architectural purposes or simply full editing or modification of a certain project part already in an execution stage or else, but for some reasons, the owner required to modify it the best way possible.

Likely, the partial work needed can be a set of rendered views or a commercial brochure usually to promote a housing project or whatever else.

Moreover, the client who requires this kind of work can be either a not-into-the-industry client or simply a colleague in need of help.

To be honest, and it goes without saying I think, that working with a colleague (i.e. being an engineer or an architect) is much easier to communicate with than other kinds of clients, even the contractors, with few exceptions though. In fact, a contractor license doesn't need to have a special educational program background or else, but just an actual and relevant budget to invest in the hardware needed for this kind of work.



Actually, there is no harder than dealing with a client that doesn't understand what a drawing featuring a plan/top view or a section means. And I am not blaming the client here of course! It is just a way to describe the hardness of such a situation where you are in the middle of something and in need of just a method and unable to make your ideas clearer and understandable to others...

Anyway, I always find a way out of a condition like this with the proper and the simplest approach available that lets my client always be convinced of the solution and the results I provide.
Read more: Have a look at my two posts My Projects at a Glance (1) | Best of Architech Studios and My Projects at a Glance (2) | Best of Architech Studios, as it is the first and second parts of the series: The Best of Architech Studios.

After this foreword, let us enter the best projects my office/agency partially contributed to the design, but because there are so many, I will choose only the best and the most convenient ones to shorten my list as much as possible.


— Project No. 1

I was given the following plan layout (shown in Fig. 1 below) related to a current floor plan of a housing + commercial building. Even though the construction was almost finished at the time, the client still wasn't completely satisfied with the result, and it is clear why!

Let us make a brief critique of Fig. 1 and what is inside: As we can see and notice in the first place, the terrible balcony extends all over the floor plan, along with the facade covering the two conjoined apartments.

We can imagine the sort of facade that will result from such a bad plan layout: it is similar to a plant or school corridor or narrow pathway that leads to different succeeding rooms that stack before each other in a boring way. (see fig.2 below)


Not surprising at all, because a Civil engineer cannot replace an Architect in his work, and the contrary goes also; A popular mistake that we are still suffering from in our Arab region in general.

Of course, the designer didn't forget to put the separation between the two apartments, but apparently, he ignored all that is related to a good architectural conception.


Concept,Architecture in Lebanon,Architecture,Design 101,Conception,Koura District,Mental ray Rendering,AutoCAD 2D,Reviews and Places to Visit,Traditional Lebanese Architecture,
Fig.1- The original layout of the current floor before being modified later, Photo Source: 101ArchiTech Archive

Concept,Architecture in Lebanon,Architecture,Design 101,Conception,Koura District,Mental ray Rendering,AutoCAD 2D,Reviews and Places to Visit,Traditional Lebanese Architecture,
Fig.2- The initial conception of the project: a total ignorance of the simplest and primitive regulations for managing an elevation the right way, and I apologize for this piece of crap!

The mission that I was entrusted with consisted of somehow rehabilitation of the plan layout in a way to kill that feeling of entering a long pathway that traverses the apartment from its entrance to the last of the rooms that stack like classrooms along both sides.

And then later, going through with a re-creation of the elevations on a new basis that reflects the new interior concept.
It goes without saying that it wasn't a piece of cake at all!

Because many of the circumstances came along: starting with, the existing structure, means we have the columns already fixed on the construction field which means a big limitation in editing the layout.
Anyway, I did settle on a strategy to follow at this point and I did succeed, I think;



First I have to and before proceeding with anything else, reduce the space occupied by the entrance with its corridor shape and eliminate the wasted space that was a direct result of this big mistake.
Next, and after resolving this first issue comes the process of regulating or fixing the architectural functionality of the project which is clearly shown in the wrong location of the guest toilet.
Then, I have to re-manage the space into two smaller pathways as follows:
  • The effective Entrance Area should be very distinguished from the other area that leads to the bedroom or the private area in the home. (Area 1)
  • The transfer Area to the bedrooms' privacy. This area can feature built-in closets needed for storing various household linens and other useful stuff, therefore limiting the wasted spaces in general. (Area 2)
And after many trials and attempts, here we go with the most realistic solution ever, regarding the previously cited constraints (see Fig. 3 below):
Concept, Architecture in Lebanon, Architecture, Design 101, Conception, Koura District, Mental ray Rendering, AutoCAD 2D, Reviews and Places to Visit, Traditional Lebanese Architecture
Fig.3- The proposed layout plan with the necessary modification, Photo Source: 101ArchiTech Archive

As you can see, the general layout is now more flexible and functional than before; The huge and unnecessary long balcony is divided into smaller balconies with full respect for the privacy of each apartment which is a must: you can now access the bedrooms' balcony without getting worried from being monetized from the reception area.

That is the first benefit revealed and gained from the owner which was totally understandable for the fact described above.

We still have the second part of the mission which is the exterior elevations. Since we did solve the plan layout and almost all its issues, all the remaining tasks will be automatically fixed; A method that I always follow based on a good design must commence from the inside and then reach the outside.


Concept, Architecture in Lebanon, Architecture, Design 101, Conception, Koura District, Mental ray Rendering, AutoCAD 2D, Reviews and Places to Visit, Traditional Lebanese Architecture
Fig.4- The final conception rendered with the mental ray engine, Photo: 101ArchiTech Archive. All rights reserved © 2013

As it is shown the result is worth it, in comparison to the initial design; a truth confirmed and approved by another colleague-architect as well, who had accompanied the owner since our first meeting.
And the truth has been told, he was difficult to convince as much as the client himself, which doubled the challenge to reach its limits and beyond.

And you, my valuable readers? What do you think about the solution presented hereby?
Is it worth it or not?
Please let me know by commenting below, or emailing me at info@101architechprojectsandblogs.com
Your comments are always welcome.

The view has been used as a billboard panel to promote the project.

— Project No. 2

The next selected project in the review was compounded from four blocks, similar to each other: All I had to do is to model just one of them and then clone the others along in a straight line. A housing project and commercial retail at the ground level, this resort was somehow a first of its kind in its geographic location, where there are some restrictions for using material and architectural conception as well. It is located in the Northern Governorate of Lebanon, in Meriyata town.

As you can notice, the constraints were already here! Difficulties in adopting the relevant architectural treatment for the elevations and a big challenge to face within an environment that restrict the glazes openings and allows privacy in all its communities' activities.


I was asked to generate a facade treatment solution that includes the different materials to be used including colors, etc... etc (see Fig. 5 below)

Concept, Architecture in Lebanon, Architecture, Design 101, Conception, Mental ray Rendering, AutoCAD 2D, Reviews and Places to Visit
Fig.5- The complex in a general view starting the street below, Photo: 101ArchiTech Archive, All rights reserved © 2013

The materials were selected according to the local environment: 
Such as the Hammered Natural Stone Cladding type and color as Kour (the type name was derived from a region recognized for its containment and extraction of natural rocks especially noted for its natural and original color)

Fig.6- The Tinol Color Palette Catalog

Another wall stone cladding is to be used on the external parts of the building. The concept of this treatment takes into consideration the vitality of such a resort that includes all types of entertainment and services.


Therefore the usage of proper colors was a primary factor from the beginning, in addition to the element itself. Just for reference, I did use the emulsion Standard paints from "Tinol Paints" as listed below:

- Peach #66 for the running flower-beds
- White #00 for the balconies walls
- Maroon #61 for the external sidewalls and main balcony walls

I don't like using a lot of colors mixed together, but just somehow attractive or eye-captive to bring attention to the viewer. Here #66 did the role well and just in particular elements of the facade, while #00 was a stabilizer for the whole scene.

— Project No. 3

What's next, will be as much as short as possible, for two reasons:
1- Lack of information concerning some of those projects
2- Not want to make this post longer than it needs.

ENJOYED THIS POST? NEVER MISS OUT ON FUTURE POSTS BY FOLLOWING US

So, I will post some photos related to the projects with a short caption describing their content and some informative data. This one is a decoration study for a private residence. It includes a perspective view of every room in the house, including the toilet.

The project includes two views for the dining room, two views for the reception area, one view for the entrance lobby, one view for the guest toilet, one view for the living room, and one other view for every bedroom.

Images Grid Collection of the Project

Private Duplex Residential in Koura


— Project No. 4

Another Housing project in Koura, with two apartments by floor.
In the intention of promoting a certain project for sale, the ideal method is to bring it to life even if not yet exist.

And the better way to do so for the client to visualize his model for the future project-to-be is to provide him a full detailed brochure of his project: This is the most enjoyable thing that can be done ever for him as an owner of this project!

View 1 from behind, valley side

View 2 from the roadside

View 3 from the roadside

— Project No. 5

Same as the project above, but this one was about interior rendered views for an extension-to-be for a private residence;
The owner had in mind to extend his actual villa with a metallic cover pool annexed with locker rooms, sauna, and gym room with its belongings.
The design was already done on soft copy (i.e. AutoCAD) but it needs to visualize its best views as is shown below...

View from the new dining room added to the existing extension

View from the patio outside the extension

View from the inside of the newly added extension block which includes the metal-covered pool and the related rooms

Copyrighted Content

All pictures and photos present inside this post are copyrighted materials and belong to its creator: The 101architechprojectsandblogs.com blog site and owner Nadim Maani, Architects © 2020.
As well it belongs to the projects' owners respectively.
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