Beib El Chouf

Beib el Chouf is the first autonomous culture center in the world. Located in the valleys of the Chouf between the villages of Bsheftin and Kfarfakoud. This center will be used to promote and educate practical sustainable solutions in Lebanon.

The first floor is designed as an open floor-plan with a cafeteria & space to host seminars, lectures, or different kinds of art performance. The second floor consist of two separate vaulted rooms that are connected with an outdoor terrace.

The design is inspired by traditional Lebanese architecture from the Chouf district. This cultural center is a self-operating building that is capable of generating its own electricity, processing its own sewage, producing its own water, growing food, and maintaining comfortable temperatures naturally without relying on infrastructural support services.

This building operates without producing any carbon emissions and it is built mostly out of natural & repurposed materials. It is the profound combination of ancient and modern building techniques that makes this building operate completely self-sufficient.

This project has been recognized by the UN-Habitat as one of the twenty top innovative solutions in contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda.