Projeler/Projects: Akoura
spaces for living during the six months of temperate weather found in this
climate. Climate in this area has in this way dramatically affected the shape
of architecture. Buildings open to the exterior, embracing nature and the
vista, the wind in the summer, sunlight in the winter, is the meaningful
rationale behind this architecture.
In the SC House all these principals are applied in a subtle yet direct way
in the houses’ plan. There is the central courtyard with a canopy to protect
from the sunlight during the day but open to the wind and sky at night. In
the plan, spaces for living and rest are set on either side of this courtyard
towards the view while functional spaces such as the entrance, guest
bathrooms and bar are set back towards landside. These two arms of the
plan are divided in section on two distinct levels with bedrooms and these
living spaces distinct from each other.
The SC House reflects Tohme’s interest in reinterpreting programs and materials.
In this case the dramatic and unique location on a steep escarpment presents
an opportunity to reinterpret the setting in the mountains of Lebanon in a
contemporary version of traditional vernacular prototypes. The resulting spare
and direct engagement with the landscape is closely aligned with Tohme’s
goals of using the context in a straightforward and honest way. For Tohme, the
harsh, rugged mountains are the foil to the SC House’s rigid lines as much as
the traditions of Lebanese domestic architecture.
46 NATURA • MAYIS-HAZİRAN / MAY-JUNE 2012