Jiyeh Villa

This house is situated on the coastal beachtown of Jiyeh, south from Beirut. It can be described as an arrangement of four volumes, which are layered in a way to create a rhythmic composition. The alternating elements further invite the landscape to filter into the house, creating private courtyards for the residents. Each one of the four volumes functions separately, while their overall composition creates transitions between the public and private spaces of the project.

The sloping topography of the site invited the creation of cantilevered platforms over rectangular box shapes. The sloping landscape was playfully manipulated to embrace the villa, offering privacy from the neighboring buildings, as well as allowing access to the cantilevering terrace. The accessible terrace platform is a projection of the landscape beneath it. A thick, yet porous, U-shaped wall wraps around the land opening the view towards the sea. The façade of the building that looks onto the sea is completely transparent, while the side facades only provide glimpses of the exterior through perforations in the walls that recall traditional architecture in hot climates.