Bassil Residence
IGA Role: Architecture and Landscape Design
Location: Batroun, Lebanon
At the first glance the design of Bassil rural house may look too “simplified”. Yet this reduction to the essence allowed the owner to build his house in his own hands, with modest means due to the optimized cost efficiency strategy.
The sustainable approach focused primarily on:
- Making use of an existing cellar and integrating it as a winter reception/room in the house.
- Minimizing the soil disturbance through a reduced footprint and localized hand excavation for the structure in addition to an integration respectful of the site terraces and slope.
- Extracting the stones for the cladding of the ground floor elevations from the site itself. A way to add to the local architectural heritage and preserve its identity.
- Positioning the house and locating the openings to benefit from the views, the sun and a good ventilation; consequently reducing the reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
- Collecting the rain water of the roof, the terrace and the car park into an old existing well for the irrigation of vegetables in the backyard.
- Preserving the local vegetation and adding to it from the list of native edible species.
