LEBANESE UNIVERSITY Department of Architecture: 1st Year (AL2)

Faculty of Fine-Arts and Architecture Architecture Design Studio

Branch 4 – Deir El Qamar Project No: 5 - PHASE1

HOUSES BY FAMOUS ARCHITECTS

“I don’t think that architecture is only about shelter…

It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think.”
Zaha Hadid
British-Iraqi architect

The Project:

The Project consists of studying a house designed by a famous architect, which have marked the
history of architecture.
The analysis should consider the historical context in which this architect evolved and the
architectural aspects of the chosen house (volume, plans, elevations, structure, etc.)

Each student will pick one of the famous architect, from the below proposed list and he will choose
two houses of his works to work on.

STEP 1: Study of the historical context

1-Biography of the architect, lived Period, training places, master architects influenced by.
2- Political conditions experienced by the architect: current regime, political orientation.
3- Economic conditions experienced by the architect: economic regime, standard of living.
4- Cultural conditions lived by the architect: social mores…
5- Artistic movement of the period, especially in painting and sculpture.
6- Technical progress known at the time.
7- Possible works of the architect other than architectural

STEP 2: Analysis of the model House

A- Implantation analysis according to the criteria of:

o Land use
o Gross Floor Area – GFA
o Nature and shape of the land
o Orientation
o Access
o Visibility of the house
o Views direction compared to interior spaces

B- Plan analysis according to the criteria of:

o Program and Areas
o Organigramme
o Days /Nights spaces
o Dry /Wet spaces
 o Vertical / Horizontal circulation
o Relation Indoor / outdoor
o Hierarchy of spaces

C- Interior Atmospheres analysis according to the criteria of:

o Colors
o Natural /Artificial lights
o Furniture Layout
o Furniture designed by the architect

D- Volume analysis according to the criteria of:

o Volume, Mass, Spaces
o Proportions between the masses composing the volume
o Axis of composition
o Balance between the masses composing the volume
o Textures

E- Elevation analysis according to the criteria of:

o Openings Positions
o Mass/Void ratio with percentage
o Grid, Composition and Rhythm
o Construction materials

SYNTHESIS:
The synthesis will have to reveal the principles which generated the architectural work.
Deduce the architect methodology and philosophy

Famous Architects List:

1- Ricardo Legorreta (Mexican architect)
2- Rafael Aranda (Spanish architect)
3- Nabil Gholam (Lebanese architect)
4- Sergio Sampaio Arquitetura (Brazilian architect)
5- Tadao Ando (Japanese architect)
6- Kazuyo Sejima (Japanese architect)
7- Alberto Kalach (Mexican architect)
8- ODDO Architects (Firm in Vietnam)

Presentation requirements:
- Architect Presentation (Biography, Influences, Works…)
- House Project 1 Analysis - (as per chosen architect)
- House Project 2 Analysis - (as per chosen architect)
- Synthesis

Presentation Date: 21 June2022