Karantina Scout’s Urban Park

Mobilizing the Military as an Active Agent in the Community

Academic | Studio Spring 2023

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Instructors : Prof. Howyda Al-Harithy Prof. Jala Makhzoumi

Design Proposal: Razan F. Elmrayed

The military base located across the coastal region of Quarantina has resulted in the spatial segregation of local communities and the negligence of its immediate surroundings including the open spaces at the edges of the residential quarter. Additionally, the military base’s sheer size fully separates Quarantina’s residents from access to the sea edge. The following proposal seeks to mitigate the impact of land privatization and securitization that is imposed by the existing military presence. Through a reclamation strategy the study identifies a network of open spaces that emerge from the dense residential area and gradually infiltrates militarized land. Through an interplay of temporary and fixed programs, the design proposal aims to activate those spaces and open up the sea edge to the communities within the residential quarter.

STRATEGIES

The design strategy operates in incremental phases, it kickstarts through a tactical intervention scheme that targets strategic spaces around the military base to question the existing narrative and give power back to the community.

Throughout the second phase the design scheme uses private land as an incubator to reclaim a segment of the municipal land that is occupied by the military. The strategy reinforces the programmatic diversity existing in the private land through informal and temporary interventions and leverages these programs to spillover to the militarized land.

The final phase operates through a strategy that allows the military to become a key agent within the design scheme. It sought to build a relationship between the military and the local community by introducing programs that are closely related to military culture that includes youth programs in boys/ girls scouts, camping activities, archery training and active community workshops.

Campsites(NaturalSpace)