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GENESIS OF FINAL YEAR PROJECT
01 MY DREAM HOUSE
02 LEBANESE HOUSE
“My Dream House” is a sketch I drew when I was 12. As seen, it shows the vision of a naive child who has an idealized vision of a house or, rather, a living space. This vision consists of an architecture embedded in a natural landscape, one that thus creates the conditions for life in harmony with nature.
This photograph of a house in the mountains, taken by the architect Jacques Liger-Belair, continues the child’s fantasy of an architecture that integrates man into his natural environment. It is also proof of the ability of the architect to embody an idyllic vision of the living space. This structure, along with its surroundings, is the material implementation of my vision in “My Dream House”.
03 THE POLITICS OF ARCHITECTURE 03a BERLIN WALL
That architecture could express violence is a fact that, prior to my studies, I had never entertained. I realized that the simple erection of a concrete structure, such as the Berlin Wall, could create separation, isolation and divide an entire city. It is then that I understood that the construction and arrangement of a space do not only consist of a harmonious and idyllic world but can be used to create an aggressive and hostile environment.
03b ISRAELI COLONIZATION OF PALESTINE
This photo of an israeli kibbutz is another example that illustrates the use of architecture for political purposes. Like the Lebanese house above, it is built in the midst of nature; however, its function is not to create harmony with nature, but to serve as an observation post as part of an overall defense strategy. The circular formation of the houses is an attestation of this fact. Moreover, the inward orientation of the bedrooms serves a protective function, in violation of classical rules of architecture, comfort and everyday functionality.
03c YEREVAN BRIDGE, BOURJ HAMMOUD
Bridge Yerevan is yet another example of an architecture created for political purposes. Its intention is not to give rise to division and seperation, but to serve as a means of bolstering the economy by creating geographical ties between the heart of the city and its suburbs. The photo illustrates, however, that the realization of this intention transpired in defiance of the inhabitants of the intermediate zone, Bourj Hammoud. Though serving as a ‘quick link’ between different zones of the city, the bridge greatly diminished the quality of life of its close inhabitants, depriving them of light, privacy, an unpolluted environment, and general sense of comfor t.
04 THESIS PROPOSAL
EMPTY LOT FUTURE
PRESENT BUILT LOT
FINAL YEAR PROJECT | BRIDGE YEREVAN, BOURJ HAMMOUD | STUDENT. HAROUT HALEBLIAN | ACADEMIE LIBANAISE DES BEAUX-ARTS | DATE. JULY 2014 | PAGE. 01