Office Name: rab architects
Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/rab.architects/
Firm Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Completion Year: 2019
Gross Built Area: 900sqm
Project Location: Deir el Qamar, Lebanon
Program: Residential House
Lead Architect: Rani Boustani
Team Members: Chirine Sayegh, Elias Soueidi
Photographers: Julien Harfouche and Tony Elieh

Collaborating Companies:

Structural Engineer: BCDC consultants
Mechanical Engineer: Roger Kazopoulo
Electrical Engineer: Roger Njeim
Contractor: Jack Akiki Enterprise
Lighting Designer: Debbas Lighting

Products and Brands:

Glass:
Lumeal by Technal
Furniture:
FLY by &Tradition
Develius by &Tradition
Lato by &Tradition
Swoon by Fredericia
Piloti by Fredericia
Soborg by Fredericia
Kitchen Counter:
At Home by Elmar
Sanitary: Bowl by Inbani
London by Jee-O
Single lever bath mixer by Hansgrohe
Lighting and Switches:
Sentido by Basalte
IC by Flos
Mini Mini by Luce Plan
POP chandelier by Oty Light

The project’s cladding is Travertino Silver Crema (selected from a stone quarry in Italy by Rani Boustani and the client. Supplied by GAF&co in Lebanon)

This is a close look at the upper floor of the house that has a large opening to assimilate the indoor and outdoor areas.

This is the appearance of the doors when they are closed, completely closing the indoor from the balcony.

The doors have bars and the frames of the doors match perfectly with the exterior walls.

This is an exterior view of the house showcasing the two levels of balconies of the house.

This is a look at the exterior of the house that is adorned with a lawn of grass and a covered area under the balcony.

This outdoor area has grass lawns with concrete walkways.

This is an exterior view of the house showcasing its unique tone and the modern fireplaces at the top.

This is a side of the house that has a covered walkway with pillars on the side.

This is a closer look at the pillars of the covered walkway along with large windows.

This is inside the covered walkway with a concrete ceiling and a flooring that matches the walls.

This is a farther look at the house showcasing the tall trees and the balcony of the top floor.

This is another look at the house with its beige exterior wall tone that goes well with natural lights.

The exterior of the house has a consistent beige tone that makes the black grills stand out on its windows.

The black grills of the windows also match the wrout iron railings of the balconies.

This is a close look at the balcony and the outdoor lights recessed on its floor.

This is a close look at the pillars and walls complemented by the warm yellow light of the outdoor lights.

This is a look at the great room that houses the living room area, dining area and the kitchen.

By the long rectangular wooden table of the dining area is a reading nook by the window surrounded by bookshelves.

The living room has a dark blue sofa and a gray sofa that stands out against the light hardwood flooring and bright ceiling.

The kitchen has a large waterfall island with a tone to match the floor and contrast the dark modern cabinetry on the wall.

There is a large wooden rectangular dining table attached to the kitchen island paired with matching wooden chairs.

Across from the large sectional sofa is the entertainment set with a modern fireplace on the side.

This is a view of the living room and the large modern cabinetry of the kitchen in the background.

The living room area is brightened by the natural lighting coming from the window on the far wall.

The living room is topped with a tall arched ceiling that has a large modern chandelier.

The white ceiling is contrasted by the black modern fireplace and the modern chandelier.

This is another view of the great room that houses the living, dining and kitchen areas that is topped with a couple of skylights.

This is a look at the bedroom that has built-in cabinets and shelves as well as a view of the bathroom area on the far side.

The bathroom area has a large freestanding bathtub by the large mirror.

On the side of the bed is a glass sliding door that leads to the outdoor areas of the house.

The bed has a built-in headboard and bedside tables topped iwth modern lighting above the bed.

This is a close look at the pedestal sink of the bathroom topped iwth a large mirror and adorned with decorative lighting.

This is an illustration of the ground floor level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the first level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the house's cross section elevation.

The design of DK house attempts to reinterpret the vernacular typology of its context and to celebrate it. Articulated with sliding and hinging walls, the facades become a live surface for expression for this contemporary vernacular house, opening it up to celebrate the landscape, or reining it in to pay homage to it.

Set in the sensitive context of Deir el Qamar, Lebanon – a protected historical village with well-preserved examples of feudal architecture, old stone streets, and walled gardens, the site overlooks a historic landscape, rich with beauty, inspiration, and cultural heritage.

The architectural language of the house is designed to offer flexibility of use and experience, with the possibility of different scenarios of access and circulation within its adaptable structure.

Evolving from a critical appreciation of the village’s traditional vernacular, the design flirts with its landscape and at times challenges it. The volume of the upper level is sensitive to the typology of the traditional stone house and the relationship it has to the expanse of the large open terrace cantilevering out to embrace the valley, encircling the house and extending its interior spaces out to meet it.

DK house is characterized by its materiality. The use of an open book travertine cladding on its facades emphasizes its monumentality – the walls of the house slide and rotate to enable a flexible transition between privacy and openness.
The project’s interior follows the same logic by extending the travertine slab to the interior spaces; which, in turn, blurs the lines between the villa’s interiors and its surrounding landscape.

The main reception area is treated as an open travertine slab with interruptions of modular furniture allowing the client to create different arrangements within the house.
This flexibility in use is applied in the client’s master bedroom as well. Space is designed as an open platform that visually connects the shower to the village’s valley.