Sami Ibrahim Markus BArch '70
wAssociate, IDEA sarl – Consultants
Beirut, Lebanon
www.ideacon.com

my inspiration
The American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright’s transition and development during his professional life, has been the basis of a lifelong challenge for me. I have tried to develop in a manner similar to his.

how AUB shaped my career
AUB provided me with an all encompassing background that I have drawn upon to meet the challenges of changing times and technologies within the framework of our past. Our rich heritage and environment impose constraints on modern architecture. We should rise to the challenge, each within his field, for a better way of life.

projects that def ine my work
Melkart College, Louaizeh, Lebanon; National Evangelical Church of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Halim & Aida Daniel School of Tourism & Hotel Management, University of Balamand, Balamand, Lebanon.

Project R
The Rubble House
Ouayda and Markus worked together on the following (very cool) project:

Rapid Reactivation Return Rehabilitation Relief Relocation Reunite Remolding Republic Repetition Resettlement Resistance Restoration Reconstruction Remodeling Rubble Rural Revival

About 1,000,000 displaced… More then 120 bridges destroyed… Majority of roads disrupted.

The genesis of the rubble house concept was an urgent response to the tragedy of the July 2006 war in Lebanon. The significant destruction and the substantial leftover debris created the immediate need to deal with the resulting environmental, social, economic, displacement, and logistical issues. Hence, the idea of turning a disadvantage into an advantage started to materialize. The concept of using destruction rubble for reconstruction was a simple and straight forward solution. This simple concept revolves around the idea of entrapping rubble in wire mesh cages and further developing the Gabion system normally used for retaining walls, in order to build up single story structures in the rural areas of the south of Lebanon.

Maha Nasrallah BArch '83
Associate, Polypod Studio
Beirut, Lebanon
polypodstudio.com

my inspiration
The architecture of Hassan Fathi.
The watercolors of Omar Onsi.
Books like Architecture without Architects by Bernard Rudofsky, and Architecture in Lebanon by Friedrich Ragette (who was my teacher at AUB as well) and related environmental and regional subjects. My travels to France, Italy, Egypt, India, the United States, Algeria etc.

how AUB shaped my career
I studied at AUB during the civil war years, from 1978 to 1983. Beirut was at war but the AUB campus provided us with a beautiful and safe haven where cyclamen flowered in the spring and the beach was at our feet. At AUB, I was introduced to the architectural world and the culture of student life. My journey through five years of preparation for the architectural degree was a memorable one, and my relationships with classmates and with faculty continue to remain very strong. During those five years, courses like Regional Architecture opened my eyes to my immediate surroundings; Design Studios and History of Art and Architecture courses opened my eyes to the world at large. In addition to the teachers, our classmates and architecture students from other years created a culture very particular to the AUB School of Architecture. The “vertical” relationship between students from different years and the intense interchange between them was a crucial part of my education. This relationship extended beyond the school walls and into music, theater, dance, book illustration, and into my professional career later on. It is with great pride that I talk about those five years. That experience has remained vivid to me as I have come back to AUB as a part-time teacher and as a consultant on AUB projects.

projects that def ine my work
Noubarieh Farm House, Egypt; De-Prague (pub/café) Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon; Wadi Abu Jmil Courtyard (residential project), Solidere, Beirut, Lebanon.

Ramsey Haddad BArch '91
Director of the Architectural Department, Dar Al Handassah (Shair and Partners)
Beirut, Lebanon
www.dargroup.com

my inspiration
The interplay between the concepts of physical sciences, biology, and architecture to create new organizational models.

how AUB shaped my career
Despite the civil war, AUB has always remained vibrant, always reflecting values of diversity, cultural innovation, and creativity. AUB has always stressed high academic standards and is committed to the ideals of critical thinking, open debate, and diversity. I was fortunate to be raised in the AUB neighborhood where AUB has greatly influenced and contributed to the social, cultural, and economic health of Ras Beirut. This impacted not only my career but also my self motivation to achieve whenever possible a better environment. I graduated from AUB with the first prize Areen Award of Excellence in Architecture and a strong will and determination to succeed in a career that will contribute to the development and the well being of man. I think that this is possible at Dar Al Handasah, one of the largest engineering and design practices in the world.

projects that def ine my work
Angola Public Television, Angola; Winter Themed Park; Outpatient Clinics, Lebanon.

Mona El Hallak BArch '90
Freelancer/consultant
Beirut, Lebanon

my inspiration
The city of Beirut with all that it offers: the old beautiful heritage buildings, the hidden jewels of modern architecture, the Mediterranean sunlight, the vibrant streets, the vendors’ shouts, the bloom of the violet jacarandas, the Corniche walks, the smell of jasmine in the alleys at night, the sea, and above all the people and their way of life. I design from and for this city.

how AUB shaped my career
Jabado Residential Building, Sakiet El Jenzir, Beirut, Lebanon (under construction); Burj Kronfol (in joint venture with A&G Design); residential tower, Mathaf, Beirut, Lebanon (under construction); Bank Med Branch Building, Chiyyah, Lebanon.

Kamal Farid Homsi BArch '71
Managing Partner, Kamal Homsi Architects
Beirut, Lebanon
www.archika.com

my inspiration
Richard Meier, Norman Foster, and Tadao Ando.

how AUB shaped my career
I think my university years at AUB was the golden age of the school of architecture. We were lucky to have Dean Raymond Ghosn, an exceptional figure, who dedicated his entire time and soul to our education. His courses in architectural philosophy will always be remembered. I cannot count how many endless nights he would stay with us in Wing A, giving us support and advice. He satisfied our souls and our stomachs with the cakes he would bring after midnight to feed our hunger.

Professor Assem Salam had a big influence on our understanding of conceptual architecture. Khalil Khoury always added his artistic zest, while Friedrich Ragette gave us the culture and knowledge of traditional architecture with a sense of rigor and precision.

AUB was also a microcosm of Lebanon following the 1967 Six-Day War. We would spend hours discussing political and social problems, discussions that sometimes ended in strikes, counterstrikes, and clashes.

Graduating from AUB gave us the necessary technical background and knowledge that helped us face the changes that were going to affect the future of the country.

projects that define my work
Cultural & Congress Center, Dbayeh, Lebanon; Bassoul, Héneiné SAL (BMW, Renault & Alfa Roméo show-rooms) Bauchrieh, Lebanon; Villa Bassil, Faqra, Lebanon.

Mustapha Jundi BArch '00
Designer, Diller Scofidio + Renfro New York, NY
www.dsrny.com

my inspiration

Painting (Francis Bacon) Interdisciplinary Art (Mathew Barney)
Landscape Art (Earthworks period)

how AUB shaped my career
My education at AUB gave me the skills and tools to engage constructively with the constantly changing surrounding conditions achieved through a strong conceptual and analytical framework. It offered me a comprehensive understanding of the complex layers and networks governing spatial production.

projects that def ine my work
Slaughterhouse and Others, Beirut, Lebanon: BArch Thesis Project (AUB); Extreme Landscapes, Helsinki, Finland; March Design Studio (Yale School of Architecture); Everything In Between, New Mexico, USA; March Design Studio (Yale School of Architecture).

Ghazi Baker BArch '91
Managing Partner, Consolidated Consultants and Associates
Beirut, Lebanon
www.consolidatedconsultants.net

my inspiration
I believe that architectural creativity is first and foremost a process – and that what inspires us is actually a constantly evolving and shifting array of things that touch us creatively. Architects today may be inspired by or connected to other prominent architects. In this age of instantaneous global communication, everything is a potential source of inspiration, from movies to industrial design, from music to science and technology. Anything may trigger an “idea.” Subconsciously we absorb so much information from so many sources that I don’t think we can define one great inspirational source. If I had to name any one inspiration, it would be life, with a craving for information, whether intellectual or drawn from popular culture. Similarly, outlets for creativity are also limitless. Architecture, being an allencompassing medium, is a perfect vessel, but admittedly slow. This is the main reason for my parallel venture into painting.

how AUB shaped my career
AUB was a unique experience, and it helped shape more than just my career. AUB provides the tools necessary to mold the intellect of young men and women. It is up to the individual student to decide what to do with the tools at his or her disposal. Mostly though, this institution provides an environment of intellectual and educational nourishment that is incomparable in the region.

projects that def ine my work
Flare, Jubail, KSA; Nautilus, Khobar, KSA; Perlita Gardens, the Pearl, Qatar.

Yasser Kaaki BArch '93
General Manager, BLU
Jeddah/KSA and Beirut /Lebanon

my inspiration
Issues of creativity, consistency, communication skills, presentation, seriousness, conceptual thinking, analytical approach, and productivity were addressed at AUB and then applied in real life. They constituted the bridge between the world of academia and my professional life.

how AUB shaped my career
My personal involvement with architecture started when I was a kid and became real during my first semester at AUB in 1988. Since then, my journey has been one of continuous development of the guidelines and concepts acquired during my five years of study at AUB.

The theories we learned, the campus life, the daily interaction with professors and students, and the variety of courses I took in addition to my architecture studies all shaped my professional career and enabled me to design and manage projects all over the region during the last 15 years primarily in Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.

I work hard to ensure that my projects offer the client a total solution that is based on a critical and analytical approach to design, tailored to the project type (whether residential, commercial, public…) and with careful consideration to programs, aesthetics, social issues, site constraints, the environment, engineering, and budget.

One thing is for sure: AUB graduates well-rounded students who are equipped with the basic tools they need for success and are ready to compete and even be leaders in their areas of specialization as well as in other related fields.

projects that def ine my work
Grand Rotana, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (SDC company); Private Resort, Marrakech, Morocco (SDC company); Ministry of Defense and Aviation Offices, Jeddah, KSA.

Not All BArch Graduates go on to Practice Architecture
Souraya Karami (BArch ’96), who started out as an architect, is now a shoe designer in London. You can see her work at www.esska.co.uk. Shirine Mohamed Bey- Faour (BArch ’93), who has been working in Dubai for the past 10 years in the field of exhibition design, recently moved over to both commercial and residential interior design. Other graduates, including Mona Khechen (BArch ’91), who went on to receive her PhD from Berkeley, have transitioned from architecture to urban planning.

This is also the path that Hiba Bou Akar (BArch ’00), a Berkeley Fellowship recipient and PhD candidate in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, chose. After graduating from AUB, Hiba received her master’s degree in city planning in 2005 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she was part of the International Development and Regional Planning Group. This gave her the opportunity to turn her attention to the increasing vulnerability of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the focus of her thesis entitled “Displacement, Politics, and Governance: Access to Low-Income Housing in a Beirut Suburb.”

This past summer, Hiba was named a 2007 Summer Human Rights Fellow at the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center, a fellowship that took her back to Lebanon and gave her a chance to get some hands-on experience. In Beirut, she examined the practices, policies, and debates shaping the reconstruction process in the southern suburbs one year after the end of the July 2006 war. She found that thousands of Lebanese families were left without shelter or access to basic services while the reconstruction process was bogged down in postwar local and regional political crises.

She has participated in many other projects involving Lebanon since graduation, but she hasn’t limited herself to the Middle East. In 2004, she traveled to China to participate in the Beijing summer studio sponsored by MIT and Tsinghua University Beijing. She was part of a group that looked at an all too familiar problem: the undesirable, “negative” space created in a neighborhood by the construction of a new project. In this case, the project in question was a new light rail system, which was being built for the 2008 Olympic Games. Her team designed an urban development scheme, featuring a public library that would reclaim this unwanted space for the community.

In the same year, she traveled to Laos, where she worked with a team on developing upgrading schemes for a low-income neighborhood in Vientiane, including helping local women merchants in designing their marketplace to improve their sales.

It’s amazing where an architecture degree can take you.