Karm el Zeitoun, a village-like settlement inside the city of Beirut, is perched on one of Achrafieh’s dominant hills. It was originally conceived in 1927 as a development project for the Armenian refugees who arrived to Beirut in 1921. But the area kept vigorously densifying over years until the actual aspect of Karm el Zeitoun was formed. The people started to build their dwellings on top of each other, the roof of one became the porch of another, windows became doors and doors became walls… The major elements that give Karm El Zeitoun its characteristic traits are: The steep topography of the site, the social, geographical and physical borders that separates the region from the rest of Achrafieh, and finally the roads and active points that make Karm el Zeitoun so different from any other informal settlement.
After a thorough study and analysis of the area, the architectural regeneration proposal was developed. The concept absorbs and learns from the regions, preserving its social habits and expanding its potential. It tries to create breathing spaces, public areas, and community centers, while maintaining its much required densification aspect. The project focuses on a specific area in Karm el Zeitoun, but has the potential to become a pilot-project for the entire area, and was even designed to be linked to its neighboring regions, revitalizing its spaces and creating unprecedented experiences.
