Sustainable Architecture Competition

In 2010, GAIA-Heritage collaborated for the organisation of an architecture contest launched by MAJAL (Urban Academic Observatory associated with ALBA). This academic competition was meant to revive the debate on the different contemporary architectural approaches in Lebanon: guidelines favoured the use of low-energy consuming materials while promoting a carefully-thought urban integration of the building into its environment.

4th year architecture Lebanese students were given the opportunity to present an individual or group project with the support of a specific professor. In order to foster participation, the different universities included the contest in their syllabi, enabling students to join this competition as part of their academic curriculum. Being the first such contest in Lebanon, it was innovative both in terms of its pedagogic approach – a contest for students – and its architectural conception – an “ecological” building. With a solid experience in the preparation and organisation of architecture contests (such as the one for the House of Arts and Culture), GAIA-Heritage offered its know-how and logistical support in designing the rules and regulations and organising the final Jury.