The studio took as an object of intervention a three-story building located in the city of Beirut. Built in the mid-thirties, it has been subject to multiple successive interior remodelling. Students investigated different strategies to overwrite, transform or subvert the initial reading of the given space, reusing it, according to the functional program of the hotel, the nature of the place and their own intent. Designing a boutique hotel was an opportunity to reconsider design practices in order to address the challenges of the pandemic.
During the second part of the semester students were asked to develop the lobby area in addition to one typical or defining guest room: Defining the furniture items and the design of built-in elements, the color schemes, the lighting fixtures and the envisaged light moods. A relatively comprehensive set of drawings, that included large scale sections (1:5 – 1:20) was expected for the final project. Special attention was given to the integration of energy efficient systems and the study of special services spaces (kitchen, bathrooms).