Ras Beyrouth

 About Abd el Baqi building in Hamra:

squatting to reclaim the city’s social role

The right to the city is an application of the right to ​​access housing and city spaces, through the recognition of the importance of the space’s social role. Today, a number of displaced people are trying to apply the concepts of the right to the city and housing by taking possession of an abandoned building in Hamra. About a month ago, the owner of the building sent an eviction request to the public prosecutor. The eviction didn’t take place, but by narrating the threat and the building’s story, we hope to open a discussion about squatting, the priorities that drive such an issue, and the balance of power it reveals, especially since squatting has become a necessity and a reality during the war.

Eviction in the war: Protecting Private Property, the Case of Hildon Hotel

Once again, we document the story of an abandoned building, the “Hildon Hotel” in Raouche, where around 600 displaced people, fleeing the Israeli war, sought refuge. Though the hotel owner’s son initially allowed them to stay, he later demanded their eviction, forcing them to leave without alternative housing. This case highlights the urgent need for government intervention, calling for the use of vacant properties as temporary housing and ensuring evictions follow legal procedures with suitable alternatives provided.

The displaced bring life back to a vacant building on Jeanne d’Arc Street

فُتح مبنى خالِ في شارع جان دارك لاستقبال النازحين جرّاء الحرب الإسرائيلية. إلّا أن الإعلام ضجّ استنكاراً لما اعتبره تعدٍ على الأملاك الخاصة وحقوق كبار رجال الأعمال، بدلاً من الاحتفال بتحويل الشقق الفارغة التي بُنِيَت على أنقاض النسيج العمراني الاجتماعي للأحياء، إلى مساكن تلعب دورها الاجتماعي الحقيقي في تأمين المأوى خاصة في أوقات الحرب والأزمات.

Think Housing: Affordable Schemes Towards an Inclusive Beirut

Read in Arabic here.

Apartments are Empty. Loans Stopped. We voted for Laws That Guarantee the Right to Housing.

Right to Housing: The Landscape From Ras Beirut

A Research Workshop Within the Series «Mapping Beirut Through Its Tenants’ Stories»

The workshop consists of five sessions that involve discussions and field research, which are held in collaboration with The AUB Neighborhood Initiative. It targets youth interested in urban issues, research, mapping, and Beiruti …

Ras Beirut: Housing Narratives in the City

Over the past 150 years Ras Beirut has changed from an agricultural community to a dense urban neighborhood, particularly distinguished for its social, economic and cultural diversity. This diversity is however increasingly threatened …

Housing Narratives in Ras Beirut

Over the past 150 years Ras Beirut has changed from an agricultural community to a dense urban neighborhood, particularly distinguished for its social, economic and cultural diversity. This diversity is however increasingly threatened …

Seminar at City Debates

Public Works Studio participated in the 2017 City Debates at AUB where we exhibited the findings of our research project, “Mapping Beirut through its Tenants’ Stories,” in the lobby of the Architecture and …

Think Housing

In an effort to advocate for affordable housing and more inclusive cities, Think Housing competition sought innovative proposals for inclusive urban housing options that challenge the dominant models of urban development by reversing …

Think Housing: The First Competition for Housing Alternatives in Beirut

In an effort to address the affordable housing shortage in Beirut, Think Housing competition sought innovative proposals for inclusive urban housing options that challenge the dominant models of urban development, by reversing ongoing …

Mapping Beirut through its Tenants’ Stories workshop series

A participatory research space with the aim of promoting the right to the city and affordable housing through a series of six workshops. These workshops specifically focus on gathering and sharing the experiences …