Living room with a view and Kenzo the dog.

Living room with a view and Kenzo the dog.

Entrance door and stairs leading to the kitchen area.

Entrance door and stairs leading to the kitchen area.

Front terraces surrounded by olive trees

Front terraces surrounded by olive trees

Library corner and corridor leading to the master bedroom.

Library corner and corridor leading to the master bedroom.

Dining table and kitchen space with a direct connection to the outdoor dining area.

Dining table and kitchen space with a direct connection to the outdoor dining area.

Outdoor terrace and Irocco dining table.

Outdoor terrace and Irocco dining table.

Wood and metal stairs leading to the upper floor.

Wood and metal stairs leading to the upper floor.

Toula House

Batroun, Lebanon, 2018

Located 650 meters above sea level in the rural landscape of Toula, North Lebanon, this private residence is oriented toward the Mediterranean coastline. The architecture responds to the site’s wooded landscape, marked by ancient terraces and a dense canopy of pine, olive, and fruit trees.

The house’s footprint was planned carefully to preserve the existing flora, allowing the natural landscape to dictate the building’s unique shape. Spanning 370 m², the interior features large glass windows that frame the landscape as a living backdrop, while roof-integrated solar panels provide all the power needed.

The selected materials such as raw concrete, aluminum, cedar wood, and slate reinforces a minimalist aesthetic, while the exterior stonework -reclaimed directly from the site - grounds the structure in its context. To help the building blend into the trees, the outdoor walls are finished in a muted green, derived from the silver-grey underside of the olive leaf. 

Photos by Diana Mehrez