The Reconstruction of Haret Hreik: Design Options for Improving the Livability of the Neighborhood
Mona Fawaz, Marwan Ghandour - 2007
The residential and commercial fabric of the southern suburbs
of Beirut was severely damaged by the Israeli war on Lebanon
in July and August of 2006. Most of the destruction in Beirut
was concentrated within the municipal district of Haret Hreik, where at least 20,000 residents lost their homes.
In the aftermath of the Israeli war, a group of Lebanese architects,
planners, and engineers came together to envision alternatives for
the rebuilding of Haret Hreik. They formed the Haret Hreik Task
Team, a sub-unit of the Reconstruction Unit in the Department
of Architecture and Design at the American University of Beirut
(AUB). After several failed attempts to engage local stakeholders in a public debate about the reconstruction of Haret Hreik,
they organized an intensive four day design charrette that they
hosted from January 17 to January 20, 2007. The results of
this exercise are presented in this book and consist primarily of three
sets of maps that show existing conditions, analyze neighborhood patterns, and suggest interventions in reconstruction.
Edited by Mona Fawaz and Marwan Ghandour, featuring the work of the Haret Hreik Task Team of the AUB-ArD Reconstruction Unit formed after the July 2006 war.