# ARCHITECT BRIEF — PLOT 319, AWKAR

Document prepared: 2026-05-11
Source: Stephane Boghossian (client / project lead)
Target: receiving architect (Beirut / Lebanon-based)

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## 1. PROJECT SUMMARY

Two private homes on a single inherited family plot in Awkar, north of Beirut. The two houses belong to two brothers' families on land inherited from their maternal grandfather. The design intent is **one compound, two homes** — shared parking, pool, and garden, but architecturally distinct houses reflecting each family's character.

| | |
|---|---|
| Plot | **Cadastral plot 319**, Mazraat Deir Awkar, Awkar |
| Cadastre area | **2,300 m²** |
| GPS centroid | 33.931824, 35.598753 |
| Inheritance | from grandfather Jouzef (جوزيف) to 3 children: Lyna (Stephane's mother), aunt Nada, uncle Nabil |
| Adjacent family plots | 318, 320, 321 (all Jouzef-inscribed) |
| Ownership status | **ifraz (إفراز) status to be confirmed at Land Registry before permit application** |

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## 2. CLIENTS

- **House 1**: Stephane Boghossian + Yasmina + Alessia (+ future). Project lead.
- **House 2**: Patrick Boghossian + Daniela + Theo (+ future).

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## 3. SITE CONDITIONS

- **Topography**: terraced agricultural hillside. Slope N (road) → S (forest), grade **18–30%**, total drop **~12 m over 60 m** plot depth.
- **Orientation**: long axis N–S. Buildable width ~38 m E–W.
- **Solar**: **S / SW exposure** unobstructed. NW summer-sunset and SW winter-sunset views possible from elevated positions.
- **Access**: vehicular from **Mazraat Deir Awkar** road, N edge of plot, via plot 330 (road strip).
- **Adjacent built**: plot 120 ("en constr.") to N, TIKA Beirut building to NE.
- **Vegetation**: dense to W and S; preserved agricultural terraces on lower half of plot to remain.

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## 4. PROGRAM

### 4.1 House 1 — Stephane (contemporary)

- **Footprint**: 12 × 12 m (144 m²)
- **Levels**:
  - Basement (−3 m): mechanical, storage, wine cellar, guest BR + bath, laundry, ski/sport, media den (48 m² with S glass to sub-terrace daylight)
  - Ground (0 m): office, foyer, powder, mudroom + pantry, kitchen w/ island, dining, **60 m² living room** with floor-to-ceiling S glass
  - Upper (+3 m): family bath, Alessia's BR (24 m², convertible), family lounge / playroom, walk-in, master BR (S-facing), master ensuite
  - **Tower (+5 to +8 m)**: 25 m² interior — office + observatory in one room. Operable 2 × 2 m skylight overhead for telescope. Glass W + S walls, solid N + E. **Tower roof terrace (+8 m)** for unobstructed sunset views over House 2 + Mediterranean.
- **Sunset balcony** (W cantilever off upper-floor master suite, ~16 m²)
- **Cantilever overhang** on S side of main roof (2 m deep) for passive solar control
- **Materials**: local stone base · exposed concrete · wood cladding band · dark metal roof + parapet · floor-to-ceiling S glazing
- **Habitable total**: ~288 m² (within 300 m² cap) + 25 m² tower (proposed as auxiliary belvedere — to confirm with code)

### 4.2 House 2 — Patrick (traditional Lebanese)

- **Footprint**: 12 × 12 m (144 m²)
- **Levels**:
  - Basement (−3 m): mechanical, storage, wine + arak cellar, maid's BR + bath, cold pantry (mouneh), laundry, majlis / family den with arched S windows
  - Ground (0 m): foyer, powder, coat, **closed-plan kitchen**, stairs + pantry, family dining (28 m²), **formal salon (48 m²)** opening onto S porch via arched colonnade (kantar)
  - Upper (+3 m): Theo's BR, guest BR, family bath, library / reading nook (bay window W), dressing, master BR + ensuite with Juliet balcony
- **Materials**: **40+ cm cut stone load-bearing walls** · hipped **terracotta tile roof** · wooden shutters (olive green) · stone cornice + sill bands · arched openings throughout
- **Habitable total**: ~288 m²

### 4.3 Shared on plot 319

| Element | Spec | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Parking | 6 covered spots, covered canopy | N edge near road |
| Arrival court | stone paving, paths to each house | between parking and houses |
| Privacy hedge | cypress, between houses | central N–S spine |
| Private rear terraces | one per house | S of each house |
| Lawn buffer | 8 m strip, sight-line break | between terraces and pool |
| Pool | **16 × 3.5 m**, lap-friendly | central, pushed S of houses |
| Pool deck + loungers | ~16 × 8 m | around pool |
| Garden | preserved agricultural terraces, olive + fruit trees | S end of plot |

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## 5. SITE LAYOUT (N → S, ~60 m total depth)

1. **Setback** (4 m) — N
2. **Parking + driveway** (10 m)
3. **Arrival court** (4 m)
4. **Houses zone** (12 m) — both houses side-by-side E–W
5. **Private rear terraces** (6 m)
6. **Lawn buffer** (8 m)
7. **Pool zone** (12 m)
8. **Garden** (6 m)
9. **Setback** (4 m) — S

Six **stone-faced retaining walls** absorb the 12 m grade drop, max single wall height ~2 m. Aesthetic continuous with existing agricultural terrace risers.

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## 6. TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS — LEBANON-SPECIFIC

- **Seismic**: Lebanon is in a moderate seismic zone. Explicit seismic detailing required on retaining walls, basement walls, and tower-to-main-structure connection on House 1.
- **Drainage / stormwater**: terraced site requires explicit stormwater strategy (gravity drains between terrace levels, prevent water collection against basement walls).
- **Foundations**: variable depth across stepped grade. Geotechnical survey required before basement excavation.
- **Materials sourcing**: prefer local where possible — local quarried stone (House 2 walls + all retaining walls), Lebanese terracotta tiles, Lebanese cypress for hedge.
- **Thermal**: prevailing winds N→S in winter, summer breezes S→N. Cross-ventilation feasible; stone thermal mass on House 2 helps.

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## 7. ARCHITECT DELIVERABLES EXPECTED

1. **Validation / refinement** of pre-architect schematics provided (attached SVGs)
2. **Full planning permission set**: site plan, floor plans (all levels), elevations (all faces), sections, schedules
3. **Structural engineering** coordination — including tower, retaining walls, basement walls (seismic)
4. **MEP coordination** — plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drainage
5. **Permit application package** — for submission post-ifraz confirmation
6. **Tender documents** for contractor selection

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## 8. CONSTRAINTS

- **Budget**: TBC — estimate $500K–$1M per house depending on finish level
- **Timeline**: design phase post-relocation July 2026; construction start TBC after permit + ifraz
- **Regulatory**:
  - **Ifraz status to be verified** at Land Registry before permit application — three siblings co-inherited the parcels; partition may not yet be filed
  - Tower height: ~9.5 m above N grade, 12.5 m above S grade — should be within Awkar residential zone cap (~18 m typical) but **confirm with municipality**
  - Floor area ratio (FAR): ~26% (576 m² built / 2,300 m² plot) — should be within typical residential allowance

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## 9. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS — attached SVGs

All files at `~/Documents/Code/awkar-home/`:

| File | Content |
|---|---|
| `site-plan-v4.svg` | Bird's-eye site plan, current schematic |
| `section-NS.svg` | N–S section through House 1, slope strategy |
| `floor-plans-house1.svg` | House 1 — basement, ground, upper (3 plans) |
| `floor-plans-house2.svg` | House 2 — basement, ground, upper (3 plans) |
| `elevations-house1.svg` | House 1 — N, S, E, W façades |
| `elevations-house2.svg` | House 2 — N, S, E, W façades |
| `axonometric.svg` | 3D massing of whole site |
| `house1-tower.svg` | Tower add-on detail: plan + interior + W elevation |

Earlier versions (v1, v2, v3) retained for reference.

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## 10. CONTACT

Stephane Boghossian
stephanemboghossian@gmail.com
Project: Awkar family compound