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The Light-walk

Joelle Youssef

student

USEK - Holy spirit University of Kaslik

Lebanon

Architecture

T H E L I G H T- W A L K Through time, the gap between society and religion has increased exponentially. Society has drifted apart from… more

Jose Carlo Bolaños Padilla

advisor

http://arquis.ucr.ac.cr/

Costa Rican

The design of spaces that represent a preview of the future human behavior, where a balance between… more

Hello Joelle, hope you are doing well. First, I want to tell you that the concept you chose for your project requires a lot of sensitivity in how you manage the space and its conditions. I really like your volume composition and the way you managed each area to maintain a clean and smooth feeling in the space. Eventhough you have a steady and brutal morphology, the way in which each element is organized exposes a dynamic quaility where a variety of activities can occur simultaneously without a doubt. Following, I address some points that you can try to explore in your project:

1. Main Volumes. The shapes and textures you used seem correct for the project. You can try to add a second skin in precise spaces for light and ventilation management. Elements such as louvers can help you bring texture to the light entering the spaces as well as letting you the chance to open curtain wall closed spaces so the climate comfort in your project is reached with passive techniques. Also, in spiritual places light is a very important element you can explore more with design so the perceptual experience increases with in the users in your proposal.

2. Platform. The entrance platform is an excellent idea to connect urban spaces with your project. You can try to create a landscape design in this area so your platform feels more like a plaza where you have different spaces accompanied by trees and plants so the user has a full experience in every corner of your project. Also, these elements help serve as natural UV protectors and temperature regulators in outdoor areas.

3. Lights. I liked that you showed how the project would look like at nignt. For sure, the image of any proposal changes as the light conditions vary during the day. You may explore more this effect by introducing lighting fixtures to the plaza and adding the conditions so the program activities continue at any time. Your project can be as active at night as it is in daytime.

For the project´s theme, your proposal has great potential. The recycling and reuse areas, as well as the learning spaces are very coherent with the needs of the new paradigm, where the environmental issues are a must you have to consider. Also, the images you presented evidence your work and order in the design process. Certainly, one always enjoy seeing the love someone puts in its project. I hope my comments can help you in your design. Feel free of contacting me if there´s any doubt.

Project idea

T H E L I G H T- W A L K
Through time, the gap between society and religion has increased exponentially. Society has drifted apart from religion due to several issues that lead to the loss of the religion’s power and role in unifying people.
As already discussed in the given, nowadays, we face many obstacles that are affecting our life and society due to several circumstances that exist in our society. Our lives have become extremely stressful and many are looking for a getaway to achieve our spiritual purification.

The project will become THE BRIDGE, a transition between two different states, pollution to purification, stress to calm and peace, division to unity which will become the link between the two different “PLACES” so religion and society will reunite.
The Light walk is an architectural proposition that conveys several ideas about site, spirituality society, and transition. It is an exploration of ourselves through nature in an atmosphere that overflows with spirituality.
The proposed bridge design reflects the idea of the urban LINK by turning itself into an urban icon of distinct qualities: the building that becomes the plaza, the plaza that becomes the building.

THE DESIGN OBJECTIVES

-Increase the connectivity of surroundings,
-Strengthen the bonds between today’s society and their religion
-Elevating the user’s awareness of the harmonic relationship between the spaces and the nature of the site.

The place that we are going to work is intended to be a desirable one for training, lodging, hand crafting spiritual and healthy environment that can be an example for a better wellbeing in the society. A Spiritual participation in a community that can be a social support which we may provide a sense of belonging, security, and a strong relationship in the community.
The site is located at the Tamish Monastery area, Dik EL mehdi, mount Lebanon, Lebanon. The site is located right next to a residential area of Dik El Mehdi whereit becomes an intermediate site between the residential area and the monastery.

Project description

The short bridge symbolizes society and population. It is a meandering path that alters its pace, proportions and spatial character to create rich, layered experiences by creating a physical & visual relation with all the different states of contradictions to unify them. They walk over it to reach a 360-degree view platform where the entrance is located. It contains the agricultural training area for students and the dorms.
The long bridge, symbolizes spirituality (monastery and church). It contains the eco-club and hiking, after taking the ramp in the long bridge and reaching the platform above which is the peak of the project, it offers a 360 panoramic view of the surroundings while also leading to the monk’s trail where it fades away with nature.
Its platform is a wide pathway that could also act as a buffer against the noise of the environment giving visitors a tranquil place to view the region and monastery from a unique perspective.
The cube is the unification of the bridge that represents society and spirituality.
It is the emergence of the two poles and represents the focal point of the project. It is linked to the poles on different levels and contains a restaurant on the lower plaza, the market on the ground floor, the exhibition hall, and a double-height café connected to the plaza on the upper level.
The plaza located underneath the bridges unifies the project where the 3 poles intersect (cube, long and short bridge). It is a place where people meet to re-establish communication and offer extensive panoramic views of the region. The plaza divides the project into 2, in a way that the public functions are placed above it and the private functions such as the dorms are placed under it. As for the industries, they are located on the lowest level to provide an easy and accessible service road.
The project will increase the connectivity of surroundings, strengthen the bonds between today’s society and their religion, and elevating the user’s awareness of the harmonic relationship between the spaces and the nature of the site.

Technical information

The Light-walk

Joelle Youssef

Hello! Welcome back!