Ecological Synergies

In the South Western suburb of the Lebanese capital, the Ouzai coastal slum is composed of haphazardly built concrete homes, piling garbage, sewage leaks, and the absence of infrastructure and public services. The seashore area today is the only open/public spaces and a major component in the everyday lives of its inhabitants. However, this coastal strip appears socially and environmentally extremely vulnerable, deteriorating exponentially, and receding at an alarming pace as the sea levels rise globally.  This research-based design aims at demonstrating that despite the complexities of political and legal barriers, it could be envisioned a future to a shunned landscape conceived as a hopeless case. The proposal is an exploration of the critical relationship between sea-water, segregate communities in informal socio/spatial contexts, and ecological concerns. It aims at addressing the recurrent environmental risks proposing future scenarios of a healthier and sustainable future to this flood-prone area. Through a combination of conscientious engineering accuracy and thoughtful deliberation of the social component and use of space, the design envisions six composite structures. Placed along the coastal strip, these structures differently react to the context depending on their varying functions. Limited-height flood protection shields the area against the recurrent winter floods, creating a safe, accessible, and in some instances, productive spaces for the inhabitants. They provide gathering areas and allow for future vegetated sand-dunes reconstruction. These structures and the surrounding space are evolving symbiotically with natural processes, morphing into a self-sustaining resilient landscape.