Abstract
This paper presents alternative proposals for the energy sector in Lebanon, through the work of an architecture course that intersects visualization, design advocacy, and speculative design. The work centers around the potential of small-scale hybrid architectural interventions to incorporate infrastructural services with lower environmental impact, while prioritizing community needs. The fuel-based energy sector in Lebanon is a notorious example of a highly corrupted and inefficient infrastructure that, to this day, remains largely inoperative. Degraded after years of civil war, political cronyism and corruption, the sector’s public energy supply has been replaced by a huge network of private generators, controlled through political exploitation and monopolies. Today, with the economic collapse the country is living, it is clear that the energy sector, which strains the government budget with the biggest losses, must be tackled first prior to any other anti-corruption strategy or economic plan. The possibility of change and growth in this sector is great where investing in new energy approaches and efficient infrastructure, can result in a positive ripple effect for the recovery of the local economy. Taking this as a main premise, this study shows how the energy sector in Lebanon can become an opportunity for change, when coupled with other spatial and communal needs. With potential advancements in sectors such as solar and wind power, hydropower, and bio-fuel energy production, a diverse network of small-scale spatial infrastructures can be a powerful mechanism to provide renewable energy, while addressing the scales and needs of the community and the environment.
Presenters
Carla AramounyAssociate Professor, School of Architecture and Design, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design
KEYWORDS
Hybrid Architecture, Alternative Infrastructure, Small-scale Interventions, Environment, Design for Community
