February 14, 2005, a day to remember for the Lebanese. Prime Minister (PM) Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a car explosion in Beirut. Hariri was always a popular figure but his assassination led him to symbolic status. Mass demonstrations followed, called the Cedar Revolution by the US State Department, Christians and Muslims together demanded their freedom from Syria's grip. But in disagreement, Lebanon's "largest religious group, the Shia, remain[ed] alienated". Along with the demonstration and other reactions of the people was yet another unique way to protest, this being to write graffiti ...

I have been practicing modern singing for five years, pondering the enhancement of my interpretation by applying the techniques I have learned in my classical singing training sessions. My five years of vocal ‘Bel Canto’ lessons allowed my voice to develop and prosper in opera singing. My interest was how and when to use these techniques in modern singing for a better performance and to encourage other singers to consider this essay and to profit from its benefits. The research on the subject encouraged me to develop a master’s thesis. Therefore, the first chapter is devoted to a general ...

With the increase in the urban world population, the need for sustainable cities has become crucial, and comfortable and livable open spaces are an important aspect for this purpose. However, since open spaces are affected by the urban design of an area, their quality depends on the priorities of the stakeholders and decision makers, and thus might be compromised to the advantage of other needs, such as prioritizing profit over the public good. The thesis addresses comfort in open spaces, specifically within waterfront developments because many growing cities are coastal and thus, have witnessed ...

Lebanon is undergoing a critical economic crisis due to many internal and external factors. This crisis that started in 2015 is showcased clearly in the housing construction sector amplified by the decision of the Central Bank to suspend all subsidized housing loans in 2018. This resulted in an aggravated situation for young couples and low-income households who were heavily relying on these banking facilities. As part of the global strategy to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission, affordable sustainable housing is highlighted as a major aspect for providing the low-income ...

Place is a word that speaks for itself - a concept both simple and complicated that allows the cultural elite to savour city's life. We can see many manifestations of a certain place; it is what we call "place of memory", where participating in certain activities expresses the spirit of such places. Place and memory intersect together so that every place has a memory, and each memory is related within a place. Memory and its representations touch very significantly upon questions of identity, nationalism, power and authority. This is what Tim Cresswell (2004) discussed fully in his introduction ...

Technology is altering human communication and their lifestyle. It helped in spreading information and made it more focused for serving human needs. This technological revolution was known as the “information age” which had a dramatic impact on our culture, in terms of making life much easier. The digital revolution changed a lot in the ways we communicate and we interact. Living in the digital age, people are being exposed to a brand-new power; the digital power. Social media gives the opportunity to bring politics closer to people and creates an atmosphere that is incredibly informative and ...

In the high mountains of Lebanon, internal comfort heavily relies on fuel consumption for indoor space heating. Being a country that lacks natural resources such as fuel and gas, the energy sector in Lebanon had been unable to meet the market demand for a long time. The simple solution that was adopted to compensate for the electricity shortage over the past years was to rely on private generators for power supply. This solution urged additional energy costs for heating and cooling demands through the inefficient use of air cooling and heating, and since cooling and heating depend primarily on ...

This research project aims to study the effect of glazed balconies on energy consumed on cooling, balcony typologies, and adjacent spaces. The research focuses on the case of seafronts and specifically Saida’s coastal zone: “Corniche El Baher” area. Glazed balconies are a spontaneous chaotic trend that allows users to benefit from and occupy balcony spaces in all seasons. This trend has many impacts on the indoor thermal comfort and energy consumed in the glazed spaces. Drawing upon previous energy consumption research, particularly in the summer months in residential buildings in Lebanon and ...

ABSTRACT: Windows in Lebanese vernacular buildings were sized and placed proportionally in order to allow the required amount of light and air circulation for comfort. The aim of this study is to explore the evolution of the window in Lebanese vernacular architecture with respect to typology, functions, environmental features, methodologies in construction and cultural features. It will include a comparative analysis of different typologies in respect to ventilation, daylighting, heat transfer, acoustic barriers, etc.

It is evident that home is not an object, a building, but a diffuse and complex condition that integrates memories and images, desires and fears, the past and the present. This thesis focuses on ornamental motifs especially the wheat motif that is unique and that is mostly found in the Bekaa. Each country or region has a local motif that individuals have used to decorate their dwellings. Due to the sparse knowledge concerning local ornamental motifs in Lebanon and the Bekaa specifically and the globalization of design and pattern there has been a serious decline in the use of local motifs and ...