Typology : Country : Court House Lebanon CONTENTS OF THE FILE Synthesis Analytical group of the typology Forms of the typology Inventory of the country s typologies Current state of vitality and preservation Transformation process Capacity for rehabilitation Lexicon SYNTHESIS The courtyard house consists of several dwelling units arranged around an open area called fushat or court. This court is equipped and functional, it includes a fountain. The living units are often laid out on two or three sides of this court. The north orientation usually includes an iwan (a large arcade) or a riwaq (a gallery with arcade) opening directly onto the court. These constitute a sort of interior façade. They are flanked with a back room and two side elements called mourabbaa. Towards the east, on the side, we find the kitchen and toilets. The origin of this dwelling built around an open area is extremely old. It presumably goes back to the second millennium BC. It can be found in the historical centres of cities and mountain towns and villages. It is the perfect and typical patrician house, called a dar : the word dar is still associated to noble lineage, or heredity. In aristocratic residences, it includes one or more ceremony rooms in a T shape, called qaat. The dar is often one, two or three floors high, making up a harat or a hawch. Several families of the same lineage or geographical origin live in the harat or the hawch. ANALYTICAL GROUP OF THE TYPOLOGY urban grouped permanent varied continuous rooted average to high widespread (environment ) (Implantation) (Character) (Origin) (Use) (Cultural) (Economic level) (Morphology) FORMS OF THE TYPOLOGY O shaped court house U shaped court house L shaped court house INVENTORY OF THE COUNTRY S TYPOLOGIES Troglodyte house Shepard shelter Nomadic habitat Basic house Iwan house Riwaq house Three-arch house Court house This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 1/8
FORMS OF THE TYPOLOGY TYPICAL PLAN Implantation This house belongs to the very fabric of dense historical urban centres. It is generally established in a zouqaq, a residential dead end area, but is more often built within the souk or behind a shop. Use/associated activity The primary role of this house is residential. But it also hosts secondary hand crafted activities mainly carried out by women. Dating This house has been typical in Middle eastern cities since the second millennium BC. Construction was stopped in the late XIXth century. Altitude From the coast to about 1700 m high. Orientation This house is turned north. The room marking the orientation is the iwan or riwaq. In mountain areas, this house is oriented onto the valley. Court house in Zahleh Ground surface covered The built area of this dwelling takes up from 1/3 to ½ of the plot. This ratio is even higher in very dense old cities, such as Tripoli. House area 200 to 00 m 2 Number of floors 1 to 4 Number of homes 1 to about 6 Number of families 1 patriarcal family in the dar ; 1 to 6 families in the harat and hawch Average number of members per family 4 to 10 persons Court house in Rayak This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 2/8
FORMS OF THE TYPOLOGY VARIATION 1 : O SHAPED COURT HOUSE Functional outline The O alternative includes four main buildings on the sides of the court. This alternative is called harat because it usually groups several families. The built area of the house is organized around the court, which is used as a circulation area. The elements seldom communicate between each other but all open onto the court. This court has specific roles and names: matbakh for the kitchen, mouneh for storage rooms, qaat for ceremony rooms... If not, they are called oudah, ghorfeh and sometimes bayt, and are used as bedrooms. The house also includes toilets called mourtafaq. The kitchen and toilets are located on the east side, according to a logical dry/wet distribution, and according to north-eastern, south-western dominant winds which clear away moisture and smells. The iwan is the circulation and communication area between the various dwelling rooms as well as the area where the family relaxes after work. It is also the area where guests are greeted and entertained. The orientation of the iwan is north or onto the valley, to keep the court nice and cool. The court house sometimes includes a garden, which also contributes to ventilating and freshening the yard. Part of household life takes place in the court (laundry, drying of grains or other products...), as well as hand crafted activities. The terrace is also used for household activities. In the very hot days of summer, the family lives mainly in the courtyard, spending evenings and often nights there. To this effect, we still find terraces equipped with an additional element, often built with wood called tayyara. The terrace makes it possible to communicate with neighbours. O shaped courtyard plan in Deir el Kamar ±0 Cross section Elevation Urban fabric Roofing This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 3/8
FORMS OF THE TYPOLOGY VARIATION 2 :U SHAPED COURT PLAN Functional outline The O alternative includes four main buildings on the sides of the court. This alternative is called harat because it usually groups several families. The built area of the house is organized around the court, which is used as a circulation area. The elements seldom communicate between each other but all open onto the court. This court has specific roles and names: matbakh for the kitchen, mouneh for storage rooms, qaat for ceremony rooms... If not, they are called oudah, ghorfeh and sometimes bayt, and are used as bedrooms. The house also includes toilets called mourtafaq. The kitchen and toilets are located on the east side, according to a logical dry/wet distribution, and according to north-eastern, south-western dominant winds which clear away moisture and smells. The iwan is the circulation and communication area between the various dwelling rooms as well as the area where the family relaxes after work. It is also the area where guests are greeted and entertained. The orientation of the iwan is north or onto the valley, to keep the court nice and cool. The court house sometimes includes a garden, which also contributes to ventilating and freshening the yard. Part of household life takes place in the court (laundry, drying of grains or other products...), as well as hand crafted activities. The terrace is also used for household activities. In the very hot days of summer, the family lives mainly in the courtyard, spending evenings and often nights there. To this effect, we still find terraces equipped with an additional element, often built with wood called tayyara. The terrace makes it possible to communicate with neighbours. U shaped court house in Deir el Kamar U shaped court house with riwaq in Hasbayya. U shaped court house with riwaq in Moukhtara +1 Cross section Elevation Urban fabric Roofing This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 4/8
FORMS OF THE TYPOLOGY VARIATION 3: L SHAPED COURT PLAN Functional outline The O alternative includes four main buildings on the sides of the court. This alternative is called harat because it usually groups several families. The built area of the house is organized around the court, which is used as a circulation area. The elements seldom communicate between each other but all open onto the court. This court has specific roles and names: matbakh for the kitchen, mouneh for storage rooms, qaat for ceremony rooms... If not, they are called oudah, ghorfeh and sometimes bayt, and are used as bedrooms. The house also includes toilets called mourtafaq. The kitchen and toilets are located on the east side, according to a logical dry/wet distribution, and according to north-eastern, south-western dominant winds which clear away moisture and smells. The iwan is the circulation and communication area between the various dwelling rooms as well as the area where the family relaxes after work. It is also the area where guests are greeted and entertained. The orientation of the iwan is north or onto the valley, to keep the court nice and cool. The court house sometimes includes a garden, which also contributes to ventilating and freshening the yard. Part of household life takes place in the court (laundry, drying of grains or other products...), as well as hand crafted activities. The terrace is also used for household activities. In the very hot days of summer, the family lives mainly in the courtyard, spending evenings and often nights there. To this effect, we still find terraces equipped with an additional element, often built with wood called tayyara. The terrace makes it possible to communicate with neighbours. L shaped house in Baaqline L shaped court house with a Riwaq in Deir el Kamar. L shaped house in Baaqline +1 Cross section Elevation Urban fabric Roofing This L shaped variation consists of two ditinct buildings This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. /8
Walls The walls are made with stone, generally with two facings, 40 to 100 cm thick. They are blind on the street side. In Békaa, they can be made with earth. The wooden ceiling is supported by joists and beams. Framework It is made up of stone walls, stone pillars and arcades. Roofing The roofing is made with earth. It is 40 to 0 cm thick and rests on a bed of wood supported by beams and joists. Rendering The inside walls are rendered with white lime. The external walls are covered with a wash. The ground is paved with rough stone, or smoothed with madd (rendering). In aristocratic residences, the beams and joists are painted and richly decorated. The walls can be covered with mosaic and the ground inlaid with marble. Openings and projections in the facade The inside doors and the external door are usually surmounted by a flat segmented arch. The windows are rectangular. The external windows are on the second level. No projecting shapes on the façade. The external wall is blind. Traditional systems of air-conditioning Ventilation and light are provided through the court, and heating is provided by a brazier. Drinking water supply systems Water supplies are provided by public fountains Waste water drainage systems Waste water is drained through public sewer networks. In certain cities, as in Beirut, these networks date back to Roman times. This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 6/8
CURRENT STATE OF VITALITY AND PRESERVATION The XIXth century middle-class that inhabited these homes have long sold or rented them: only poor classes now live there. Some houses were squatted by refugees during the civil war, as in Saïda, and these constructions were for the most part little maintained. The general public shows little interest in this heritage, not to mention speculators. Some buildings are protected today, as in Deir el Qamar or Saïda. Their state of preservation, in terms of structure, is rather good, contrarily to what one would think seeing the dilapidated walls, for lack of maintenance. TRANSFORMATION PROCESS Typological transformations Effect / Cause Close-up of a late wall add-on in an O shaped court house, made with red brick in Tripoli Volume : Few court houses have kept them in their original state. One or two stone floors were already in the late XIXth century. Some were even covered with Marseilles tiles (flat mechanical tiles). During the XXth century, concrete elements were added to courts and floors. Some courts were also closed and roofed. Façades separations : External facades were generally little affected. Structure : Beams, pillars and doors, initially made with iron, were reported to have been replaced with aluminium elements. The new walls are made with concrete or stone blocks. Layout organization: The inside layout was not systematically redesigned. To include an additional element or bathroom, one takes the room from empty areas, the court or higher floor, for example. These houses are approximately used like before, except when they are squatted or divided up for rental. Extra floor add-on Change in use The court house still plays its primary residential role today. These houses have not been massively given up. Change in use of construction materials and techniques In use, living: Little used, in decline : Stone, wood No longer used : Lime, traditional rendering, hard-packed earth Recent incorporations : Aluminium doors and windows, blocks, metal frameworks with flat mechanical tiles, cement wash. This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 7/8
CAPACITY FOR REHABILITATION Aspects of the typology Score from 0 (very poor) to 10 (excellent) Capacity for sale or rental on the property market Capacity for adaptation to present-day family and social requirements 2 Capacity for adaptation to present-day comfort requirements 3 Score from 0 (insignificant) to 10 (major) Technical difficulty of rehabilitation 2 Administrative difficulty of rehabilitation 4 Financial difficulties (very high cost) of rehabilitation 6 Obstacles preventing rehabilitation/causing the user to decide not to rehabilitate Score from 0 (does not represent an obstacle) to 10 (represents a major obstacle) Administrative difficulties 4 Major technical difficulties 2 Irreversible deterioration of the structure 9 Listed/protected building 4 High cost of rehabilitation Absence of aid/subsidies 8 Cost of the project and permits 6 Status of building/lease 2 Inflation of property prices 2 Social decline (delinquency, ) 2 Poor environmental conditions (absence of minimum infrastructures, ) 8 Desire to change the building for a modern one 8 Lack of sensitisation/appreciation on the part of the users 8 Not considered necessary (by the user) 7 Comments Court houses are the oldest typology found in Lebanon. However, they are neither included in any conservation policy, nor any systematic study program. The few preservation projects that were undertaken have failed. LEXICON Bayt : dwelling room Dar : noble residence, quality house Fushat : court, courtyard Ghorfeh : dwelling room Harat, hawch : Court house, with two or three floors, hosting several families. A deteriorated harat is sometimes called hawch. Iwan : large arcade Madd : floor smoothing rendering Matbakh : kitchen Mouneh : supplies, provisions Mourtafaq : toilets Oudah : dwelling room, bedroom Qaat : reception hall, or large room Riwaq : arcade gallery Tayyara : very open, ventilated room on a terrace Zouqaq : residential dead-end Références : Illustrations graphiques ; Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA) : Plans, Cross sections, Façades ; Etudiants : Ferzli, Ghaoui, Hourany, Rahal, Rustom, Sokhn. File created: 08.08.2003 Last modified: 29.11.2003 This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 8/8