Fares Dagher Lighting Design

03

Glass House

Year
2020
Location
Baakline, Lebanon
Type
Residential / Country House
Area
1800 m²
Client
Dolly Bou Ayyash
Designer
Karim Nader
The Glass House in late sun: a fully glazed ground floor under a cantilevered black steel canopy, with three stone-and-timber pavilions above and pine trees to the right.

A combination of an exposed, minimal steel structure and natural stone masonry answers the owners' request for a glass house in the Chouf. Taking inspiration from the classic design icon, a black steel structure, oversized glass, and warm, earthy materials come together with the help of modern technologies and the heritage of local village architecture. The country house stacks three small pavilions atop a glass floor with a cantilevered ceiling, while avoiding the use of concrete.

Landscape lighting

The lighting of the landscape needed to reflect the clean lines and transparency of the house, as well as the wild trees around it, which were left as untouched as possible, with very little impact on the natural site.

The result is a carefully calculated strategy of lighting points, modern in look and neat in aesthetic, distributed around the site without obstructing the panoramic views towards Beirut, Deir el Qamar, and Beiteddine.

Landscape lighting plan of the Glass House, showing the house, the pool, and the surrounding trees, with lighting points marked in yellow.
Landscape lighting plan. Lighting points in yellow.

Outdoor fixtures

The landscape plan divided into four numbered zones, one for each type of outdoor fixture.

  1. In.Es, Ex.Moon

    • IP65
    • E27 LED
    • 13 / 20 / 30 W
    A glowing spherical Ex.Moon lamp among tall grasses and pebbles. Two glowing spheres of different sizes by the water at dusk.

  2. Davide Groppi, Bubka

    • IP65
    • LED 8.4 W
    • 700 mA
    • 2700 K
    • 640 lm
    Two slender Bubka pole lights beside an arched stone doorway at night. A single Bubka pole light over a timber deck and ornamental grasses at dusk.

  3. Vibia, Bamboo 4803

    • IP66
    • 2 × LED 2.1 W
    • 700 mA
    • 2700 K
    • 92 lm
    Slim Bamboo bollards casting light across a lawn in front of a stone wall.

  4. Artemide, Oblique

    • IP65
    • LED 15 W
    • 700 mA
    • 3000 K
    • 1263 lm
    An Oblique bollard among ferns, its angled head lit.

Multipurpose room

The multipurpose room below the pool serves as an entertainment area and as a guest house with two additional bedrooms. Distributed over two levels, the space is connected through a void in the northern corner and by bay windows on the upper level of the rooms.

The lighting needed to be consistent on both levels, to maintain this visual connection and to link the different rooms together.

Option 1

Multipurpose room, option 1, ground floor plan with fixture positions and cable runs.
Ground floor
Multipurpose room, option 1, first floor plan with fixture positions.
First floor
  • A linear suspension of thin black rods ending in a small glowing sphere.
  • A horizontal suspension of thin black rods with two small glowing spheres.
  • A long-reach wall light extending across a dark wall.
  • A black long-reach wall light above a timber table.

Option 2

Multipurpose room, option 2, ground floor plan with fixture positions.
Ground floor
Multipurpose room, option 2, first floor plan with fixture positions.
First floor
  • An arched floor lamp with a black conical shade beside a window.
  • A black conical shade suspended in front of a timber wall.
  • A wall-mounted arm with a small cylindrical spotlight in a living space.
  • A bent-arm wall light with a small cylindrical head.