Saluting the efforts of the municipality of Kharayeb, South Lebanon to create inclusive spaces to all community groups, UNDP committed to transform an empty municipal land into a multi-purpose community center, a mini-football field and child-friendly play area.

UNDP and Kharayeb Municipality are aiming to inaugurate the space in line with the phased easing of COVID-19 restrictions. The space will welcome active NGOs to organize pyscho-social and community empowerment activities, local youth to play football, and all Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian families living in Kharayeb and its four Palestinian Gatherings to enjoy the play area during the day.

The design of the community center reintroduces long forgotten vernacular building techniques: using building material that is locally procured natural, recycled and unprocessed; using tires and wood for main structures; and relying on clay for plastering and lime for painting. The management office attached to the center is an up-cycled old prefabricated container.

The design also employs cutting-edge eco-friendly architectural solutions: water is supplied through rain water harvesting, electricity is secured through solar panels, and sewage is treated biologically on-site to be used for irrigation; while thermal insulators allow preserving a constant temperature throughout the year, saving the energy cost of heating and cooling.

“The design of the Kharayeb center is a statement to rethink the construction industry, by producing low cost, energy neutral, passive and self-sufficient dwelling.”

Nizar Haddad

LifeHaus Project – Founder and Lead Architect

Some of the photos were taken prior to the Covid19 outbreak