The Rural Nexus

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of different strategies of intervention in the rural areas of Lebanon, specifically the rural mountains that have adopted a static presence. The current rate of expansion is leading to the exploitation of natural rural areas. The aim is to explore an alternate productive and autonomous character for the rural countryside and avoid the urban sprawl condition infiltrating the suburbs. The central approach is a scheme of empowerment and connectivity to expand the existing reach of the rural and rethink the way we settle and work in rural spaces to introduce multifunctional inserts that revitalize existing practices. This is focused on three essential components for empowerment: Education, Industry & Leisure. The project will explore how these can be inserted and overlapped through different typologies adopted from local practices to engage the community.