Villa Chams in Baalbek, Lebanon by Carl Gerges Architects

Laying remotely in the arid landscape of Baalbek, Lebanon is a tranquil retreat that seamlessly blends into its beautiful and remote landscape. Villa Chams’ architectural language is informed by the world existing around it, from the flora to the Roman temples. Carl Gerges Architects distil its essence by drawing on the context. “Touching on all elements of the earth, this house is meticulously designed to emit feelings of harmonious tranquillity with nature’s many sensorial layers”, says Gerges.

The building emerges out of dry earth, it’s textural outer face easily mistaken for a rocky mountain. The solidness of its from is counterbalanced by the insertion of large windows that create a rhythmic flow from its rudimentary grid. Spaces carved from its shell are in moments introverted and insular, while others feel like open extensions of the landscape.

The 700-square-metre property brings new meaning to indoor/outdoor living, inviting the “mindfully preserved rocks, opunita, olive trees and other flora” directly into all spaces. Rough terrazzo, mixed with native mineral aggregates, mirrors the raw, earthy quality of the landscape. Water flows freely like a running river through oversized concrete columns. Its rippling nature reflects the distant mountains and sky, projecting the rugged scenery onto the buildings monolithic form. Spaces unfold as a series of meticulously curated moments, each designed to frame a specific view. The experience of moving through the home can be likened to circulating through a photographic exhibition, each room existing like a perfect image.

Gerges explains that the “seasonal nature of Baalabek adds another dimension to this built environment”, as the changing outer conditions are heightened and deeply influence the experience within the home. “Dry and sunny days can be enjoyed under shaded areas and within cooling rocks, while chilly mystical nights can be spent stargazing by the fireplace”, says the architect. This home becomes a vessel to celebrate the world outside its shell, encouraging connection and relaxing respite.

Rooms exist as dreamy beige dipped enclaves that feel as though they have been carved from the rock surrounding them. Warm and welcoming, their solidity expressed though poured earth concrete walls offers protection from the harshness of the outside world, while simultaneously celebrating its beauty. The bathroom features a wall of exposed rock, a natural material that was selected and left untreated so that it can change colour and form over time.