- Project: Skyhaven Residence
- Architect: BLANKPAGE Architects
- Location: Lebanon, Ghouma
- Year: 2023
- Area: 740 m2
- Photography: Wissam Chaaya
A Modern Architectural Masterpiece in the Batroun Region
Perched atop a breathtaking hill in Ghouma, Lebanon, Skyhaven Residence is a contemporary architectural marvel that seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings. Overlooking a lush valley with panoramic sea views, this 740m² residence is designed as a dual-home retreat, accommodating both the client and his parents under one architectural envelope.
A Design Inspired by Nature
Embracing the dramatic topography, the residence takes shape as a modern belvedere, following the site’s natural contours in a sweeping arc. This organic form maximizes the visual connection to the landscape while minimizing excavation impact. The design consists of two cantilevered levels extending from the cliff’s edge, supported by concrete corbels, creating a floating effect above the valley.
Spatial Configuration: Blurring Boundaries Between Indoors and Outdoors
The lower level, characterized by its solid concrete mass, houses the private quarters. Bedrooms for both households are thoughtfully separated yet connected by a meditation room, a tranquil space influenced by Japanese design, featuring a raised wooden platform surrounded by greenery. Above, the upper level is a transparent, light-filled space, where fully glazed living areas and open kitchens dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior. Sliding aluminum panels allow for complete openness, enhancing the sensation of living on an elevated balcony.
A shared semi-covered entrance doubles as a multi-functional gathering space, fostering spontaneous interactions between family members.
Landscape and Architectural Harmony
The arrival platform features an infinity pool, visually merging with the horizon, while a car park is discreetly tucked beneath. A bridge extends from the pool deck, leading to the villa’s rooftop lounge, offering yet another outdoor living experience.
The landscape design mirrors the house’s geometric logic and the site’s natural topography. Towards the valley, it unfolds into terraced lawns that gradually blend into the surrounding prairie-like vegetation. A semi-buried office pavilion is seamlessly integrated beneath the largest terrace, complete with a green roof and a retractable skylight. On the opposite side, the landscape transitions into agricultural terraces, reinforced with Corten steel and traditional stone retaining walls, creating a dialogue between modern intervention and vernacular farming techniques.
Sustainable and Innovative Construction
The residence is constructed using a hybrid structural system, combining steel and concrete. The lower level features an inner fair-faced concrete shell and an outer corrugated concrete façade, which gives the villa a raw, mineral-like aesthetic while serving as a backdrop for cascading rosemary plants. The upper level boasts a lightweight steel framework, crowned with a wing-profiled roof clad in white composite aluminum panels, ensuring both structural efficiency and contemporary elegance.
Off-Grid Living: A Self-Sustaining Retreat
Skyhaven Residence is designed to be energy-efficient and self-sustaining, with a photovoltaic array providing full autonomy during sunny weather. This commitment to sustainability enhances the residence’s identity as a harmonious retreat, seamlessly blending contemporary architecture with the untouched beauty of Lebanon’s Batroun valley.
