Outdoors

Site The city of Beirut lies in the heart of the developing Middle East. Having always been a cosmopolitan city, it is a focal point of the region as a cultural and geographical link between Europe and the Middle East. The history of Beirut could hardly be more diverse; remains of Phoenician, Roman, Mamluk, Ottoman and Colonial rule have shaped the city and its buildings. The design of Beirut Terraces was quite literally influenced by the layers of the city’s rich and tumultuous history. It is a history now also marked by inescapable traces of an eventful present. For generations to come, the people of Beirut will remember the assassination in 2005 of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, when a car bomb detonated in front of St. Georges Hotel.... More

This modern home, of 9000 square feet, is located in an affluent, waterfront community. While there were no unusual programmatic requirements, the client wanted to achieve a sense of drama in the architecture and interiors; most importantly to capture the panoramic views. The house emerged as two slender volumes that oriented themselves perpendicular to the primary viewing plane. A double height space connects these two parallel wings. The connecting volume acts as the entry in to the formal living room and dining room, featuring full height glass fenestrations, in both the front and the back. Walking through the front entry you are afforded with a view straight through the center of the home to the Atlantic Ocean. The transparency provides... More

Camp JRF’s summer camp expansion harnesses the power of social experience, using a solar-powered, 6,000-square-foot performance building, yurts with communal fire pits, and a bathhouse with outdoor meeting areas. Metcalfe designed a sustainable campus for 90 residents by including solar hot-water heating, rain gardens, solar PV panels, recycled materials, decking made of recycled plastic, and energy-efficient lighting. A mainstay of our approach is the involvement of stakeholders in the design process — in this case, camp counselors. Their input helped create opportunities for socialization that involve learning about the benefits of sustainable design. More

Abington Friends School had completed plans for a children's garden, Nature Playground, adjacent to their early childhood classrooms. MA&D was hired to create a place for open-ended, physical play that would anchor the garden experience. It needed to reflect the Reggio-informed learning principles that form the core of the school's philosophy: child-directed, contact with nature and welcoming for the whole family. More