Layla Jabbour, architect restorer and senior lecturer at the Ramez G. Chagoury Faculty of Art Architecture and Design’s (FAAD) Department of Architecture, now represents Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) as one of the main founding committee members in the formulation of the Beirut Urban Declaration (BUD).
In the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion, the Order of Engineers and Architects (OEA) in Beirut partnered with Faculties of Architecture in universities across Lebanon to found the BUD, with the goal of rebuilding the affected areas.
The BUD reviews a set of ideas as a starting point in order to formulate an integrated vision for the reconstruction. It proposes a national vision for reconstruction, heritage rehabilitation, protection of the social fabric and the urban identity of the affected areas as a result of the tragic event, and the reformulation of the port relationship to its urban context. The BUD also outlines the role that the OEA could play in cooperation with the Universities in envisioning the reformation of the affected region.
Following the Declaration, the OEA Beirut held a two-day workshop on the 5th and 6th of December, which saw the participation of most university departments of architecture in Lebanon to further develop and discuss the main founding axes of the BUD.
Jabbour, who has taken part in numerous meetings and discussions since August 2020, coordinated and presented axis 5, Management and Organization of the Reconstruction, during the workshop. The presentation focused on the understanding of the challenges, opportunities and possible approaches in managing the complicated process of reconstruction.
The workshop was broadcasted live on Facebook and on ZOOM and can be viewed by following the link www.facebook.com/oeabeirut.