bebeirut architects partners with beb w shebbek to rebuild homes after the beirut blast

after the devastating explosion in beirut on august 4th 2020, bebeirut architects has partnered with leading NGO, beb w shebbek, to provide vital assistance to the most affected victims of the blast. with at least 200 deaths, thousands injured, and more than 300,000 families displaced, lives were changed irrevocably and the city was left in ruins. since then, many volunteers and NGOs have stepped up to give support to citizens and help rebuild the city as part of the ongoing relief efforts after the blast.

the damage is massive, and many people are unable to pay for the cost of repairs

images courtesy of bebeirut architects

bebeirut architects is a social and humanitarian initiative, among many others, with the aim of assisting the most vulnerable and affected victims of beirut’s explosion. born out of a team of 40+ architects from notre dame university (current students, alumni, and instructors), bebeirut architects’ main purpose is to provide architectural services in supervision, project management, and damage assessment.

panoramic window showing the aftermath of the beirut port explosion

bebeirut is working in collaboration with beb w shebbek, one of the leading NGOs who mobilized quickly and who currently has hundreds of volunteers helping on the ground to restore the doors and windows of the capital’s most damaged residential houses. bebeirut architects’ action plan revolves around visiting the victims, selecting contractors, developing detailed bills of quantities, supervising, and managing the reconstruction work from start to end. in addition, the team is assisting open map lebanon in building a relief map denoting all the organizations and associations on the ground.

the team’s action plan includes visiting the victims, selecting contractors, developing detailed bills of quantities, supervising, and managing the reconstruction work from start to end

until today, bebeirut architects has visited and assessed over 50 homes with plans to bringing their reconstruction into completion within the coming weeks. ‘the team’s efforts in providing suitable living conditions are ongoing. our goal is to continue to rebuild as many homes that were damaged by this blast as possible’, says architect and UCL researcher paul moawad, who launched this initiative.

students and fresh graduates using tools of their education to become part of the mass rebuild

community outreach is proving to be one the biggest assets lebanese citizens possess, and the openness to volunteer work is an opportunity for change. students and fresh graduates, led by architects and urbanists, are eager to engage in the mass rebuild and use tools of their education to become participants in the reconstruction phase rather than spectators. ‘together we can rebuild: rebuild what has been destroyed, rebuild hope, and continue to rebuild the future.’ – bebeirut architects

over 50 homes have been visited and assessed, and the reconstruction plans are to be completed within the coming weeks

volunteers rushing to help, filling the void of an absent government

bebeirut architects collaborates with beb w shebbek to provide pro-bono architectural services for the most affected beirut citizens

‘we will live in beirut again’

‘we will come back stronger than before!’

‘we will keep dreaming of a better beirut’

project info:

project name: bebeirut

project type: disaster relief

architects: bebeirut architects in collaboration with beb w shebbek