Overview

The School of Architecture & Design was officially established in 2009, following the consolidation of the Fine Arts, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Architecture, and Fashion Design programs under one school. The established programs have a long history at LAU, with the program in Fine Arts dating back to 1957, Interior Design to 1982, Architecture to 1993, and Graphic Design to 1994. In the fall 2002, the Foundation program was established as a common platform for all entering design students, upon completion of which they choose their area of specialization.

Degrees and Minors Offered

Undergraduate Majors

• Bachelor of Architecture
• BFA in Fashion Design
• BFA in Graphic Design
• BFA in Interior Design
• BFA in Studio Arts

Graduate Majors

• MA in Islamic Art

Minors

• Minor in Animation
• Minor in Art History
• Minor in Fine Arts
• Minor in Photography

Mission & Vision

The mission of the School of Architecture & Design is to educate competent designers and fine artists in the various design fields, who will have the breadth of knowledge and the skills necessary to creatively engage different artistic and design problems, in addition to a broad culture founded on liberal education that will allow graduates to operate as responsible citizens and ethical professionals in a global world.

The School of Architecture & Design’s mission and values drive its vision to:

1. create a school that brings together the various design and fine arts disciplines,
2. develop an atmosphere characterized by collegiality, the exchange of ideas, experimentation and research,
3. provide a forum for emerging talent in the various design and fine arts fields, and
4. meet the goals of the university in achieving excellence and measuring up to international standards of education and practice in the design and fine arts field.

Institutes in the School of Architecture & Design

The Institute of Art in the Arab World (IAAW) at LAU is dedicated to the study of contemporary and modern artistic production from the Arab world and its diaspora.

The mission of the Institute is to promote interdisciplinary research on artistic production and curatorial practices that tackle social, economic and political issues. It aims to develop an archive of artistic activities that redefine the role of art within the Arab world, how it relates to modernism as defined by the so-called western cannon, and how it operates within the historical circumstances and political discourses coalescing in and beyond the region in relation to political conflicts, pandemics, the environment, and other global issues.
The IAAW also aims at establishing a dialogue between international scholars and the local community of scholars and artists through seminars, lecture series and other activities at the intersection of art, post-colonial and gender studies.

The mission of the Institute of Environmental Studies & Research [IESR] is to investigate issues of environmental nature, and the impact of such issues on the long-term sustainability of the region and its resources. These issues include but are not limited to: the impact of urban growth, zoning and urban development on cities and suburbs, and the impact of building construction and energy use on the environment. 

School of Architecture & Design Facilities

Architecture & Interior Design Labs

Two computer labs and one digital lab in each of Beirut and Byblos campuses are dedicated to architecture and interior design applications. They are used for courses as well as support facilities for design studios, and are equipped with scanners, plotters, laser cutting machine, water jet machine, and 3D printers.

Graphic Design Computer Labs

Three computer labs in Beirut and one in Byblos are dedicated to graphic design digital production services. The labs are equipped with state of the art computers, digital cameras, scanners, plotters, risograph printing, virtual reality headsets and other equipment. The labs are open to graphic design students, and support all graphic design studios, in addition to design workshops, held during the semester. One of the labs is dedicated to all digital graphic design studio courses.

Photography Studios

The studios, one each in Beirut and Byblos, are open to all students taking photography courses, who may develop film and prints in the professional dark rooms. Both spaces are equipped for studio photography, with a professional digital camera, as well as small, medium and large format analogue cameras, and full digital studio equipment.

Silkscreen Studio

The Silkscreen Studio (in Beirut) is open to students enrolled in the silkscreen studio course. It is used for silkscreening and binding projects, and is fully equipped with screen-printing machines, frames, water guns, a light room, and printing material.

Ceramic Workshop

The ceramic workshops, one each in Beirut and Byblos, are equipped with the tools needed for the production of ceramic artwork, such as slab rollers, coil extruders, wheels, and kilns. They are open to all students taking ceramics courses.

Print Making Studio

The Printmaking Studio (in Beirut) is open to students enrolled in the Printmaking course. It is used for printmaking and various projects utilizing the following transfer techniques: relief, intaglio, planography, and stencil, and is fully equipped with, drying racks,etching trays, and printing material.

Fabrication Labs

The fabrication labs, one each in Beirut and Byblos, are equipped with metal and wood machinery used for the production of three-dimensional, hand-made design models, allowing students to produce their own study and final models for architecture and design studios.

School Administration

The school houses the departments of: 

• Architecture & Interior Design
• Art & Design
• Foundation Program: this is not a separate department. It is a program required for all students that should be completed in the first year of enrollment.

Dean

• Elie Haddad, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean

• Sophie Khayat, D.E.S.

Chairs

• Chahid Akoury, Ph.D., Art & Design
• Maroun El-Daccache, Ph.D., Architecture & Interior Design

Associate Chairs

• Ramona Abdo, M.Arch., Architecture & Interior Design
• Lee Frederix, M.Arch., Art & Design

Staff

• Michella Bou Nader, Senior Executive Assistant
• Mayssam Ezzeddine, Principal Academic Assistant
• Lea Karam, Lead Assessment Officer

Contact Information

Byblos

• Phone: Extension 2474
• Address: Architecture Building 502 B
• SArD Website