Baalbek: mosaic of influences

Five years ago I visited Lebanon. It was a trip that would always be in my memory no matter what. Charbel – I had known him a year at that time - became my guide for two weeks, showing me his country as it was with all positive and negative sides. I decided for myself that Baalbek was one of the places that I absolutely had to visit.

The road was going south-east. It became twisty in the Lebanese Mountains and then again straightened up down in the Bekaa valley. Slow turn and we were going to the north towards Baalbek. Along the way we were stopped frequently by the military posts checking passports and the trunk of a car. The landscape was changing drastically. Lebanese vineyards and small villages disappeared as we moved further. We saw more bad roads and poor houses as we reached the area that used to be the source of hashish, opium and stolen cars. The territory was controlled by Hezbollah – radical Islamic group. Our driver highly discouraged us from taking any photographs. There was no trace of European influence anymore: all the signs were strictly in Arabic, people wore traditional dress and no women were seen on the streets.

As we reached Baalbek we had to wait a short period of time till the next guide could take over our little group of two. While waiting a short ride on a camel became the perfect start of an exciting journey. Following the guide we walked up towards the grand complex of temples, ancient ruins and trilithons. First settled at the end of the 8^th millennium BC, Arabs built the first sanctuary in Baalbek area, followed by the Roman temples and Christian churches. After the area became part of Islamic Empire the temples became a fortress used for resisting Crusades. With the conquest by the Ottomans the importance of Baalbek declined till second half of the 19^th century (when tourism increased). Baalbek represents the mix of multiple cultures, traditions and architectural styles. They have been incorporated throughout the complex and coexisted for centuries.

We visited three temples: the sanctuary of Jupiter, temple of Bacchus and temple of Venus. The sanctuary if Jupiter had only six surviving columns. These colossal columns were standing on a giant pedestal, surrounded by ruins. Temple of Bacchus was in much better condition: the majority of the structure was maintained up to the roof level. Smaller round temple of Venus had numerous sculptural relieves of the Roman Gods and Arabic writing.

As Lebanon itself, Baalbek is a mosaic of religions, ethnicities and cultures that had shown their impact on the land with architecture. Political preferences and social statuses add more diversity to the already boiling “pot of flavors” in Lebanon. The country sits between Islamic and Christian worlds, rich and poor, neutral and radical. Fifteen-year civil war that happened there in 1975 turned most of the country to rubble and cost 150,000 lives. There are still buildings in Beirut that have huge holes and missing floors – they are meant to be preserved to remind future generations of what might happen if another war starts.

In our student life we have to face so many questions of ethical content. We know the answers on most of them, but still sometimes stay in the “grey” area. These questions include deciding on whether to borrow a design idea from another designer/fellow student or create your own, to print personal documents or laser cutting personal party invitations using school equipment while at work or pay extra money out of one’s own pocket, etc. I absolutely believe that set of ethics can establish necessary ground rules that will lead the student body in a true direction. Understanding responsibilities in front of the professors, school, peers and environment is very important for learning how to cooperate with people of different backgrounds, beliefs and behavior and how to become a successful design practitioner in the future. I also think that the ethical tone can be set by professors as well. They can send an important message to the students by setting exemplary behavior of their own. As a result, the school of architecture ethics will be applied to the students as well as to the professors. In the end, the standards that apply to all will be the most effective.

First time I learned about the concept of studio culture was 4 years ago when I came to study in the US. I had previous experience of college life: I pursued degree in linguistics for 3 years in Russia. I ended up deciding that it wasn’t my path, transferred to Louisiana Tech and changed my major. Well, let me tell you that my previous experience of college life was so different, that it’s impossible to draw any comparison between the two. My curriculum was set by the university (students couldn’t choose classes or time when they took them); basic classes were set in the form of lectures or language exercises; exhausting exams were usually written essays; no personal space was provided by the university; no technology was available, except a tiny computer lab that had 5-6 computers with the limit of 30 minutes per student (nobody even hoped for wireless)… sounds pretty bad, but I can tell you that students found their ways even in those conditions. Here is a video from a popular movie that, in my opinion, is a quite interesting description of the student culture in Russia. It is outdated at some level, but nevertheless very expressive (please, skip the “criminal” part of another movie at the beginning of the video and start from “Strange impression”).

I think it is easier to appreciate “the comfort level” the universities in the US give to their students if one can compare it with an understanding of an “outsider”. In Louisiana Tech the facilities give an excellent start to the education: studying lounges, wireless internet, large computer labs, unlimited printing, workout areas, etc.

Now, let me note that architecture and interior design students fall out of the “normal” practice on campus. We are granted personal space (cubicles), digital technology (3d printing and scanning, laser cutting, large format printing), lighting lab and textile resource room, wood and metal fabrication shop, etc. Despite the facilities and technological advancements, it is the students themselves that create the studio culture. The atmosphere of a busy architecture office is achieved through collaborative work of the students, integration in social activities, competitive designs and innovative solutions. It is hard to imagine the student projects to be the way they are now if students couldn’t work side by side absorbing skills and knowledge from each other.

I was born in the Soviet Union that fell apart after 4 years and the country became Republic. The time of political changes was very harsh for the majority of people. It was very rare that people bought new furniture or home appliances at that period of time: it was almost impossible to find anything in the stores. Most of the furniture that has been in my parents’ apartment was given by their parents.

http://tomandmaria.blogspot.com/2007/02/carpet-cleaning-technology.html

One of the most valued pieces was a Persian rug. Originally it occupied the whole wall in the living room, serving as an artwork. Later when it became older and shabbier my mother moved it on the floor, so it would give warmth to the feet in winter. In the summer it was usually rolled up and put away. Cleaning the carpet was one of the family rituals in winter. It is hard to believe now, but my family used snow for carpet cleaning and not sprays or chemicals. It worked perfectly well and was ecologically clean.

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Another piece of furniture, actually electronics, was an old TV. It was my parents’ wedding gift, long time before remote controls and flat LCD screens were invented. It has always been the center of the evening at home. After a good meal it was the place where the whole family enjoyed a movie: lying on the couch, wrapped in the blankets and sipping tea.

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Balconies serve an important role in Russian apartments. They provide a glimpse of nature and outside experience for apartment residents. My parents had an astonishing panoramic view of the Volga River from the balcony; it was the main reason why they chose to purchase apartment at the exact location. Because of the severe winters people tend to glaze their balconies. It is also common to use them for the storage of vegetable and fruit preserves. Also, the balcony in my parents’ apartment was used as a napping place in the summer evenings. It provided sufficient shade and light breeze coming from the river.

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I think the great appreciation of having home came to my family after a tragic event that happened several years ago. My grandfather lost his house and miraculously stayed alive after the fire on the New Year’s Eve. It was absolutely devastating for my family. At the same time, we couldn’t believe the courage and great luck of my grandfather: he woke up in the middle of the night when the fire and smoke filled the house and rushed to the gas tank that was about to blow up the building. He threw away the dangerous container out of the window and saved his house from becoming the ruins. After a year my parents rebuilt the house for my grandfather completely on their own: from the foundation up to the roof. Because all the things that hold memories were lost in the fire the home will never be the same for my grandfather.

Choice is an important key in life. Some of the decisions we make are more important than others. There are few that might change our life forever. The movie Reader brings up intriguing questions in my mind: can we always judge people by their actions or should we try to understand what might have caused them to be in this situation? Can we learn anything if we try to understand why some people commit crime or we just have to admit that their actions are evil? What might possibly influence the actions of a criminal? In the movie Reader one generation comes to terms with the crime of another.

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I see similarity with architecture in this life situation: every new generation of architects have to coexist with the results of the previous generation. They have to respond to successes and failures of other architects. There are some architects who decide to bring change into society. They have to deal with poverty and crime, understanding its origins and possibilities of prevention. I believe that architecture can change the reality of many areas by bringing job opportunities and unconventional affordable design solutions.

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When we talk about the research of the reasons for a crime, sometimes I ask myself: can people break accepted moral standards for the higher purposes of utilitarian good? Do the criminals who justify their actions with the attempt to “make it right” follow the ideas of committing “good” for others or for themselves? Gregory Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment believed that purpose could justify any means, even if it took to kill a pawnbroker that he considered a low class creature, a louse living on the body of humanity. At the end of the novel he admitted that he was motivated by his benefit (idea of a superior person) and not the society’s.

Theft is one of the most common crimes. Cell phones are a relatively low cost technology. In spite of that they hold a high value in poor areas of the globe and get commonly stolen. As the devices increase the number of functions and their sophistication – theft statistics rise. iPhone is known as the most stolen cell phone. Society’s persuasion to own a desirable iPhone is the main reason of these thefts.

As we know increasing demand increases the value of the product. The supplier of the desired product has the power over society and has an opportunity to increase influence and prosperity to a great level. I’ve recently read couple of pages from the book “Essays in social justice” by Thomas Nixon Carver. He develops an imaginative situation in his book: the world becomes vegetarian and potatoes become the main item of the human diet. The potato growers start making money, prospering and getting richer, while meat producers start loosing their money. Eventually the producers of meat loose their businesses as they do not change their strategies and persist producing the same product. As a result the meat producers “lay the blame upon the potato growers” (Carver, 241), not realizing that being successful means to provide humanity with desired goods or services. In the reality potato growing companies become very useful for society.

I have the following questions coming up in my mind: is there a place for justice in society? Is it possible to form the taste/habits of society instead of simply fulfilling the desires of people? Why is it common for people to blame successful companies/businessmen, who might be taking the society in a wrong direction instead of trying to come up with significant and unconventional ideas?

This month the first electrical car with the lithium battery, The Elettrica, came out to the UK market. It provides twice the range of other electric cars and offers a maximum speed of 70 mph after 5-hour charge.





Till now Lithium-ion batteries have been commonly found in cell phones and laptops. They seem to offer much higher performances in electric cars as well. Because of that Toyota chose lithium ion batteries for its third-generation Prius hybrid car.


Are electric cars limited only to the car industry? I believe that fuel efficient vehicles are part of a much broader concept. Architects have been designing and inventing the concept cars along with building skyscrapers and football stadiums.


The Dymaxion car was designed by the architect Buckminster Fuller in 1933. It was a concept car with a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon. It could carry 11 passengers and develop the speed of 90 mph. Dymaxion was a brand name that Fuller gave to several of his inventions. He wanted to emphasize that they were part of a project to improve living conditions of people.





Due to the accident in 1933 the project was abandoned, nevertheless the Dymaxion car served as a prototype to several subsequent fuel-efficient vehicle designs.

Incredibles house

Mr. Incredible is a superhero that can save the world in less than no time. He stops the bank robbery and rescues an old lady’s cat as part of a daily routine.





50 pounds later the super guy becomes an office worker with a cubical and his wife, Elastigirl, a soccer mom, looking after their “gifted” kids. Suburbia becomes a habitat for a middle class American family before Mr. Incredible jumps for a chance to become a hero again.





The Incredibles’ ranch house does not follow the rules of normal domesticity. It seems harder for the hero of baby boomers generation to manage house work than to stop the bad guys.





The house is based on an Eichler home. Tony Newton, a designer at Pixar said: "In the course of our research, we went and visited a lot of real homes, and the one we kept coming back to was the Eichler." The Eichler design worked very well, because Pixar wanted the house to create a hidden identity the way family did.