Also called Green Architecture, it is the construction of buildings that are harmless to the environment. In 1969, the Scottish-born American architect McHarg started the movement. He thought that the environment must be connected to the designing world, explaining that in his book "Design with nature". His movement inspired the foundation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 1994. The benefits of green architecture to the environment are many; 1) decreases water waste 2) reduces energy waste 3) saves natural resources 4) carbon trace reduction... Moreover, LEED's purpose is to use renewable energy (solar energy & wind energy) and to lessen the use of harmful machines. So, how do Lebanese Architects respond to that?

For you who don't know, Lebanon is a small Arab country, located on the seaside of the Mediterranean Sea. Despite its regional importance, the country of Cedars is far from becoming a developed country, because it is facing many crises at the same time: an economic crisis, where the currency keeps increasing, for instance, 1$ is now worth 12.000 LBP, compared to 1$=1.500 LBP, before 2020. Lebanon is also facing a climate crisis, recently, an enormous amount of fish was found dead at the Litani lake. It is worth noting that this has happened many times before, despite the fishing ban, 2 years ago. Hence, Lebanon can not be considered an environmentally conscious country.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any worthy recent articles about Green Architecture in the country of Cedars. Because the Lebanese Cedars represent Lebanon, Architects have decided to start a universal investment project...Lebanon's Cedar Island. Even though 12 years have passed, this artificial island has not been build. The project was proposed by the chairman of the board of directors in "Noor International Holding", Dr. Muhammad Saleh. He stated that this project aims to reinforce tourism in Lebanon and creates 50.000 job opportunities. Thus, making more income for the country, which is likely to be wasted by the government. The people's opinions were quite different, some thought that building an artificial tree in the Mediterranean sea, is so unnecessary, and harmful to marine life. In my opinion, despite the benefits Lebanon's Cedar Island has, I do not support it, because this is the last thing Lebanon can afford, now. More than that, I couldn't find that any sustainable steps are to be taken. Though, the project's documents show many buildings next to a vast greenery space. Other people support the project because they are looking for a career, in hopes that it takes Lebanon closer to end the unemployment.

On the other hand, the Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC) has proved its intentions to make Lebanon more sustainable. Founded in 2008, this council addresses various environmental issues in the architecture field, through conferences and wining many green awards. The Lebanese American University has also used this technique and is committed to developing sustainable buildings. Published in 2019, they have constructed two great buildings, dedicated to educational causes in the Byblos campus. They are the following: The Library and Riyad Nassar Central Administration & the Tohme-Rizk building. With the construction of sustainable buildings, they have lowered the energy bill by 41%, the water bill by 29%, and also used 34% fewer materials than non-green constructions.