International College Ras Beirut Elementary School

International College | Ras Beirut Elementary School

New Grade 1-5 Facility | Beirut, Lebanon

The new 750-student elementary school located on the main campus of International College in Beirut, Lebanon replaces an existing elementary school located off campus. The 180,000-sf facility includes a 60,000-sf bus and parking garage and new central plant that will serve the entire campus. The scheme arranges three limestone-clad buildings, connected together at the lowest level, around outdoor courtyards, stairways, and rooftop playgrounds. This arrangement diminishes the project's size and knits it into the fabric of the surrounding campus. It is the first LEED building in Lebanon, certified LEED Gold.

View of geometric pattern created from windows on exterior

View from exterior corridor with stairs in back and red awning above

View of awning above walkway with green ceiling and green windows to the right

Library with red carpet and book shelves to the left, windows behind with green paint around

View from inside looking out through blue windows to the sea

View from exterior looking at green window area with balcony in front

View from exterior of light shining through windows at dusk

Project Information

Time Span 2008–2010

Type New STEM Facility

Client Hawai'i Preparatory Academy

Size 6,100 square feet

Cost $4 million

Design Team David Croteau, Principle-in-Charge; Kelley Banks, Project Architect

Local Architect GVA Arquitectos

Consultants Civil Engineering: Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd.; Structural Engineering: Walter Vorfeld & Associates; Mechanical Engineering: Hakalau Engineering LLC; Electrical Engineering: Wallace T. Oki, PE Inc.; Surveyor: Pattison Land Surveying Inc.; Sustainability Consultants: Buro Happold Consulting Engineers

General Contractor Quality Builders

Photographer Matthew Millman

Certifications Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Platinum; Living Building Challenge (LBC) Certified Living

Awards AASA/AIA/CEFPI Walter Taylor Award (2011)

	ACEC New York Platinum Award (2010) Wood Design & Building Awards Merit Winner (2010)
	IDID Merit Award Excellence in Sustainable Design & Development (2010)
	AIA Honolulu Award of Excellence & Jack C. Lipman AIA Members' Choice Award (2010)
	AIA New England Design Awards (2010)
	Learning by Design Grand Prize (2010)
	American School & University Architectural Portfolio Special Citation (2010)
	BSA Excellence in Design Honor Award (2010)

Publications David Andreu, Wood Architecture Today (2018)

	Amanda Sturgeon, FAIA, Creating Biophilic Buildings (2017)
	Timothy L. Hemsath, Energy Modeling in Architectural Design (2017)
	Brad Liljequist, The Power of Zero: Learning from the World's First Net Zero Energy Buildings (2016)
	Sabrina Leone and Leone Spita, Eco Structures: Forms of Sustainable Architecture (2010)

Related Projects

School with seven levels, vertical windows on the left, middle, and right side with beams separating each side and yellow metal strung throughout

American School Foundation of Guadalajara | High School

Guadalajara, Mexico

Side angle of white building with light blue windows

American Cooperative School of Tunis | Elementary School

Tunis, Tunisia

View from balcony looking at other side of building with blue sky behind with clouds

International College, Ras Beirut Campus | Preschool & Middle School

Beirut, Lebanon

View of exterior at dusk with large vertical windows to the left with blue lights and windows in back with yellow light

International College | Ras Beirut Campus

Elementary School

The new 750-student elementary school located on the main campus of International College in Beirut, Lebanon replaces an existing elementary school located off campus. The 180,000-sf facility includes a 60,000-sf bus and parking garage and new central plant that will serve the entire campus. The scheme arranges three limestone-clad buildings, connected together at the lowest level, around outdoor courtyards, stairways, and rooftop playgrounds. This arrangement diminishes the project's size and knits it into the fabric of the surrounding campus. It is the first LEED building in Lebanon, certified LEED Gold.

Time Span	2011–2013
Type	New Grade 1–5 Facility
Client	International College
Size	18,000 square meters (190,000 square feet)
Cost	$25.4 million
Design Team	David Croteau, Principle-in-Charge; Kelley Banks, Project Architect; Joseph Marshall, Project Designer
Local Architect	Khatib & Alami
Consultants	Khatib & Alami (Structural/MEP Engineer); DG Jones (Cost Estimator); BuroHappold Engineering (Energy Consultant); LAB [3.2] Architecture (Interior Architect)
General Contractor	MAN Enterprise
Photographer	Lane Barden
Certifications	Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Gold
Awards	2014 Citation for Design Excellence, Boston Society of Architects