Lebanese Startup Triumphs on a Regional Scale

Atelier130: Winner at the International Property Awards

 Beirut, 13 February, 2015:In its quest to acknowledge the best architects in the Middle East, the International Property Awards in London invited architectural companies to present their finest work. After scrutinizing hundreds of entries,the judging committee crowned Lebanese startup, Atelier130,national and regional winner of the five-star Arabian Property Award in the Office Architecture category for their outstanding project: Senteurs d’Orient Headquarters. Entries were received from companies in 12 countries across Arabia featuring a host of Arabia’s finest developers, architects, interior designers and real estate agents who gathered in Dubai to receive the verdict. Winning entrants were presented with a ‘Five-Star Award’ for first place winners and a ‘Highly Commended Award’ for second and third places. On this occasion, Nathalie Habr, Partner at Atelier130, commented: “Winning an International Property Award,that celebrates the highest levels of accomplishment by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industry,is an achievement and a milestone for our 4-year old company. It is a very significant and highly valuable recognition and we are immensely proud of this world-renowned mark of excellence”. The concept behind Senteurs d’Orient Headquarters’ architecture revolves around the actual soap bar. Inspired by the intricate packaging of the company’s soaps, the structure was first conceived as a box, sliced in half. The space consequently created in-between comes alive with greenery filled with lingering aromas that welcome visitors, hinting to the variety of soap fragrances. The first structure, where the company’s manufacturing plant is located, is covered by a woven metal wire mesh on top of a wall covered with the brand’s soap patterns. The second structure, which hosts the company’s offices, benefits from wide openings, protected from the sun by sliding aluminum louvers that bring privacy to employees.All of these elements create a poetic play of shadows and light throughout the project. “The outcome was adapted to the site’s parameters: orientation, building laws and nature, and developed the client’s needs”, explained Halim Khoriaty,Partner at Atelier130. “It was conceived as a cost-efficient, fast and green construction, all the while highlighting Senteurs d’Orient’s identity”, he continued. The award ceremony also saw the announcement of the International Property Awards winners of which Atelier130 also took part and competed against other regional winners from Africa, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, USA, Central & South America, the UK and Asia Pacific to find the ultimate World’s Best in each category.