Restoration - Gholam 1137

Gholam 1137 - Heritage Building Restoration

2020 - 2021

Restoration | Preservation | Heritage

Beirut, Lebanon

Plot area: 189 m2
Building height: GF + 3
Built Between1874 and 1930
Use: Commercial (GF) + Residential
Credits: Nusaned NGO + AUB Neighborhood Initiative AUBNI
Photo credits: Dia Mrad
Contractor: CTI

As a primary contribution to the Salim Gholam Heritage Cluster, we undertook the restoration of Rmeil Plot 1137, a building characterized by traditional bearing sandstone walls and wooden/steel beams with wooden planks. Facing the Beirut Harbor, the North façade sustained Level 3 "Major Damage", which included heavy destruction to nearly half of its walls and columns.

To address these structural deficiencies, the team stripped all interior and exterior finishes for a proper assessment, eventually reinforcing damaged sections with embedded shear connectors and wire mesh before applying a natural hydraulic lime plaster. Beyond structural stabilization, the project involved comprehensive woodwork—restoring windows, doors, and shutters—alongside mechanical, electrical, and waterproofing updates.

This entire process was anchored in a participatory approach, ensuring that the residents were active partners in reclaiming their living spaces.

Nusaned is a humanitarian, community-based, and volunteer-led organization that operates with strict neutrality, remaining at an equal distance from all religions and refraining from any political activity. Nusaned’s program served as an emergency response to Beirut’s Port, driven by a holistic mission to bring residents back to their homes and restore their livelihoods. By focusing on the rehabilitation of Beirut’s built heritage at both the cluster and neighborhood scales, aiming to preserve not just physical structures, but the very socio-economic and cultural fabric of the city.
Learn more about Salim Gholam Heritage Cluster
https://www.aub.edu.lb/articles/Pages/AUBNI_celebrates_Gholam_heritage.aspx
https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1346087/nusaned-rebuilding-beirut-sustainably.html