BePublic

BePublic is a vertical design studio that takes place during the spring semester at the department of architecture and design, part of the MSFEA at the American University of Beirut. it caters to 3rd and 4th year architecture students who are interested in installation works that address the city. the studio culminates with several 1:1 interventions in different parts of the city with an aim to seek, host, challenge, improve, engage and question the city by reacting to situations that are taking place in the here and now. Serving the community, especially at an urban level is becoming a necessity in a city like Beirut. in such a studio, students acquire hands-on experience while addressing everyday issues including their rights as citizens. they react to the needs of people, to be able to understand the benefits, strengths, and limitations of design and still have an impact at a city scale. installations become pedagogical tools for both the city dwellers and the designer, underlining the importance of the subtle and the mundane while questioning socio-political measures.