This Lebanese Home by the Sea is Guarded by Time & Stone

Perched on the narrow cliffs of Amchit, Lebanon, Dagher Hanna & Partners has designed a residence that opens directly onto the Mediterranean horizon. The site is defined by three elemental forces: the sea, the Gulf of Amchit, and a solitary rock that rises from the water. Nadine Harake, architect at DHP Architecture, describes the rock as “the guardian of the house.”

The steep, narrow topography informed every decision. “We always thought about the best way to connect back to the sea,” Harake tells SceneHome. Each floor plan responds individually to the land, so that every room frames the rock, the sea, or the horizon in its own way. Basic functions such as dining and living are present. Minimal internal walls maintain openness and direct attention to the views.

Materials were chosen to reflect the surroundings and the passage of time. The facade is stone at the bottom and light concrete at the top, with Cor-ten steel that ages and weathers used alongside to echo the cliffs, while white surfaces respond to the movement of the sun. “From dusk till dawn, we wanted the house to be influenced by that," Harake notes. "Its exterior colours and feel are influenced by the movement of the sun and the time of day.”

From the street, stone walls and Cor-ten screens filter views and create privacy. Toward the sea, the architecture opens completely. Expansive glazing, terraces, and a pool allow interiors to merge with the horizon. A double-height living area fully embraces light and breeze, letting the calm material palette remain secondary to nature.

Above, four bedrooms surround a courtyard and liwan, each framing the rock and the sea in a unique way. The lower garden level connects directly to the shoreline with spaces for retreat and leisure. Fadlallah Dagher, founding partner at DHP Architecture, reflects, “The whole house is designed to connect to these three elements. Even on such narrow land, you are surrounded by sea, rock, and horizon, as if you are on a ship at sea.”

Local stone and timber reinforce a connection to place, balancing contemporary clarity with regional authenticity. By opening to the horizon while honouring the singular rock before it, the residence becomes a continuous dialogue with the landscape.