An Accoya facade for a ski chalet in Lebanon

At Mzaar-Kfardebian, the largest ski area in the Middle East an hour from Beirut, these luxury ski chalets have a unique facade in Accoya wood. Vertical boards 50 mm thick clad the whole building, including the windows, balconies and doors, acting as louvres for solar protection and privacy. Despite the cold and the snow, Accoya remains indifferent to its environment and resists rot for up to 50 years. Installation with no visible fixings visually stretches the building and creates a bold appearance; 80 m³ of timber were needed. A grey woodstain darkens the Accoya and anticipates its natural silver-grey patina, for a look that lasts. The project was carried out in 2017 by the architect Mike Kamel with the distributor Grupo Gamiz and the contractor MK Wood Solutions. Photographs: Rana Massaad.