Design for Resilience
Design is not only about beauty, it is about memory, identity and the future of our land. This powerful statement from We Design Beirut founder Mariana Wehbe captures the essence of a groundbreaking exhibition held in October 2025.
Amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises, 58 projects from nine Lebanese universities were showcased in the abandoned Burj El Murr skyscraper—a poignant symbol of Lebanon's civil war. These functional designs and architectural interventions represent far more than academic exercises; they are direct responses to the pressing challenges facing the nation.
Confronting Reality Through Design
"During this phase, we didn't feel like anything else would be more relevant than tackling the actual situation," says Yasmina Mahmoud, Archifeed co-founder and curator. "We decided to see how students actually perceive the different mechanisms of conflict, how the destruction, abandonment and rebuilding actually reshaped the way we perceive the entire environment."
The students were encouraged to be realistic without romanticizing suffering. Some projects focused on architectural interventions in war-affected territories, addressing the destruction of urban fabric and infrastructure. Others concentrated on functional product design solutions for specific challenges caused by conflict and displacement.
Innovative Solutions in Crisis
Among the standout projects:
- **Sleyman Haber's "LifeStrap"**: A vest that allows users to carry other people on their chest, challenging narratives around conflict without exploiting tragedy.
- **Rhea Bassil's Sonic Protection Kit**: Earmuffs designed to block constant warplane and drone sounds, packaged as humanitarian aid to help people cope with warfare.
- **Zoe Sakr's "Human Black Box"**: A satellite-based distress signal necklace that records and archives human loss during war, offering closure to families searching for disappeared loved ones.
- **DeskRest by Christy Asfar and Hanady Estephan**: School desks that transform into beds, reflecting the reality that public schools have become shelters for the displaced.
Beyond Individual Objects
As design engineer Tarek Mahmoud explains, design in crisis contexts requires a fundamentally different approach. "What do humans need within these extreme environments, and how can these objects deliver on these needs?" he asks. "When you enter an intense context, such as conflicts, whatever you have around has to have a function. The aesthetics don't really matter that much."
This exhibition proves that Lebanese designers and architects are not merely responding to crisis—they are reimagining the role of design itself as a tool for memory, resilience, and hope.
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This article is complemented by a comprehensive visual and written analysis of all 58 projects from the "Design in Conflict" exhibition.