East Architecture Studio

BACKGROUND

Founded in 2015, EAST Architecture Studio is a collective practice committed to architectural design and experimental research. The firm’s systematic design approach questions a wide range of cultural, urban, ecological and material knowledge that stimulate the significance and creativity of a project. We seek design solutions that optimize the use of sustainable energies, natural reso

urces and human comfort to yield high performance buildings and urban environments. We aim at delivering a product that is polyvalent and inventive, while contextual. We believe that architecture has a social, economic and historical responsibility that we use as a trigger for innovation. We are committed to be constantly aware of upcoming changes and challenges in an ever evolving environment, and to synthesize the information around us in its most essential components. FOUNDERS

Nicolas Fayad

Lebanese national Nicolas Fayad completed his bachelor in Architecture at the American University of Beirut in 2008 before earning a Masters in Architecture with distinction from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 2010. Fayad’s academic path was furthered by professional experiences in international offices such as Ateliers Jean Nouvel in Paris, and Morphosis Architects in New York City. His work has been exhibited at Harvard, the Venice Biennale, the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Culture and published in Wallpaper Magazine, Architecture Record and l’Officiel. He was recently recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the ‘30 Under 30’ in the Art and Design category. Charles Kettaneh

Lebanese-American born Charles Kettaneh joined the Department of Architecture at the American University of Beirut in 2003 before moving to New York City where he earned his bachelor in Architecture with honors from Pratt Institute in 2009. Kettaneh is the recipient of the Outsdanding Merit Award offered by Pratt Institute, and his thesis work was selected and presented at the Pratt Awards. His work was also published in the Pratt ‘In Process’ publication throughout his degree. His professional path includes experiences in international design offices across the USA such as Nelson, RSVP Studio and Perkins Eastman before joining Raed Abillama Architects in Lebanon.

Photos from East Architecture Studio's post

13/02/2026

We are glad to share that AlMusalla has been selected as a finalist in the Small Scale & Installation category for Building of the Year 2026 !
Conceived as a contemporary interpretation of spiritual space, AlMusalla explores the interplay of light, geometry, and materiality to create an environment rooted in reflection, gathering, and collective presence. A project shaped by cultural meaning and human experience, it stands as a quiet yet powerful architectural gesture.
Support us by casting your vote via the link in bio.
Photos Courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation
Photographer

05/02/2026

From a place of gathering and reflection to a contemporary architectural landmark, AlMusalla reinterprets spiritual space through light, geometry, and materiality. A project grounded in cultural meaning and crafted for collective experience. Nominated for Building of the Year, cast your vote and be part of this recognition via the link in bio.

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23/11/2025

As we conclude our participation in two remarkable moments for AlMusalla, we reflect on its journey and the conversations it has helped spark.
In Venice, a fragment of our musalla found a temporary home within ‘Rooted Transience’ at the historic Abbazia di San Gregorio, a site layered with movement, memory, and spiritual resonance. There, it entered into dialogue with ideas of place, impermanence, and the architectures that carry us.
Meanwhile, the musalla itself traveled from Jeddah to Bukhara to take part in the Bukhara Biennale, continuing its exploration of how ritual spaces migrate, adapt, and connect across geographies. To see it situated within the rich cultural fabric of Bukhara has been profoundly meaningful.
With the closing of both exhibitions, we extend our thanks to the curators, collaborators, and visitors who engaged with the work along the way. These encounters, rooted, transient, and everywhere in between, are what give the musalla its life.

biennial

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http://www.eastarchitecture.net/

Address

Dora Highway
Beirut
1107-2020

East Architecture Studio

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