About

EAST Architecture Studio is a collective practice working across residential design, master planning, cultural buildings, workplaces, exhibitions, and research. Under the banner of preservation as practice, the studio engages with contemporary society and traditional culture, building the past into the design of the present. From the adaptive reuse of  buildings to the design of new rural homes, cultural venues and international exhibition pavilions, the studio’s work operates across a variety of contexts and temporalities.

Working with local artisans as well as international institutions, EAST Architecture Studio designs in detail and at scale. Designing and building for our collective quality of life, EAST Architecture Studio places an emphasis on history, culture, and context, defining architectural responses that engage with the challenges of our time. In 2022, the studio was awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the renovation of Oscar Niemeyer’s Guest House in Tripoli, Lebanon.

Charles Kettaneh. With roots in the US and Lebanon, Charles Kettaneh has a truly global approach to architecture. He undertook his architecture studies at the American University of Beirut and Pratt Institute in New York City, where he graduated with honors. He also pursued management studies at INSEAD.

Prior to founding EAST, Charles’ professional path included work for international design offices across the USA, including RSVP Studio, Perkins Eastman and Nelson, and for Raed Abillama Architects in Lebanon. His work has been exhibited and published at Pratt Institute and InProcess Magazine.

Office. Based in Beirut and the United Arab Emirates, EAST Architecture Studio works internationally with networks spread across four continents.