At tOD, we are architects with a purpose and strategists with a mission. Going beyond traditional architecture, we employ a holistic and biomimetic design approach with NATURE and PEOPLE at its core. It is architecture that is socially and environmentally engaged.
As Lebanon's first Certified B Corporation, we believe in leveraging business as a force for good!
We implement regenerative strategies that improve our environment and serve as catalysts for social change. Our practice strives to create a significant positive impact, ambitiously moving the world from EGO to ECO.
We carefully explore the natural ecosystems of sites in order to devise new, innovative and sustainable living habitats – fueled by the power of biomimicry: emulating nature to devise solutions for human challenges.
we believe that truly sustainable design must not only focus on traditional energy and water conservation, but should be based on a holistic approach that combines the following areas:
health
material
energy
waterOur team works consciously, responsibly and does everything with passion. We don’t follow hierarchy in our organization, and we always collaborate and learn from each other. We strive for innovation and research, and actively look for ways to reduce our footprint on the environment.
Adib Dada is the founder of theOtherDada [tOD] Regenerative Consultancy & Architecture, which mission is to activate projects across architecture, design, and art by creating unconventional links at the frontier of science. Going beyond traditional architecture, his work employs a holistic and biomimetic design approach with nature and people at its core.
As a fervent supporter of Beirut’s contemporary art scene, Adib served on the Supporting Committee of the Beirut Art Center, and sits on the Board of Tandem Works and Saja Foundation. He has been recognized in Apollo Magazine's 40 Under 40 as a Patron of the Arts in the Middle East.
Adib earned a BA in Architecture at the American University of Beirut - Lebanon, a Master’s Degree in the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU – USA and completed the Biomimicry graduate certificate from the Biomimicry Institute and Arizona State University.
Based on Biomimicry, theOtherDada’s work promotes a symbiotic relationship between nature and the built environment by exploring new ways of creating generous and regenerative buildings; in essence developing creative solutions that have a positive impact.
Adib was listed as one of GOOD Magazine’s GOOD 100 for his project Beirut RiverLESS, which he initiated to implement positive urban interventions including the planting of urban native forests alongside Beirut River and in the city at large. Adib is a Fellow of the Middle East Leadership Initiative, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a Bio-Leadership Fellow. Adib is firmly committed to the UN Decade of Action, engaged on rewilding the city and reclaiming public space by planting Miyawaki native forests in urban landfills.
“We have grown together as a firm around a culture of conversation and an appreciation of dialogue. Everyone should feel comfortable to share their ideas, from owner to intern. Relationships are crucial to everything we do. How we work with each other, with clients, builders and artisans, is what defines us”
Kevin is an environmental architect and activist. He studied at l’Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts in Beirut, then did his Master specialization in Advanced Ecological Buildings & Biocities from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia- IAAC in Barcelona. Moreover, he did a research program on waste from construction and mycelium and worked on many environmental campaigns for NGOs, communities and companies.
Kevin was part of the team that started theOtherDada's expansion from architecture into Urban Afforestation, passionately dedicating his time into what started out as pro-bono side projects and quickly became an integral part of tOD's business model.
With the recent crisis in Libanon, Kevin had to give in to external pressures of leaving the country, but remains associated with theOtherDada for selective projects and continues to provide his perspective on streategic questions.
Hadi has been with theOtherDada for almost a year now. With his in-depth knowledge of permaculture techniques and remarkable observation skills, he quickly mastered the Miyawaki technique and has since taken the lead in designing and implementing our Miyawaki forests, regreened several rooftops and terraces, and turned the plot next to our office into an abundant Urban Farm!
Having lived in deep immersion with nature for years, living in the city is as painful for him as it probably is for other species. With this deep awareness of how unhealthy our cities currently are, he is bringing all his passion and determination to help us create a reality in which "nature" and "city" are no longer mutually exclusive.
Outside of working with tOD, Hadi has co-founded a regenerative farming collective in Kfardebian tackling food sovereignity and helping safeguard the further existance of local species though planting & harvesting heirloom seeds in collaboration with Buzurna Juzurna (BUJU) - an innovative seed library from the Beqaa. The collective also works on a botanical garden as well as different sociio-cultural initiatives to further raise awareness about the impartance of protecting Lebanon's biodiversity and nature-related heritage.
Ramona felt called to join theOtherDada after witnesing Adib's talk on "Planting Liberation" for the Slow Factory. She, too, is a Bio-Leadership fellow with a major interest in regenrative Business Development.
She studied Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) with a focus on the Middle East, particularly Bedouin tribes in Jordan with whom she has lived previously. She has a strong background in system's theory, conducting and leading interdisciplinary research projects as part of her previous work for the Chancen eG and her scholarship by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.
Ramona holds a Social Innovation Management certificate by the Amani Institute and is currently in-training to become a Women-centered Leader, Coach, and Facilitator. She designs tOD's internal structures / processes and social interventions. Alongside Adib, she steadily develops tOD's business model and impelments consultancy projects for other stakeholders.
She believes that in order to fight climate change, we do need th heal people's disconnect from themselves, each other, and nature itself - rather than just coming up with new technologies.
theOtherWay: How can designers create conditions conducive to life, buildinginterspecies habitats for humans and other creatures to thrive?
In this informal roundtable-format presentation, Adib will share the different components underpinning his work, and how his personal passions, architectural projects, biomimicry training and hands-on forest-making work are interdependent. He will cover his approachfrom understanding current urban challenges as opportunities to turn cities into sharedspaces for humans and other organisms to thrive.
Beirut's RIVERLESS Forest stands as a symbol of hope and resilience as well as a memorial of what was once Beirut's beautiful river. The part already planted will be opened as a public park in only about 2 years time. Another 10.000 sqm are stil waiting for funding and planting.
After a whole revolution and a pandemic, lots of sweat and care, as well as over 66,320$ of generous funding, the first parts of Beirut's RiverLESS Forest are now fully self-sufficient: They need neither maintenance nor watering. We celebrated this milestone with plentiful activities - have a look at how it went in our report!
AEC: Art, Ecology and the Commons is an interdisciplinary program bringing artistic and ecological practices together in the aim of building a community on a 2,000-square-meter forest site along the Beirut River, in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.
Planted by theOtherDada in 2019 as part of an urban afforestation initiative, Beirut's RiverLESS Forest serves as host and muse.
These are unprecedented times.
We are all fragilized by economic, psychological and social collapses; summoned to continuously question our priorities. However, TAP and theOtherDada are no strangers to these challenges: it is because and in spite of this context of crisis that Art, Ecology and the Commons is more relevant than ever.
Can togetherness be harnessed as a practice? Can we use it to address the glaring needs of our communities, and in so doing, discuss and design alternate possibilities for our future going forward?
This project will bring six participants together for ten days of experimental learning and exchange from and on a young forest site in Sin el Fil, punctuated by a series of commissions, public and outreach activities we have been stitching with individuals, collectives and institutions who share our values and positioning vis a vis our communities durduringting these times of distress. Our program seeks to harness this young forest’s interdependence and resilience to inspire and bring a community together under circumstances of undeniable agony in a gesture of persistence.
In collaboration with theOtherDada, this program is supported by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), the French Institute, SUGi, the Municipality of Sin El Fil, Advanced Car Rental and Bossa Nova Hotel.
CLICK BELOW FOR THE PROGRAM:
As part of Eco-Consulting's new CircularHub, tOD will be delivering a guided visit of the “Urban Afforestation Lebanon’s first Miyawaki Forest”. The workshop will focus on the process of creating and maintaining a dense native forest using the Japanese Miyawaki Method of afforestation.
As part of Eco-Consulting's new CircularHub, tOD will be delivering an "Introduction to Biomimicry" workshop under the "Circular Economy & Eco‐Design" track.
In collaboration with the scouts of Compagnie Franciscaines Badaro, tOD organized a hands-on maintence session with a group of 50 scouts where they learnt and helped maintain a Miyawaki Forest. The maintenance tasks included: compost-tea making, de-weeding, re-stacking support sticks and more.
As part of Eco-Consulting's new CircularHub, tOD will be delivering an "Introduction to Biomimicry" workshop under the "Circular Economy & Eco‐Design" track.
As part of Eco-Consulting's new CircularHub, tOD will be delivering an Urban Afforestation workshop in Beirut's first Miyawaki Forest. The workshop is part of the "Sustainability, Climate Change & Environmental Knowledge" track.
As part of BeirutRiverLESS initiative, tOD partnered with Afforestt and SUGi, to gather 20+ participants and introduce them to the Japanese Miyawaki technique. Through an engaging hands-on workshop, they managed to plant the first native urban forest in Sin el Fil Lebanon.
As part of our collaboration with The Chain Effect, we organized a community focus group session for residents of urban areas surrounding the river.
In collaboration with The Chain Effect, tOD curated a workshop where participants came up with bottom-up and low cost interventions focusing on mobility and public spaces around the river in Bourj Hammoud.
theOtherDada has participated in the DPU summerLab in collaboration with the Development Planning Unit, The Barlett by University College London.
On the occasion of Beirut Design Week 2016, tOD developed an installation on a vacant plot of land near Beirut River, along with 20 volunteers who managed to plant more than 400 species of plants.
In collaboration with Dar Al Uloom University in Riyadh, Adib Dada from tOD gave a workshop on sustainability in interior design.
Aspen Ideas: Climate is a solutions-focused event designed for the public to interact, learn, and collaborate with engaged thinkers and doers whose ideas and actions are critical to address our collective future around the realities of a changing climate.
Adib will be joining this panel:
Scaling Up Nature-based Climate Infrastructure
“Gray infrastructure”—large projects engineered to prevent climate disasters—aren’t holding up to the extremes of the changing climate. Nature-based solutions represent a different and effective approach, but scaling them up requires some innovative thinking.
How can designers create conditions conducive to life, building interspecies habitats for humans and other creatures to thrive?
Ecocity 2022’s scientific programme will feature a wide range of sessions, workshops, and other learning opportunities in an innovative virtual format, showcasing the latest research and developments in urban design and city transformation practices. You will have the chance to hear the world-leading experts in the field and discuss the latest trends.
Forests connect across territorial borders, watersheds, and ecosystems, and are not defined by cultural and political boundaries. Within 3 months, the forest transforms into a transition space between urban and natural ecosystems. Through theOtherForest’s afforestation projects, we are addressing the negative impacts of urbanization and lack of green public spaces in the cities of Lebanon.
The Martin Centre Lectures - 52nd Series
Living/Building
The building of architecture is often seen as a tectonic, material process - inanimate matter collected together to form fixed space. While 'life' might be seen as the contents of architecture, existing in and around it, the architecture itself can also be seen as 'alive'. Buildings breathe, consume, grow, shrink, decay, age, mature and undergo many other processes we associate with life.
Our goal for this seminar series is to draw together diverse voices from aesthetics, archaeology, heritage, material science, performance architecture and other disciplines to explore these ideas within our contemporary context of the climate emergency and the many other challenges we currently face as a society.
Commissioned from Alserkal by Expo2020
This conversation between thinkers and practitioners across different geopolitical realities will revolve around the concept of interdependence and how it can play an active part in rethinking the constitutive role of institutions, architecture, art or public health infrastructures. Concrete examples will be discussed about how can one nurture practices of care, what an ecology of a caring practice means, when and on what terms can it be understood as a sustainable practice. Many sources and tools for thinking and working with the concept of interdependence reside in situated knowledges drawn from millennium old healing, ecological, divination and other communal practices. The speakers will explore in what ways could these gestures be part of a larger movement that rethinks our systems of production, distribution and mutual solidarity especially in the domain of contemporary art.
Participants: Nada Raza, Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Adib Dada, Paky Vlassopoulou and Léuli Eshrāghi
Join Carbon CREW Project, Drawdown East End, Damon Gameau, and Southampton Arts Center for an array of virtual talks, workshops, and films on ways that we can participate in “regenerating” our earth and reversing climate devastation.
Environmental journalist Alexandra Talty will moderate presentations from around the world on vanguard soil sequestration techniques. From a carbon buyback program in Sri Lanka to an urban reforestation business in the Middle East, these experts will share their unique business models as well as potential tips for home gardeners also wishing to drawdown carbon and in turn revitalize their soils. Speakers include Keith Berns, Freddie Catlow, Jason Hansna-Cofield, Adib Dada, and Tanja Hester.
Watch it by copying the link below, from 17:55 until 42:05:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Lr1YF22yU
Join our Outline series with architect and founder of theOtherDada Adib Dada to discuss his latest project, Beirut RiverLESS Urban Forest. Beirut RiverLESS offers a set of replicable interventions to rehabilitate lost ecosystems and improve the living conditions and quality of life of people in the city who live along the river and to restore the area’s biodiversity.
Arab Architecture Week is a regional initiative organized by ArchiNet that aims to highlight some of the most distinguished architects in the Arab World by showcasing their outstanding achievements, award winning projects, and significant studies and research in the architectural fields from around the Arab countries. In the context of our vision and the spirit of cooperation, the goal of the program is to encourage highly creative people to share their experiences and knowledge gained from their projects and studies that will be presented throughout the program. In addition to creating a channel of communication between Arab architects in the region.
The program extends over a period of seven days, during which 51 lectures are presented by an outstanding group of architects from different Arab countries. Participants in this event varied between individuals, institutions and organizations, in addition to official bodies practicing their work in the architectural fields in the Arab countries.
CLICK BELOW FOR THE FULL PROGRAM
Moderated by Adib Dada, the talk follows the screening of "Jezzine//Water" and "The Land - Al Marj". It will be a conversation with directors Zeina Aboul Hosn and Mohamed Moe Sabbah, along with Bisri activists Amani Beaini and Rolland Nassour.
Date & Time: Sunday September 4, starting at 9pm
Location: Beirut's RiverLESS Forest
RECORDED SESSION IS NOW ONLINE - click on the image above!
On August 28 at 10AM EST you are invited to join us to @theslowfactory Beirut Symposium “Calling Home” with:
The ritual of “Calling Home” is deeply part of our lived experience as Lebanese war refugees and expats: the idea of calling your homeland and expecting a crisis, a disaster, but whatever it may be nobody expected the shock of August 4’s explosion—and for over a year now we have been trying to understand it, heal it as it opened up all the other wounds we tried to heal for our lifetime, the intergenerational wounds of our parents’ lifetime, their stolen childhood by war and military occupation, and their parents’ survival under colonial occupation.
As part of the UN Decade of Action on Ecosystem Restoration, theOtherDada will participate in the Tabadul on river ecosystems and related successful projects in the MENA region.
We will talk about our pilot project Beirut’s RiverLESS forest as a nature-based solution for challenging urban sites.
REGISTER BELOW:
https://amwaj-alliance.com/webinar/innovative-campaigns-to-restore-our-rivers/
Wednesday 24 March at 11:30am Beirut time
Learn about restoring degraded urban ecosystems in Lebanon.
Through the Other Forest Initiative, Adib is firmly committed to the UN Decade of Action; engaged in rewilding the city and empowering communities to reclaim public space by planting native Miyawaki forests in urban landfills.
Adib will go through the environmental challenges and the solutions offered by planting dense native forests in cities around the world, in alignment with the UN SDG goals.
REGISTER BELOW:
http://www.slf.org.au/event/forest/
Saturday 27 February 8am Beirut time
The Energy Strategies Summit 2020 hosted Adib in the Strategies for Sustainability panel as a keynote speaker, offering a different view of energy reduction in the city through urban forests.
Adib gave a talk as part of the DieDAS Design Akademie Saaleck, Germany, in Farming Materials' Ecologies: From Uncomfortable Pasts to Responsible Futures alongside Aloce Rawsthorn, Glenn Adamson and Prof. Ákos Moravánszky.
Adib chatted with Geek Express on their 11th episode of the Tech Impact series to talk about how technology is enabling architects to develop creative solutions that have a positive impact on the planet.
Adib talked about the benefits and importance of Urban Afforestation with AMAKEN Placemaking, in their initiative to improve urban areas.
GREEN CITIES Webinar by Lebanon Green Building Council: Nature-Based Solutions for the future city. Presented by Adib Dada. Urban Afforestation: a tool for ecological and social regeneration for future cities.
Talk at Bossanova Hotel preceding the screening of the film Embrace Of The Serpent by Ciro Guerra. Our talk introduces the Native Urban forest we have planted close to the hotel.
We presented “Beirut RiverLESS” in Cleveland, Ohio during PechaKucha Night: Waterways, a groundbreaking event bringing presenters from around the world to share diverse perspectives on how communities can re-think their relationship with the world’s most important resource.
In collaboration with AUB, theOtherDada hosted Shubhendu Sharma, founder of Afforestt, who delivered a presentation about urban afforestation.
Adib Dada and Stephanie Bashir from tOD participated in a panel discussion under the title of "Additive Manufacturing, 3D Modelling and Printing".
During the conference, organized by ESA Business School, we delivered a talk about Beirut RiverLESS as part of a round table discussion focusing on “Increasing Urban Resilience by Improving Urban Planning“.
tOD participated in a panel discussion regarding the WATER element, as part of Sursock Museum’s “Let’s Talk About the Weather”.
tOD took part of the 7th Build It Green Conference organized by EcoConsulting and EcoSolutions, by delivering a biomimicry thinking workshop.
Adib Dada, founder of tOD, talked about his entrepreneurship journey and how he developed a business model by looking at Nature as Mentor, and using Biomimicy in business development as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015.
tOD took part of the Panel Discussion with TandemWorks for their publication launch entitled Hammoud Badawi, along with Artists Omar Fakhoury, and Marwan Rechmaoui.
Under the theme of “Ecocities in challenging environments”, tOD delivered a presentation focusing on Biomimicry and its application in the built environment.
theOtherDada presented Beirut RiverLess in a fast-paced pitch competition at South by South West (SXSW) Eco’s program entitled Place by Design (PXD) in October.
During the SGBC Conference that was held in Riyadh, tOD presented different residential projects as case studies to show his integrated design process.
tOD team participated in the Dar Onboz Ya Ahl El Dar Christmas Fair where they held an exhibition and a talk about Reclaiming Public Space by Planting Native Forests.
Our project Beirut RiverLESS was exhibited in the 5th edition of the Istanbul Design Biennale titled Empathy Revisited: Designs for More Than One, in the collection Library of Land and Sea, curated by Mariana Pestana, Billie Muraben and Sumitra Upham.
Being an Alumnus of AUB, Adib Dada presented his projects during AUB’s Bachelor of Architecture 50th anniversary.
We have partnered with Letitia Gallery to design their new exhibition space in Hamra, which in turn hosted “The Shape of a City” exhibition by artist Nathaniel Rackowe.
Let’s Talk About the Weather: Art and Ecology in a Time of Crisis is an exhibition addressing urgent issues around a changing climate, future ecological disaster, and what this means for our present moment. The challenge was to turn a very elongated volume with irregular openings, located on the rooftop of three residential buildings in Guangzhou into
a dynamic exhibition space, while working closely with multidisciplinary local and international artists.
theOtherDada took part of the “Forum on Cities & Designers” that was co-created by Public Works Studio and Beirut Design Week, during which we presented a timeline of Beirut River highlighting the important events and updates it has gone through since 50 BC.
tOD took part of BDW 2017’s exhibition where we showed how our sustainable approach is developed for our projects with refugee housing in Ouzai, residential projects in Saudi Arabia, and on larger projects such as Beirut RiverLESS.
We participated in the Turkey Design Week which took place at the Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibition Hall, bringing the professions of design, imagination and creativity under one roof.
Adib Dada from tOD joined the inauguration of the Shanghai Project throughout roundtable discussions along Otobong Nkanga and other multidisciplinary teams.
During BDW2014, tOD’s team had the chance to showcase their WORK IN PROGRESS, including different architecture and landscape projects, models, and research during the open studio.
Did you know that we're less than 2 week ahead of this years UN Climate Change Conference, #cop27 ? And did you know that there's a hiking challenge leading to it all the way from Scotland to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where the conference takes place?
This challenge is called #Walk2Cop27 ! It comprises a series of virtual and in-person events and brings together governments, private as well as citizen initiatives! And guess what, it passes through Lebanon on *Thursday, Oct 27th*!
We're one out of several initiatives that will offer activities during this day.
In the spirit of "walking the talk", we would love to see you at our #beirutriverless project in #sinelfil this Thursday afternoon for our *walking tours*, one starting 4pm and another one at 5:30.
We will also be offering a really cool *bee hotel crafting workshop* with our well-known bamboo sticks we usually use for planting - 4:30-5:30pm!
tOD team participated in The Nature Of Cities Festival in which they led a virtual field trip across the degraded Beirut River, where they planted the first Miyawaki forest in Lebanon in 2019: Beirut’s RiverLESS Forest.
tOD delivered a presentation about Beirut River to a group of graduate Architecture & Urban Design Students from Kent State University at LAU, Beirut.
As part of BDW2018, we organized two tours at our CONVIVIUM Home construction site in Gemmayze, and collaborated with Bokja Design Studio who squatted our LIVING apartment with their unique upcycled furniture.
A tour of the Beirut River area with architect Adib Dada discussed the transformation of the Beirut River from a natural river to its present condition as a toxic site, and its potential rehabilitated future as a public space.
