Architect and Urban Design Consultant (Bar Elias)

Result of Service Upon completion of the consultancy, the targeted municipality of Bar Elias will receive a comprehensive design package for a specific public space within its boundaries. This package will be of great benefit to the municipality, as it will provide it with the full architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and landscape plans to implement the envisioned public space in the future. The implementation phase is not part of the “Urban Connections” project; however, the completion of the project will be marked with a closing event, which will aim to bring together potential partners and donors that may be interested in funding the implementation phase.

Work Location Beirut, Lebanon

Expected duration 3 months

Duties and Responsibilities Organizational setting UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the United Nations system.

Background Migration to urban areas is an ongoing trend, in development as well as humanitarian contexts, with many refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) forced to move to cities for shelter and safety on the one hand, and many people migrating to urban areas for better employment and livelihood opportunities on the other. However, rapid and unplanned influx of people can be challenging for municipal institutions and can lead to an increase of informal settlements, reduction of accessible and adequate public spaces, enhanced spatial inequality, and a stronger (real or perceived) competition for jobs and livelihood opportunities, all of which may lead to tensions between host and migrant communities. Often, small and intermediate cities near international borders experience the biggest impact resulting from population movements and influx of additional population, while having only limited (institutional, financial and human) resources and capacity to upscale services, housing supply, infrastructure or livelihood opportunities.

By providing safe, inclusive and efficient public spaces for socioeconomic and cultural interaction, people of all urban communities can benefit, including marginalized communities, migrants and urban poor, whose livelihoods situations are often precarious and who reside in overcrowded, dense areas of cities, which might not allow for physical distancing. Well-designed and well-maintained public spaces (including streets), when developed through a participatory design process, can contribute to improving mutual trust between communities and foster safety in cities, and by providing space for public interaction and community engagement, upgrading of public spaces can foster social cohesion and help (re-)establishing trust in government authorities.

From an economic perspective, upgrading of public spaces also provides important benefits to all forms of local businesses, both formal and informal, and can therefore enhance not only social, but also economic inclusion and opportunities. Well-designed and well-managed public spaces (such as streets, marketplaces, parks, squares, gardens and other public facilities) are vital for economic development in cities. Entrepreneurs and vendors, leading large or small businesses, are appealed to well-kept and well-visited locations and urban spaces that attract customers, employees and services. Streets and marketplaces, designed to organize and promote (informal or formal) economy, provide affordable places to migrants, low-income and marginalized entrepreneurs for livelihood opportunities, while also creating vibrant and active cities, and their contributions to municipal revenues can help strengthen the economic potential of municipalities.

The “Urban Connections” project funded by the 13th Tranche of the United Nations Development Account, aims to improve the capacities of local authorities and communities in small and intermediate cities near international borders in Latin America (Brazil–Argentina–Paraguay) and Western Asia (Lebanon) to apply participatory urban planning and design – with a focus on public spaces – for the promotion of migrant/refugee inclusion. In Lebanon, the project focuses on three border towns close to the Lebanon–Syria border: Municipalities of Bebnine and Mehamrah (Akkar District, Akkar Governorate) and Bar Elias (Zahle District, Bekaa Governorate). The already limited capacities of these municipalities, which also host Palestinian refugees, have been significantly impacted by the influx of Syrian refugees fleeing the Syria conflict, increasing the risk of tensions. Through public space assessments, participatory planning approaches, pilot public space designs, knowledge sharing and learning activities, and the provision of policy recommendations, the project aims to help create accessible, inclusive, profitable and safe living environments in the selected municipalities, supporting in fostering social cohesion and increasing urban resilience. In Lebanon, the project is implemented by the UN-Habitat Lebanon Country Programme, in coordination with the Global Public Space Programme (UN-Habitat Headquarters, Nairobi) and the UN-Habitat Brazil Country Programme.

The Project involves the following three main outcomes: Outcome 1: Strengthened capacity of local governments in secondary cities in West Asia (Lebanon) and Latin America (Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina) on inclusive and COVID-19-responsive public spaces for increased social cohesion, safety, and local economic development in both humanitarian and development contexts.

Outcome 2: Improved policies, strategies and plans for the design and management of public spaces, considering COVID-19 impacts, that foster increased social and economic development in cities that benefits all population groups.

Outcome 3: Increased advocacy and knowledge at global, regional and country level of the impact of safe, accessible and inclusive public space for social cohesion and local economic development in humanitarian and development contexts.

As part of the Project, UN-Habitat is aiming to recruit an Architect and Urban Designer Consultant who will support in the elaboration of the public spaces design in the Municipality of Bar Elias in the District of Zahle.

Reporting line The consultant will work under the guidance of the Urban Planning Coordinator and the Urban Analysis Assistant in the UN-Habitat Lebanon Urban Analysis and Policy Unit, under the general supervision of the Urban Analysis and Policy Unit Manager.

Duties and responsibilities Working closely with the UN-Habitat Lebanon Urban Analysis and Policy Unit, the consultant will be responsible for carrying out the following functions and tasks:

• Review the data previously collected by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team about public spaces (including open lands) in Bar Elias (city-wide public space assessment) and especially about the selected public space that needs to be designed (site-specific public space assessment). Also, conduct one or more visits to the selected public space and the surrounding areas in Bar Elias, as needed, to gain a better understanding of the space.

• Create as-built drawings of the public space or empty land, once decided, which includes the lot limit, a detailed layout, the location of any structures (such as fences, play equipment, benches), and any other features (such as walkways, water streams and trees), if available. The drawings should also include the land and elements’ elevations and any other relevant aspect.

• Attend two one-day community/participatory Block by Block public space design workshops with the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team and the local community representatives in Bar Elias to gain insight into the design elements suggested by the local community to be incorporated into the design of the public space.

• In coordination with the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, translate the results of the Block by Block public space design workshops into a preliminary design.

• Attend a validation meeting with the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team and local community members in Bar Elias to present the preliminary design and collect concerns and suggestions to be incorporated into the final design.

• Review and revise the preliminary design based on the results of the validation meeting and reviews by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team to produce a finalized design.

• Produce a complete set of detailed execution drawings, including but not limited to, architectural and engineering drawings, in addition to bill of quantities and specifications.

Outputs/work assignment Based on the findings of the city-wide public space assessment that was conducted in all open public spaces in Bar Elias, the findings of the site-specific assessment that focused on one public space to be designed, and feedback received through site visits and community engagement, a technical design for an inclusive, safe and healthy public space should be developed.

Output 1: Submit the public space preliminary architectural design in AutoCAD and PDF formats, using the city-wide and site-specific public space assessments data previously collected by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, site visit(s) to the selected public space and surrounding areas, and the results of the community/participatory Block by Block workshops, within a six-week period after contract signature.

Under this output, the consultant must first attend two one-day Block by Block participatory public space design workshops in Bar Elias with the local community and the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team. Through these workshops, the consultant will be able to identify the design elements suggested by the local community, as well as collect their concerns and suggestions to be incorporated into the design of the public space. The UN-Habitat Lebanon project team will be responsible for ensuring the proper workshop arrangements, such as the venue, logistics, software, transportation, and catering (if needed).

Afterwards, the consultant is required to produce a preliminary architectural design for the public space, based on data previously collected by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team about public spaces (including open lands) in Bar Elias (city-wide public space assessment) and especially about the selected public space that needs to be designed (site-specific public space assessment), site visit(s) the consultant will conduct to the selected public space and surrounding areas, the feedback collected from the community through the participatory public space design process, as summarized in the prepared participatory design workshops notes. The design should typically include considerations of accessibility, circulation, amenities, aesthetics and safety, in addition to elements such as seating, greenery, landscaping, lighting, signage and many more. The design should be inclusive, taking into account the needs of all population groups within the community, including women, children, youth, older persons, people with disabilities, and those with vulnerabilities, including women and children of host and migrant communities. In addition, the design should consider practical elements and should take into account the existing structures/facilities within the public space (if any); whether they will need to be rehabilitated or demolished/removed in order to accommodate the new design. The design should also take into consideration the provisions of the applicable Lebanese construction, urban planning, and municipal laws and regulations. In addition, the consultant should seek to incorporate innovative and environmentally friendly approaches and materials into the design.

Under this output, the consultant is expected to: 1. Collect feedback from the workshops, take careful notes, summarize the main takeaways, concerns and suggestions regarding the public space design, and compile them. The consultant should then submit the participatory design workshops notes to the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team for review.

2. Finalize the workshop notes, according to the feedback provided by the UN-Habitat project team, to be taken into consideration for the preliminary design of the public space within a two-week period after contract signature.

3. Produce the preliminary architectural design of the public space, including its general layout plan, in both AutoCAD and PDF formats and one 3D perspective and submit them to the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team for review.

4. Update the preliminary design and the 3D perspective based on the feedback provided by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, noting that there can be at least one round of review.

5. Submit the revised design to the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team following the round(s) of review within a six-week period after contract signature.

Output 2: Submit the final public space design, technical architectural and engineering drawings in AutoCAD and PDF formats, as well as the bill of quantities (BOQ) and specifications after validating the preliminary design with the local community, within a 12-week period after contract signature.

Under this output, the consultant must first attend one meeting in Bar Elias with the local community – with the participation of the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team too – to validate the preliminary design of the public space. The UN-Habitat Lebanon project team will be responsible for ensuring the proper workshop arrangements, such as the venue, logistics, transportation and catering (if needed). During this meeting, the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, in coordination with the consultant, will present the preliminary design of the public space to the local community in Bar Elias to assess whether the design meets their needs and expectations. The consultant should be prepared to collect any suggestions and comments to be incorporated into the final design of the public space.

Afterwards, the consultant is expected to update the preliminary design to produce the final architectural design of the public space, based on the feedback collected from the validation meeting with the local community in Bar Elias, as outlined in the validation main takeaways, as well as to provide detailed architectural; engineering; and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP); and landscape drawings, in addition to the BOQ and specifications. The final design should typically include considerations of accessibility, circulation, amenities, aesthetics and safety, in addition to elements such as seating, greenery, landscaping, lighting, signage and many more. The final design should be inclusive, taking into account the needs of all population groups within the community, including women, children, youth, older persons, people with disabilities, and those with vulnerabilities, including women and children of host and migrant communities. In addition, the design should consider practical elements and should take into account the existing structures/facilities within the public space (if any); whether they will need to be rehabilitated or demolished/removed in order to accommodate the new design. The final design should also take into consideration the provisions of the applicable Lebanese construction, urban planning, and municipal laws and regulations. In addition, the consultant should seek to incorporate innovative and environmentally friendly approaches and materials into the final design.

Under this output, the consultant is expected to: 1. Collect feedback from the workshop, take careful notes about concerns and suggestions raised regarding the preliminary public space design, and compile them. The consultant should then submit the validation main takeaways to the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team for review.

2. Finalize the main takeaways, according to the feedback provided by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, to be taken into consideration for the final design of the public space within an eight-week period after contract signature.

3. Produce the complete set of detailed drawings for the final public space design, including detailed architectural, structural, MEP and landscape drawings in AutoCAD and PDF formats, the BOQ, and two 3D perspectives, and submit them to the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team for review. The detailed drawings should include, among others, the location of the public space and its relation to existing infrastructure, layout, elevations and sections, furniture, fixture, signage and accessibility plans, material and finishes details and specifications, placement and size of public space equipment, construction drawings, electrical, mechanical and landscape plans and details.

4. Update the above-mentioned detailed plans, BOQ and specifications, and the two 3D perspectives, based on the feedback provided by the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, noting that there can be at least one round of review.

5. Submit the finalized documents to the UN-Habitat Lebanon project team, following the round(s) of review within a 12-week period after contract signature.

Qualifications/special skills A bachelor’s degree in Architecture is required. A master’s degree in urban/regional planning and design, landscape design, development studies or relevant fields is desirable.

Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in architecture and design is required.

Knowledge of/familiarity with the legal framework in Lebanon related to construction, urban planning, land use/zoning is required.

Knowledge of AutoCAD, 3D visualization software, Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and Adobe Acrobat is required.

Experience in developing architectural and engineering execution drawings is required. Knowledge of public spaces design is required.

Knowledge of Block by Block and participatory urban/public space design processes is desirable.

Languages Fluency of both spoken and written Arabic and English languages is required. Knowledge of French language is an asset.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.