Opening her own office in Beirut in 1981, Lebanese architect Simone Kosremelli has specialized in residences and larger buildings known for their character and sensitivity to both natural and cultural surroundings in this sometimes turbulent city at the crossroads of East and West. Volumetrically complex inside and visually coherent outside, her work is rooted in the Lebanese vernacular but it is not constrained by the past. As seen in the vibrant color photos and drawings in this monograph, Kosremelli's designs incorporate these traditional elements—interior courtyards, balconied windows, elegant arches and natural stone and wood façades—in modern arrangements, encouraging the continuation of a local architectural vocabulary and the preservation of time-honored building techniques.