L.E.FT’s Ziad Jamaleddine and Makram el-Kadi Release New Book on Language and Architectural Translation

New York and Beirut-based architecture practice L.E.FT has released a new book titled At the Edge of Where God Built, published by Actar Publishers. In a recent conversation with Maryam Eskandari for The Architect’s Newspaper, firm partners Ziad Jamaleddine and Makram el-Kadi detailed how the publication investigates the role of language as an active instrument for architectural thinking. The book addresses a growing desire within contemporary architecture for knowledge systems capable of handling complex urban challenges such as climate change, migration, cultural plurality, and shifting models of collective life.

Instead of relying strictly on conventional Western forms and typologies, L.E.FT uses Arabic spatial terms as generative design tools. In their practice, canonical architectural language has frequently masked alternative forms of spatial practices. By examining the ambiguity and depth of specific terms, the architects argue that design can draw directly from historical rituals and socio-religious frameworks without falling into historical revivalism or literal imitation.

Por que importa

Key facts
Architects: Ziad Jamaleddine and Makram el-Kadi (L.E.FT)
Publication: At the Edge of Where God Built (Actar Publishers)
Core Framework: Five spatial concepts including mataf, jami, riwaq, dar, and khirba

The publication is structured around five foundational Arabic spatial concepts: mataf, jami, riwaq, dar, and khirba. Each term offers an alternative operational method rather than a static description. For instance, the term jami expands beyond the standard typological definition of a mosque to encompass community gathering spaces with deep social programs. This approach informed L.E.FT’s design for the Amir Shakib Arslan Mosque, which successfully bridged religious and secular life to unite diverse sectarian groups in Lebanon.

Contexto

Similarly, the traditional term dar, usually translated simply as a house, is re-evaluated to mean a collective space shared by extended family networks. In the House of Many Vaults project, this concept allowed multiple family households to co-exist under one expansive roof while simultaneously preserving valuable surrounding agricultural land. Other projects utilize terms like mataf to sacralize endangered natural elements, such as the Lebanese cedar, and riwaq to generate adaptive shading devices for intense urban environments.

For architectural practitioners and urban designers, shifting the focus from formal typology to linguistic concepts offers a pragmatic framework for contemporary design challenges. The authors suggest that architecture’s expanded curriculum does not require inventing entirely new vocabularies from scratch. Instead, it can recover and translate concepts already embedded in historical languages and collective practices that remain visible in plain sight.

Source: The Architect’s Newspaper, https://www.archpaper.com/2026/07/maryam-eskandari-l-e-fts-ziad-jamaleddine-language-architecture/

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