Bechara HELAL

Bechara Helal is Vice-dean research and scientific life of the Faculté de l'aménagement, and associate professor at the School of Architecture at the Université de Montréal. He is also a researcher at the Laboratoire d'étude de l'architecture potentielle (LEAP), and an affiliated researcher with the Québec Circular Economy Research Network (RRECQ).

He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal and a PhD in architecturefrom the Université de Montréal. His doctoral research focused on the concept of the architectural laboratory, an emerging and previously underdefined figure in the field. His thesis offers a precise model of this laboratory, highlighting its dual role as a central space in modern architectural practice and as a marker of a new disciplinary paradigm—one centered on knowledge production through hybrid protocols that bridge scientific and artistic approaches.

Bechara Helal’s work lies at the intersection of experimental practices, architectural innovation, and disciplinary research, and his teaching and research are organized around two main areas:
1. Construction and the Circular Economy: As coordinator of construction courses in the School of Architecture, he co-leads research initiatives addressing the adaptability of buildings from a circular economy perspective. These projects are supported by the Centre for Intersectoral Studies and Research on Circular Economy (CERIEC).
2. Material Innovation and Inclusive Design: His second research axis explores the relationship between material experimentation and inclusive design practices. Within a large, SSHRC-funded national partnership on the quality of the built environment in Canada, he co-directs the Université de Montréal’s contribution, focusing on inclusive spatial quality for people with special needs. In line with this work, he founded the Tactical Laboratory for Inclusive Projects in 2023. This design-research space allows master's students to explore the spatial needs of marginalized populations and to propose innovative, inclusive design approaches.

Bechara Helal is also active in academic publishing. He co-edited, with Jean-Pierre Chupin and Carmela Cucuzzella, the reference book "Architecture Competitions and the Production of Culture, Quality and Knowledge: An International Inquiry" (Montreal: Potential Architecture Books, 2015). He is currently preparing his forthcoming book, "L'architecture au laboratoire: Enquête sur les lieux et pratiques de l’expérimentation" (Gollion: Éditions Infolio, 2025), which investigates the emergence of laboratory models and their role in advancing experimental practices in architecture.