Roots in Exile

The Za’atari Camp in Jordan, born from the Syrian refugee crisis, has evolved from an emergency settlement into a nascent city. The proposal sought to transform this fragile and temporary environment into a resilient, self-sufficient, and culturally rooted community. The project emphasised:

• ‍ Developing decentralized systems for water, sanitation, and energy to create a more sustainable and flexible urban structure

• ‍ Encouraging self-construction as a creative and empowering process that fosters ownership and adaptability

• Integrating cultural and climatic principles of Syrian and Jordanian traditions to create spaces that are sustainable, livable, and contextually rooted

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