Schools for Palestine

Project Name: Schools for Palestine

Year: 2024

Location: Khan Al Ahmar Village, The West Bank, Palestinian Territories

Keywords: Universal Framework, Local Expression

Amid restrictions on permanent construction in the West Bank by the Israeli military, our proposal sought to redefine temporary architecture—creating structures that feel permanent, secure, and dignified despite their mobility. Rooted in the village’s cultural resilience, the design empowers the community to co-create using local materials and creativity, refusing to let life be reduced to mere survival.

In times of crisis, Palestinians have long embraced the ethos of collective resilience, seeing themselves as one large family.

This spirit manifests in the generous sharing of resources and the creation of community-empowered hacks—workarounds that arise only in a context where the community's bonds transcend individual hardships. It is a dynamic in which, as life is systematically dismantled in one corner, it is just as systematically reassembled in another, through collective hope and action.

Yes, there is a profound scarcity of food, water, and basic necessities, yet these hacks extend beyond mere survival. They reflect a refusal to let the war reduce life to subsistence. Communities invent ways to hold onto beauty and humanity: creating makeup, learning in makeshift schools, exchanging gifts, and celebrating Eid. Any architectural solution for these schools must honor this richness of life. It cannot merely address structural integrity or ease of assembly. It must also evoke comfort, beauty, and atmosphere—qualities that sustain dignity and morale.

The Schools of Palestine proposal is built on the foundational idea of providing a well-designed, adaptable framework that empowers the community to complete and personalize it using their own materials and creativity. This approach is further shaped by three guiding questions:

Mobility with Permanence:
How can the structure offer flexibility and mobility while still providing a sense of permanence that students need to feel safe, secure, and dignified? From Bedouin tents to the village’s local building practices, the context is rich with inspirations for creating spaces that are not only resilient and portable but also imbued with comfort, memory, and beauty. These are environments where children can anchor their dreams, even amidst instability.
Hacking with Precedent:
How can the design empower locals to "hack" and adapt the structure using materials readily available on the site? The solution integrates familiar construction methods with plug-and-play systems, enabling the community to co-create the campus. This participatory approach transforms rebuilding into an act of collective hope.
Propagation with Freedom and Variety:
How can the architecture adapt to the evolving needs of the community and the school's diverse learning practices? The modules’ organization affords spatial freedom, supporting a diverse range of indoor, outdoor, and transitional spaces that accommodate both rest and movement. This adaptable framework enables the school to grow organically, ensuring it remains attuned to change.

To ensure cohesion, the design favors a white finish for all added materials. This choice reflects both practicality—mitigating heat—and symbolism, creating a unified aesthetic that celebrates resilience and underscores the collective spirit of reassembly and hope.