The Habibi Community Centre, located in the Bersive 2 refugee camp in Northern Iraq, serves over 8,000 internally displaced Yazidis, most of whom experienced the trauma of the 2014 ISIS genocide.
While initial support from UNHCR provided basic necessities, there was a stark absence of communal spaces. Addressing this gap, the centre emerges as an oasis, offering essential healthcare, a woman’s and children’s space, a community hall, a playground, and sanitary facilities.
Using the innovative superadobe technique—where fabric tubes are filled with earth and stacked in layers, then secured with barbed wire for stability—the community, with guidance from an expert, actively participated in the construction. This hands-on approach not only equipped them with practical skills but also deepened their sense of community pride. Thus, the Habibi Centre stands as a beacon of hope, community resilience, and architectural ingenuity.
Project: Habibi Community Center
Firm: ABCDCollaborative, InSituProject, VideTerra, HabibiInternational, HISFoundation, MedEast, CatalyticAction
Finalist, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture +For Good
