School in the Marshes

Architects Without Borders-Oregon was one of more than 130 design studios and individuals from 37 countries entering the inaugural cycle of the Dewan Award for Architecture competition in 2018; the competition challenge was to design a primary school in an ecologically sensitive site between two rivers in Southern Iraq. The AWB team produced a design inspired by the floating islands created by the Marsh Arabs. It features rolling hills, a dock with vehicle parking, locally sourced brick and reeds, and arched concrete forms that reference indigenous reed buildings.