Results: Schools for Palestine

Winners Announced for Archstorming’s Schools for Palestine Competition

Archstorming, in collaboration with the Tunisian NGO Wallah We Can, announces the winners of its latest humanitarian architecture competition, which focused on designing a mobile school prototype for the West Bank in response to the systematic demolition of buildings, including schools, in Palestine.

The competition jury included renowned figures such as Alejandro Aravena, Lesley Lokko, and Tosin Oshinowo, among others.

_________________________________________________________________

1st Prize

Alessandro Ghidini
Italy

1st Prize – “A Colorful Forest”

This project stands out for its highly pragmatic yet visually engaging approach, using scaffolding materials as the primary structural system. By reinterpreting tubes, joint pins, and couplers, the design creates a modular shell, into which elements like rotating OSB walls, lightweight curtains, and prefabricated sanitary modules can be inserted. This flat-packable system allows for rapid deployment with minimal resources, while the vibrant color palette fosters a sense of identity and optimism. The scattered arrangement of modules follows the natural topography, seamlessly integrating into the village’s existing spatial fabric. Alejandro Aravena highlighted its ability to offer a civic presence despite its temporary nature, while Tosin Oshinowo praised the creative use of adaptable partitions and materials, ensuring both flexibility and durability.

A COLORFUL FOREST
TOOLKIT FOR MOVABLE SCHOOLS IN PALESTINE

The project arises from the need to develop a modular, flexible, and easily transportable solution to address the current Palestinian situation, aiming to ensure that Palestinian children have access to education and a sense of normalcy despite the challenging circumstances they face.
From this need comes a TOOLKIT that can be used anywhere, based on the use of SCAFFOLDING MATERIALS identified as the best system to make the project flexible, modular, economical, and easy to assemble/disassemble.

The scaffolding materials (tubes, base plates, joint pins, swivel couplers) are reinterpreted to create a base module that acts as a shell, into which new elements can be inserted to create diverse and highly adaptable spaces. The use of recycled concrete from rubble for the foundation and corrugated sheet panels for the roof minimizes the difficulty of sourcing materials.

The base module is designed as a rectangular, colorful space capable of hosting various functions.
Using osb panels, a perimeter of rotating walls is created to ensure both closure and permeability. Curtains hung from the tubular structure allow the module to be divided into multiple sections.
The resulting environment can therefore serve multiple purposes:
CLASSROOM (capable of hosting up to 50 students)
MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
OFFICES
MEDICAL ROOM
REST AREA

To fulfill the SANITARY function, a simple system was chosen to minimize on-site work. Under the module structure, two prefabricated containers pre-equipped as bathrooms are installed. These containers are widely used for events or by international organizations in emergency situations. They are built using standard 20-foot transport containers.

From an energy perspective, access to the electricity is ensured by solar panels installed directly on the roof of the modules. Meanwhile, internal air circulation is maintained through the gap between the roof and the walls of the modules.
The compact size of the modules makes the project extremely flexible, versatile, and adaptable to any type of context. Constraints arising from site’s topography or design choices are addressed by the ability to arrange the modules according to various needs, offering virtually endless formal solutions.

Khan Al Ahmar has been selected as the pilot site to test the project’s feasibility. The project area, with a 15-meter elevation difference, required arranging the modules to follow the natural terrain contours, minimizing earthworks (SCATTERED layout). This formal arrangement aligns perfectly with the existing spatial distribution of the village’s homes, creating a coherent and seamless integration with the local environment.

_________________________________________

1^st prize comments:

Alejandro Aravena, Founder of ELEMENTAL

It is the one that appears to be more realistic, hyper-structure for the roof (existing and proven system) and partitions made from available materials (ad-hoc construction). Yet it’s able to provide a sense of civic scale and presence that contribute to an everyday life of kids that may have lost an institutional dimension.

Ahmed Al-Mallak, Founding Director of Tamayouz Excellence Award

This project has presented an innovative approach with an ease of construction that allows it to be assembled or dissembled and moved to another location easily. Also, it shows a sustainable smart approach despite of the restrictions of materials and technologies.

Tosin Oshinowo, Founder of Oshinowo Studio

It aligns beautifully with the concept of a colourful, movable school. Its modular design is practical, adaptable to undulating terrain, and flatpackable for relocation. While larger communal spaces could be better addressed, the simplicity, rotating walls, and creative material use make it an intelligent and functional proposal for challenging contexts like Palestine.

Amer Abu Matar, Lecturer at Birzeit University

This project is meticulously designed, which will allow for efficiency in execution. The simplicity of construction techniques and materials promises a short building time, making it a practical and achievable proposal. Its multifunctional spaces are thoughtfully designed to adapt seamlessly to varying weather conditions, offering flexibility and year-round usability.

_________________________________________________________________

2nd Prize

Daniel Waju Beyene, Biniyam Bewketu Teshome, Frezer Abrha Tesema
Ethiopia

2nd Prize – “Bedouin Folds”

Drawing inspiration from Bedouin tent-making traditions, this design translates woven camel-hair shelters into a foldable, interlocking wooden structure covered by fabric panels. The assembly system allows walls and roofs to unfold like origami, ensuring both structural integrity and ease of transportation. The layout follows the terracing logic of Musataḥāt, reducing excavation needs while creating cascading outdoor learning spaces. At the highest point of the site, an olive garden serves as a gathering space, reinforcing the connection between land, heritage, and education. Ahmed Al-Mallak commended its ability to create a dignified, inspiring space within a fragile context, while Alejandro Aravena noted the balance between structural solidity and lightness, ensuring resilience in extreme conditions.

Our design journey leads us to the heart of Palestine’s Bedouin tradition, where necessity and craftsmanship converge into their iconic tent design, a lightweight structure of woven goat or camel hair, offering heat insulation and water resistance. Inspired by this ancient wisdom, we designed a school that transforms from a compact bundle into a fully functional space whispering the insight of ancient nomads who carried their homes within their hands. Their tent consists of two primary elements: a structure made from tensioned rope and a cover crafted from animal wool. Drawing inspiration from this tradition, we developed a prototype featuring an interlocking lightweight wooden panel structure paired with foldable fabric panel covers, reflecting the spirit of Bedouin heritage. Easy to assemble and transport, this design can be upgraded into a permanent structure using durable materials. It is a flexible system that adapts and evolves with changing needs.
Inspired by Palestine’s terracing culture known as “Musataḥāt”, each volume is placed to follow the land’s contour, creating a harmonious balance of cut and fill. This approach minimizes costs and creates cascading steps between the volumes that blur the boundary between interior and exterior spaces. When the walls gently fold together, this space becomes a seamless extension of the interior, inviting nature’s rhythms to join the flow of life within. At the site’s top, an olive garden offers a resting space, with ancient roots symbolizing Palestine’s resilience and deep connection to the land.
Each volume has modular dimensions consisting of interlocking structural wooden panels and foldable surfaces. The wall and Roof are arranged in a semi-folded position, similar to a folded sheet of paper (Origami), which strengthens the surface while reducing building weight, enabling it to stand independently without deep foundations. The translucent panels of the wall invite soft, dappled sunlight to filter through, echoing the gentle glow that permeates a Bedouin tent. Above the interlocking wooden beams, a foldable wool panel rests on it.
These fabric-clad volumes, with a solid appearance, provide a sense of security for children in conflict zones. The folded wall’s aerodynamic design resists desert winds, while passive ventilation keeps the interior cool, ensuring comfort. Our design is not merely a building—it’s a sanctuary that fosters learning, resilience, and a connection to heritage.

_________________________________________

2nd prize comments:

Alejandro Aravena, Founder of ELEMENTAL

The clear distinction of supporting frame and foldable partitions integrates a sense of solidity (highly desirable in fragile environments) and lightness (that makes it realistic). Some light slope between the rear and front frame to allow water to be eliminated from the valleys of the foldable roof would be needed.

Ahmed Al-Mallak, Founding Director of Tamayouz Excellence Award

It feels like a haven for students, offering a peaceful and inspiring environment that contrasts with their current living conditions. Its thoughtful design adapts beautifully to slope terrains while creating a space that fosters creativity and hope, making it a standout choice for both emotional and functional impact.

Amer Abu Matar, Lecturer at Birzeit University

Its use of traditional materials and techniques in a contemporary form ensures cultural relevance and authenticity. Additionally, the aesthetic appeal of the structure enhances its connection to the surrounding environment, making it not only functional but also a significant visual and cultural asset to the village.

_________________________________________________________________

3rd Prize

Shi Yin, Meijing Gu, Yujia Zhang, Jihua Huang
China

3rd Prize – “Hope on Move”

This project develops a terrain-responsive solution, employing extendable ringlock scaffolding anchored by clay-filled tires, which double as foundation points and seating elements. The modular system allows blocks to be positioned at different angles, adapting to elevation changes without major ground interventions. The polycarbonate walls diffuse natural light, while the chipboard and corrugated panels ensure shading and ventilation. The inclusion of push-pull retractable stairs enhances both mobility and transportability. Lesley Lokko appreciated the thoughtful detailing and proportional refinement, and Alejandro Aravena highlighted its strategic use of topography, integrating slopes into the learning environment rather than flattening them.

This design aims to provide an innovative, sustainable, and adaptable mobile school solution for the West Bank region of Palestine. Considering the variability of the terrain and the frequent demolition of buildings in the area, our design emphasizes flexibility, modularity, and environmental adaptability.
In terms of foundation design, we utilize extendable ringlock scaffolding to accommodate different terrains, while filled clay tires serve as grounding points and entrance steps, providing both stability and environmental friendliness. To address the site’s elevation differences, we adapt the building blocks at various angles to minimize the impact of height variations and adopt a stepped spatial layout to reduce overhangs and enhance structural stability. The entire building follows a 1.5m modular layout, compatible with the scale of furniture use, improving space utilization efficiency. For the structure and materials, we employ timber columns and tension beams for classrooms, medical, and office spaces, achieving column-free interiors that create a more open space. The enclosure structure features polycarbonate panels for natural light, chipboard wall for shading, and corrugated panels for the roof, ensuring lightness while meeting lighting and shading needs. To cope with high temperatures, gaps are left in the upper part of the building to promote air circulation, providing a comfortable learning environment for students and teachers.
In the design of the multipurpose room, we use easily assembled scaffolding to create space, combined with chipboard panels to define flexible areas for offices and discussion zones. Additionally, easily installable cloth enclosures are used for auxiliary spaces such as bathrooms and storage rooms, enhancing flexibility and privacy. Adjustable curtains strung with ropes can change the amount of shading and openness, increasing the building’s adaptability to different weather conditions.
Furthermore, we install solar photovoltaic panels on top of the scaffolding over the multipurpose room to provide electricity for the school and the village, while also leaving a ventilation gap above the bathrooms. For the furniture, we have crafted a versatile set consisting of tables, chairs, and cabinets that can function independently or serve as partitions for the cabinets. The stairs are push-pull, which can be retracted as needed and are also easy to transport.
In summary, our design meets the requirements for mobility, modularity, and sustainability, making it suitable for the specific environment of Palestine and providing a stable and continuous educational environment for the local community.

_________________________________________

3rd prize comments:

Karim Chaabane, Cofounder of Arké Architecture

A highly flexible project that adapts to any terrain or slope, requiring minimal ground contact for easy and rapid assembly. It provides detailed cost breakdowns, making it achievable and practical. The design creates beautiful spatial qualities, offering children inspiring learning environments, despite minor insulation challenges in extreme weather.

Lesley Lokko, Founder of African Futures Institute

The construction, transportation and assembly principles seem robust and interesting. Seems to work with the sloping site. The use of scaffolding provides a very lightweight shelter but the detailing and proportions elevate the project into something of care, functionality and elegance. I enjoyed the spatial variations and the renders, which brought the project to life.

Alejandro Aravena, Founder of ELEMENTAL

It’s smart to have understood the slope as a constraint and transformed it into a focal point for the classroom, rather than fighting against it to achieve a larger horizontal surface. Additionally, a sloped roof resulting from following the slope, is a clever solution compared to projects that rely on flat roofs with modular systems.

_________________________________________________________________

Special Honorable Mention

Yaqiong Chen, Ruoqi Jiang, Yibo Lin, Shimin Zhou
China

Special Honorable Mention – “Somewhere Over the Scaffold”

This proposal reinterprets scaffolding as an architectural language, introducing clip-on modular panels fabricated from recycled pallets, rigid foam, and reed finishes. A sandbag footing system ensures adaptability without the need for deep foundations. The roof integrates rainwater collection and photovoltaic panels, transforming the structure into a self-sufficient unit. Lesley Lokko praised the elevation of a basic structural system into a resilient, flexible typology.

______

Project Description

This design concept envisions a reconfigurable, resilient, and re-constructable building system that empowers Palestinian communities to take ownership in shaping their educational and social environments. In times of both despair and hope, this system offers the autonomy to design and build spaces that meet their needs, fostering self-reliance and community strength.

Design Concept

The project consists of a versatile scaffold structure with modular panels for floors, walls, and roofs that simply clip onto it. These scaffolding components can be lengthened through couplers, allowing flexibility in size. The modular panels are fabricated on site from locally-sourced materials, such as recycled pallets, rigid foam insulation, reed panel finishes, corrugated metal roofing, and timber. All materials are accessible and manageable with simple tools, by community members and students. The structure rests on sandbag footings adaptable to varying terrain, without requiring extensive groundwork.

Sustainability and Resilience

This system is designed to adapt to the local climate and endure harsh environmental conditions. Natural ventilation is integrated through inlet and outlet mechanisms, ensuring thermal comfort. The interiors are finished with healthy, natural materials —reed and wood—providing learning space free from thermal bridge and the industrial feel of the skeleton. The ceiling finish defuses natural light coming through the high windows. The roof provides shading while incorporating a rainwater-collecting system. Campus is also equipped with photovoltaic panels, ensuring the campus operates autonomously.

Site and Program

The campus is designed not only as a school but also as a community hub. A central plaza links the school with the village, including a multipurpose room and essential amenities. The multipurpose room serves as venue for storage and distribution of aid supply as well as community gathering space. Aligning with site topography, the buildings foster various activity areas, including green space, mini playgrounds, a loading area, a rainwater harvesting tank, and a greywater garden, with a community farm terrace positioned behind the classrooms to function as a windbreak.

Future Vision

When relocation becomes necessary, the modular system allows fast dissemble and reassemble. All components are lightwseight and portable, enabling them to be carried by just two people and transported in a pickup truck. This re-constructability ensures that the school can be swiftly reestablished at a new site, providing continuous service for the community, regardless of shifting circumstances. The modular panels are converted into more durable and resilient cob walls, transforming into a permanent sustainable campus.

_________________________________________

Special Honourable Mention comments:

Lesley Lokko, Founder of African Futures Institute

This project has an interesting and well-developed aesthetic, making use of few materials while elevating basic scaffolding into something exceptional. Its emphasis on sustainability and resilience is commendable, particularly in this context. Although there are concerns about its impermanence, it remains a strong and thoughtful design.

Amer Abu Matar, Lecturer at Birzeit University

This project stands out for its originality, presenting a unique structural approach while maintaining simplicity in construction. The choice of building techniques aligns well with the expertise of local Palestinian workers, ensuring accessibility and feasibility.

Karim Chaabane, Cofounder of Arké Architecture

This project focuses more on construction, offering flexibility, adaptability, and playful possibilities for personalization. Its lightweight approach stands out compared to heavier solutions, allowing for diverse configurations.

_________________________________________________________________

Special Honorable Mention

Neda Dizaji, Sara Naseri
Iran

Special Honorable Mention“ To Exist is to Resist”

This project integrates political graffiti as an architectural element, proposing masonry walls that serve both as learning spaces and resistance canvases. The phased construction strategy—from emergency tents to permanent structures—ensures gradual adaptation based on community needs. Tosin Oshinowo highlighted the realistic execution of a modular approach, while David Sanderson commended its deep symbolic layer, turning the built environment into a storytelling medium.

Archstorming is renowned for its humanitarian architecture competitions, which focus on community and sustainability. It is now launching a new competition in Nepal to address the devastation caused by last summer’s floods and landslides, aiming to design an eco-friendly, and earthquake-resistant school prototype that can be replicated in multiple locations across the country.

______

“The wall essentially turns Palestine into the world’s largest open prison. It also makes it the ultimate activity holiday destination for graffiti writers.” – Banksy

The fence between Israel and the West Bank, proposed in 2002 following attacks Israel labeled as terrorism, remains highly controversial. Israel claims it prevents bombings, while Palestinians argue it seizes land. Known as the “apartheid wall,” it deepens racial and physical divides. In response, political graffiti has become a powerful form of resistance.
Graffiti on both sides of the wall symbolizes communal protest and solidarity, amplifying the voices of the silenced through defiant, counter-hegemonic messages. This spontaneous art of resistance conveys aspirations for liberation, empowering individuals to challenge oppressive power structures. It transforms the wall into a shared space for hope and pain, serving as a grassroots tool that projects local struggles onto a global stage and advocates for change.

Despite the graffiti, Israeli forces frequently paint over these messages, initiating a relentless cycle of erasure and resurgence. This dynamic turns the wall into a visual battleground, where messages of resistance are continually repressed and reborn. It raises a provocative question: Is the spray-can mightier than the sword?
This form of nonviolent resistance—graffiti—offers inspiration for a design approach where schools become platforms for justice. How can spaces preserve memories and struggles, embedding stories of resilience into their identity amid displacement? We propose the concept of “multiple masonry walls” as spaces for self-expression, giving a voice to the voiceless. One side of these walls could serve as a functional classroom, while the other becomes a canvas for community resistance. The project includes both mobile components and permanent masonry walls that remain tied to the land.

Phase 1: Emergency School

In the first phase, the land is divided into a 3.5 x 3.5-meter grid. Masonry walls are constructed, followed by the assembly of wooden beams and columns. Fabric covers serve as roofs and partitions to separate classrooms, creating an initial emergency structure designed for rapid deployment.

Phase 2: settled school

If the school remains in the village, the fabric walls will be replaced with flat-pack panels in this phase. These panels are designed with frames divided into nine sections, enabling easy repairs using locally sourced, recycled materials.

Phase 3: School ruins

Should the school be dismantled and the community relocated, the graffiti-covered masonry walls will remain as part of the land’s historical memory. These walls will stand as a testament to the people who once lived there and endured hardships, becoming a gallery that tells their story of resilience and resistance.

_________________________________________

Special Honourable Mention comments:

Tosin Oshinowo, Founder of Oshinowo Studio

This proposal excels in modularity and practicality, featuring smaller grid modules that are easy to transport and locally achievable. Its evolving concept, transitioning from temporary to permanent depending on circumstances, demonstrates thoughtful adaptability. The design reflects an awareness of local culture and building techniques, making it a realistic and promising solution with adjustments.

David Sanderson, Disaster Resilience and Recovery Professor

“To exist is to resist” stands out for its cleverness and commentary on a complex situation. Its concept of permanence, with walls serving as community canvases, adds a powerful dimension. By meeting the brief and going a step further, this proposal offers a thoughtful response thar resonates deeply with the realities it addresses.

Bayram Zgolli, Founder of Faber Architects

This project excels in symbolic value, with graffiti-covered masonry walls preserved as historical memory after relocation. Designed across three phases of Humanitarian Action (Emergency, Recovery, and Development), it uses locally available materials and offers a visually compelling design. While its single-unit structure challenges mobility, its enduring impact and meaning make it a standout proposal.

_________________________________________________________________