A City in Ruins, a Community in Waiting
In the city of Aleppo, Syria, years of conflict have indiscriminately destroyed homes, neighbourhoods, and the livelihoods of entire communities. This project addresses both the physical and emotional devastation of the city by proposing temporary recycling structures embedded within the urban fabric—designed to transform concrete rubble from damaged and destroyed buildings into reusable aggregate for new construction. But its aim reaches beyond material reuse: the initiative supports the reconstruction of Aleppo’s social and cultural life, offering a pathway for residents to return and rebuild their neighbourhoods from within.
Neighbourhood-Scale Deployment
The so-called “recycling modules” are carefully located within existing districts—specifically where people once lived—so that reconstruction can happen in situ. The strategy respects the spatial and emotional continuity of place, honouring proximity to homes, memories, and personal spaces. Rather than centralising the process, the modules are fragmented and deployed at a micro scale, ensuring accessibility and encouraging tailored responses to the specific needs of each neighbourhood. This decentralised approach fosters civic engagement and ensures the recovery process remains rooted in community participation.
Combining Material Reuse and Social Repair
These rubble recycling units serve a dual purpose: to rebuild the physical habitat, and to catalyse the healing and reconstitution of local communities. By involving residents directly in recycling and construction, the project empowers individuals through skill-building, job creation, and shared responsibility for their environment. The construction process becomes a platform for both material recovery and social regeneration—restoring agency and dignity to those affected by the war.
Cultural and Civic Continuity
Beyond rebuilding infrastructure, the project raises awareness of cultural identity and continuity. With the support of a humanitarian agency, it recognises that recovery is not only structural—it is about reclaiming streets, stories, and shared spaces. The initiative treats reconstruction as a deeply human endeavour: one where rubble becomes the foundation for renewed life, and rebuilding becomes a collective act of resilience, memory, and hope.
The jury applauded the humanitarian values at the heart of the project—a politically engaged initiative by young designers who harness their discipline to help reconstruct war-devastated neighbourhoods and alleviate the precarious living conditions of people under severe stress. Despite the project’s clear strengths, the jury questioned whether it might have been possible to reuse the materials on site to create more permanent structures, rather than temporary ones requiring repeated assembly and dismantling. That said, the jury ultimately affirmed that the proposal is grounded in a strong ethical vision—one that goes beyond technical solutions to rebuild both communities and the spaces they call home. It represents an enlightened generation of architects working to reverse the senseless destruction caused by those who came before.
