Sustainable building design through passive measures

The rehabilitation project of Qalandiya adopts a green approach inspired by traditional knowledge and responds to limited access to resources to sustain its objectives & outcomes. The historic maze creates a green hub of restored buildings, courtyards & community gardens, emphasizing the interaction among living systems and their environment between human and non-human processes. The project adopts measures and techniques that respond to water management, endogenous plants, recycling and use of locally produced material, landscaping thermal comfort, and climate change mitigation. The project considers traditional knowledge as a base for innovation and creative environmental solutions through restoration and adaptive reuse.

Efficient construction and operations

This project is based on respect, admiration, and belief in the historic built environment as a resource for socioeconomic development and climate change mitigation. In addition to respecting environmentally friendly historic buildings using local materials and planting indigenous trees, RIWAQ has ventured into installing water catchments, grey separation water, passive insulation, better ventilation systems, and creating green pockets. The conservation approach focuses on using locally produced material and recycled items such as traditional tiles, limestone, crushed pottery, etc., hence contributing to reducing CO2 emission.

Landscape & Biodiversity Integration

Qalandiya's historic center was abandoned for over 50 years; the geopolitical fragmentation and land confiscation measures had negatively affected the villages' agricultural infrastructure and its relation to its landscape. The project emplaced vegetation, landscaping, and planting approaches by designing soft components for pavements and planting courtyards. Traditional knowledge, use of indigenous plants, and water management were key elements in the design process. The green approach of the rehabilitation design led to a green historic center in contrast to concrete and cement urban extensions of the surrounding context. The green alleys were paved with gravel, allowing water to infiltrate.

Land use & Transformation

The historic center included a set of public and private ownerships. Over the years, the project dealt with fragmented ownership due to a multi-inheritance system. A series of meetings and gatherings were held with owners, facilitated by the village council as the leading project partner. Agreements were signed with the owners to restore their historic houses to be used for public and common purposes for 15 years. The historic center represented the legacy of the extended families of the village; its rehabilitation and public use meant safeguarding this legacy and providing means for common use and social cohesion. The green and public approach of the project promoted the site and attracted more users & visitors, fostering new potential.

Participatory Design

The project was designed through a participatory approach, where RIWAQ's team worked together with the owners, the village council, and the village's active committees. The adaptive reuse process included documenting the buildings through oral history sessions, onsite surveys, and mapping, then designing the spaces with the users and community members to fit their needs and aspirations. Treating the historic center and its common spaces (the green historic maze) as the legacy of the village families inspired the project process into participatory approaches. The community is the owner and guardian of its own heritage; stories & narratives of the place inspire designs.

Community Impact and Resilience

The project provided safe and inclusive spaces for youth, women, children, and families of Qalandiya and the surrounding Jerusalem villages to use and interact. The project supported social cohesion as a central pillar for the resilience of the Jerusalem villages. Reconnecting the fragmented communities and providing spaces for dialogue, production, and social services provided by the community-based organizations. Through the project process, the participation approach has succeeded in transferring the project's ownership from its initiator (RIWAQ) to its actual owner, the community. This has led to a more profound impact on social change and the project's sustainability, as the community is the primary keeper.

Financial Feasibility

The project was built as an income-generating model, where historic buildings are leased for public use for 15 years in return for the restoration works (that RIWAQ fundraises for). After restoration, the buildings are given for rent to community-based organizations and private businesses with affordable fees. These fees are put in a fund where maintenance is covered, and more buildings are restored. Through the restoration process, the project generated over 13,800 working days of training for Palestinians. The project provided spaces for local cultural organizations and youth initiatives with symbolic fees that guarantee the maintenance of the buildings and the project's durability.

Aesthetic Qualities and Cultural Integration

In adaptive reuse, buildings and spaces are designed to fit contemporary use, yet aspire to architectural aesthetics and narratives that go way beyond stones. Historic buildings and courtyards used to serve domestic purposes were turned into vibrant spaces for community-based functions and artistic activities. Riwaq's team managed to sustain the authenticity of cultural heritage through minimal well-thought interventions while designing the projects to fit contemporary lifestyles. Necessary services (kitchenettes and bathrooms) were added. Qalandiya's historic center inspired the designers to emphasize the voids (landscapes, green courtyards, alleys, and pathways) equally to solids (buildings and built-up structures).