Yemen is one of the most unstable nations in the world, with various groups fighting for power in since 2013. Iraqi-British architect Salma Samar Damluji and colleagues in Yemen established the Daw’an Mud Brick Architecture Foundation in 2008. The foundation based in Hadramaut Governorate has been working on earth construction and post-war reconstruction projects.

Project description by jury

Since 2015, Yemen has experienced times of great political unrest that have resulted in a civil war and consequent damage throughout the country. The architectural heritage has been impacted by this conflict, and several important cultural sites have been severely damaged or, in some cases, almost entirely destroyed. This proposal aims to rehabilitate or reconstruct important Yemeni cultural landmarks, notably three Sufi shrines and two mosques in Hadramut, two mosques and the Domes of Al Habib Abu Bakr in Shihr and the Shaikh Yaqub Dome of Mukalla. The project also addresses the imminent danger of the further collapse of structures that are already damaged. 

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Post-war Reconstruction in Yemen automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Post-war Reconstruction in Yemen

The built environment has a significant role to play in addressing climate change and enabling the transition to a net-zero and more inclusive future. The Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction global winners showcase the cutting edge of approaches to sustainable design, green architecture, and materials innovation. The 6th cycle of the competition saw three entries in the Middle East Africa region win prizes at both the global and regional levels, including a project in Morocco that won a Global Holcim Awards Bronze and two projects that were recognized with a Global Commendation. The global prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy. The regional Holcim Awards Main category winners for Middle East Africa were recognized at the same event.

Culture, Participation & Dissemination of Knowledge

The project was dedicated to resuscitating important cultural landmarks through investing in the traditional building techniques and systems. The project, led by Daw'an Architecture Foundation (an NGO based in Hadramut) with the support of the local authorities (Office of the Governor of Hadramut), encompassed in-situ capacity building. Youth from the community participated in training schemes on the building sites, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of the architectural skills and resources in their region. The reconstruction engaged local master builders and craftspeople, with their knowledge and expertise, in responding to the inherent challenge involved in sensitively restoring the war-torn urban fabric and its aesthetic impact.

The buildings were constructed in traditional earthen methods, but their destruction could have imminently led to a concrete reconstruction project that doesn’t fit in the local environment. Materials were produced locally on site and from the immediate surroundings which eliminates energy consumption from processing and transportation. Additionally, they do not require any thermal energy in the manufacturing process. Thus, the walls and roofs in the buildings reconstructed and rehabilitated, have a thermal mass property that eliminates the use of mechanical heating and cooling systems in arid climates such as the highly humid areas of Mukalla and Shihr where the projects are located. Consequently, these buildings are contributing to the balance of the environment and the ecosystem.