Building hope from the ground up
THE ISMAILI
The seven winning projects of this year’s Aga Khan Award for Architecture help to show that buildings do more than shelter—they can heal, unite, and inspire.
In the face of climate crisis, social fragmentation, and economic inequality, these innovative projects represent a departure from architecture’s sometimes elitist reputation. Instead, they embrace a philosophy of community-driven design that prioritises people over prestige, and thus help fulfil the Award’s objective.
“Inspiring younger generations to build with environmental care, knowledge and empathy is among the greatest aims of this Award,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam, Chair of the Award’s steering committee. “Architecture today must engage with the climate crisis, enhance education and nourish our shared humanity. Through it, we plant seeds of optimism – quiet acts of resilience that grow into spaces of belonging, where the future may thrive in dignity and hope.”
Established in 1977 by Mawlana Shah Karim, the Award celebrates excellent building practices in communities where Muslims have a significant presence. The prize is shared among not only the architects, but the builders, artisans, clients, and municipalities who made these projects possible, in recognition that notable architecture is always collaborative.
This year’s winning projects have emerged from listening to communities and responding to urgent local needs with creative, often low-cost solutions. Together, they reshape our understanding of what architecture can accomplish in times of uncertainty.
When the waters rise
When Marina Tabassum began working with Bangladesh’s char communities—people who live on temporary river islands that appear and disappear with seasonal flooding—she realised that conventional housing was failing them. Her solution, Khudi Bari (or ‘little house’), is ideal for adaptive living in the climate crisis.
The bamboo structures, elevated on stilts and connected with custom steel joints, can be disassembled in three hours when floodwaters rise and reassembled elsewhere in three days. At roughly $450 per kit, they’ve already sheltered more than 78 families and proved their resilience through multiple flood seasons. The system has been adapted for use in Rohingya refugee camps, where women lead the construction process.
The project embodies a growing movement in architecture that prioritises adaptability over permanence, and community knowledge over expert opinion. It’s a response born from necessity but offers lessons far beyond Bangladesh’s floodplains.
Where community finds voice
The West Wusutu Village Community Centre in China was built on the site of an old Buddhist temple, using salvaged bricks to create a modern courtyard design around a circular plaza. What makes the project special is how flexible it is—the spaces change throughout the day.
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