Marsh Arab School

In February 2010, the Coalition Provisional Authority in Basra, Iraq commissioned the Marsh Arab School Project in order to narrow the gap in availability of education between urban and rural habitats in Basra.

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HWH & Associates were appointed as Engineering and Project Management Consultants to undertake design, commercial, project and construction management of the facility. The school itself is located in the Marshes of Al Qurna, home to much of Iraq’s Marsh Arab population.

The project focused on the need for sustainable construction methodologies, where modern materials and maintenance provided the beauty and balance of the natural Marsh Arab environment. HWH & Associates investigated various construction methodologies, with heavy involvement from local stakeholders and tradesmen. A design in the traditional Mudiff style was ultimately decided upon as it was seen to maximise the use of traditional Marsh Arab construction methodologies, employed the use of sustainable materials, sourced locally and constructed entirely by the Marsh Arabs.

The project gained industry wide recognition upon completion with the award of a number of international acclaims, including the British Expertise Award 2010.

Click here to download the Marsh Arab School Construction Case Study .PDF (5.5MB)