mud bricks and wood build low-cost shelter modules for displaced communities in somalia

low-tech construction system enables self-building by community members.

Rabie Al Ashi edited by christina vergopoulou December 2, 2025 3 min

Flexible Modules Shape Low-Cost Shelter Framework in Somalia

Shelters of the Future is a modular housing proposal developed by Rabie Al Ashi for an international competition focused on low-cost shelter solutions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia. The competition was part of a program launched by the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing (MoPWRH) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM – UN Migration) with Young Architects Competition (YAC), to rethink the future of a dignified, contextual, and resilient shelter design for the displaced communities in Somalia. Created under the guidance of Anteo Taro Boschi Sanada, partner at Kengo Kuma & Associates, the project was among the awarded proposals.

Rooted deeply in Somali vernacular architecture, the concept reinterprets traditional building knowledge through a contemporary, community-driven framework. The design is anchored by a flexible 4×4 m spatial module, a simple, human-scaled unit that can be organized into diverse configurations. Each module pairs two enclosed rooms with a semi-open central space and a private garden, allowing households to maintain dignity, privacy, and cultural spatial norms.

mud bricks and wood build low-cost shelter modules for displaced communities in somalia - 1 — reinterpreting Somali vernacular architecture through a contemporary system | all images courtesy of Rabie Al Ashi

Adaptive Modular Clusters Support Community-Oriented Living

The system grows organically, where modules cluster into radial, linear, or courtyard arrangements, forming vibrant neighborhood structures capable of supporting evolving community needs. This adaptability enables shelters to transition from emergency response to long-term, livable environments. Materiality is central to the project’s identity. Construction relies on locally sourced, renewable, and low-embodied-energy materials such as acacia logs, mud bricks, palm leaves, and earth-based finishes. The shelter is designed for low-tech, self-build assembly, empowering residents, strengthening local craftsmanship, and reducing dependency on imported systems.

The project also integrates passive strategies, cross-ventilation, thermal mass, shading, and breathable enclosures, to enhance comfort in Somalia’s hot, arid climate. Gender-sensitive layouts, space for small-scale farming and livestock, and shaded communal areas further support social cohesion and livelihood recovery. Shelters of the Future, conceived by designer Rabie Al Ashi, reframes humanitarian shelter as more than a temporary fix: it proposes a scalable, culturally grounded, and resilient architectural framework that grows with its users, restoring stability, dignity, and a sense of belonging in displacement contexts.

mud bricks and wood build low-cost shelter modules for displaced communities in somalia - 2 — modular neighborhood formation designed for scalable community growth

mud bricks and wood build low-cost shelter modules for displaced communities in somalia - 3 — the shelter celebrates the use of local materials and the local construction techniques

shelters-of-the-future-rabie-al-ashi-somalia-designboom-1800-2 — the proposal presents a resilient shelter model rooted in cultural continuity

mud bricks and wood build low-cost shelter modules for displaced communities in somalia - 4 — each module combines two enclosed rooms with a semi-open central space

shelters-of-the-future-rabie-al-ashi-somalia-designboom-1800-3 — linear module arrangement designed for flexible neighborhood growth

the layout consists of two main enclosed spaces centered around a covered semi-outdoor area low-tech construction system enabling self-build by community members the cluster is shaped by a variety of block types that create an authentic spatial quality

project info:

name: Shelters of the Future
architect: Rabie Al Ashi | @rabie_alashi

guidance: Anteo Taro Boschi Sanada

location: Somalia

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