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1991
SOS Children's Village Association of Jordan
Architects: Jafar Tukan & Partners
On the outskirts of Aqaba, Jordan's outlet to the Read Sea, a sensitive
new project has fused a modern design vocabulary with a renewal of
the local building vernacular to create a haven for orphaned
children. Thoughtfully scaled and arranged and environmentally
friendly, the SOS Children's Village succeeds in providing a place,
where children can feel at home.
Designed by Jafar Tukan and completed in 1991, the Aqaba SOS complex
creates conditions for orphaned children that are as close as
possible to those of normal family life. Houses accommodate 9
children each, 72 in all, minded by a woman, who becomes a surrogate
mother figure. The children are provided with private meals and
tutoring and have a sibling-like relationship with other children in
the unit. Father figures include the "village father" (the
director of the village, who lives on the premises with his real
family), his assistant or deputy, and other men working in the
village, such as the gardener and maintenance man. The village is
integrated with the surrounding community through points of public
and social interaction: a supermarket and pharmacy, which generate a
small income for the village, and a sports center and kindergarten.
Eight family houses, a staff house, an administration building, a
guest house and the village director's residence are all planned
around a "village square" and connected via pedestrian
paths, gardens and alleyways. Because summer temperatures can reach
uncomfortable heights, the complex is arranged in clusters and
buildings, surrounded by breezy outdoor spaces, animated by lush
vegetation and shade trees. Vaulted archways lead to shaded courts,
while gardens surround the buildings on all sides. The shared
facilities are located on the southern border of the site, close to
the main road.
Details that enliven the exterior spaces include solid-wood window
frames and mashrabiyyas, or screens, which filter the light of the
harsh sun. Traditional ventilation techniques have been implemented
and the dwelling enjoy good thermal insulation, so maintenance
requirements are minimal. Domestic hot water is provided by solar
panels.
Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the design is its use of a
traditional cladding of random granite stones. Drawing on the
example of the few remaining traditional buildings in Aqaba's old
town, the architect implemented a study of the best way to build
with natural stone, found in the nearby mountains. The architect
specified that the stone was "not to be mechanically cut or
dressed, but (had to) remain completely natural". Having
mastered the process, the builder and contractor were able to train
others, contributing to a revival of traditional building
techniques. At the same time, modern elements were introduced, with
wooden structural elements, replaced by pre-cast concrete.
The loss of its traditional buildings has left Aqaba's with little
by way of distinctive architectural or urban character. Because the
industrial building materials favored by Jordan's construction
industry marginalized the input of local communities, Aqaba has few
local architects and no professional, trained labor force. The use
of stone in this project has created a new precedent for local
building. The village's architecture is now being used as a model
and has given local authorities an added incentive to upgrade the
old town's infrastructure, which they have come to view as the heart
of Aqaba's urban public. Private properties must now be built in a
style that is defined a mixture of modern and local, using materials
from around Aqaba.
Within the village, the sense of security and happiness fostered by
the architecture is reflected in the civility, discipline and good
manners that can be witnessed among the children. On a border scale,
the project has had a great impact on the local environment and
proposes a more sensitive approach to design and planning through a
careful process of research.
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