Beauty through repair: community-based recovery

The reconstruction proposal unfolds in phases. The first establishes a community centre in the less damaged eastern wing, combining basic necessities, a community kitchen and bathrooms, with a tile workshop and temporary housing for workers. The second repairs the more severely damaged western wing, using gabion cages filled with sorted rubble to close larger gaps in the facade. The gabion cages are made of reclaimed rebar from the rubble; this system works with all sizes of rubble and can be assembled without heavy machinery or new concrete.

Through a workshop with Palestinians, a discussion on rubble as the main material for rebuilding was held. It is not just rubble, it is someone's home and belongings, and using it as a building material would be a constant reminder of the horrors. Yet to forget or erase that history would be its own kind of loss; remembering is part of how a community carries its story forward and ensures the past is not repeated.

The design proposes that the rubble does not have to remain visible. Tiles produced in the workshop could cover it at first, softening its harsh edges without erasing the memories it carries, and adding the familiar feel of an old tradition. Later, the tiles could be moved elsewhere to once again expose the bare rubble, when the community is ready. Recovery happens in phases, and so does healing.

Through conversations and workshops, the importance of the community having a central role in Gaza's reconstruction became clear. The project aims to show that recovery can be both structural and emotional, rebuilt by and for the people who call it home.