EAA and Zaha Hadid Architects Nominated for the Prestigious "AJ100 – Collaboration Of The Year 2023"

May 24, 2023

The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), is honoured to be nominated for the distinguished AJ100 Collaboration Of The Year 2023. The nomination is an affirmation of EAA and ZHA's joint commitment of creating sustainable, innovative solutions in education infrastructure.

The AJ100 awards programme is a highly respected event that celebrates the achievements of the UK's largest architecture practices, as measured by the number of architects employed within the UK. This year, special emphasis has been placed on practices that are leading the way in sustainable architecture and design.

In 2015, amidst a growing global education crisis, EAA Foundation joined forces with ZHA to revolutionize how temporary learning spaces are conceived and constructed. The mission was clear: to create sustainable, temporary learning environments that cater to Out of School Children (OOSC), who are often the most vulnerable members of society.

Three ZHA-EAA tents are currently being used as schools for hundreds of displaced Pakistani and Syrian children in Pakistan and Turkey, respectively. The newly donated structures will be used as schools, clinics and temporary shelter for displaced communities in Syria, Turkey and Yemen. Fifteen tents will be given to IOM, of which 10 will serve as schools and five as health clinics in Turkey and Yemen. In Syria, for its part, the Qatar Red Crescent will receive 12 structures that it will serve as shelters for displaced communities in Syria.

The ZHA-EAA tents allow for natural daylight and are sustainable, weather-proof, modular structures that can be easily moved and re-assembled, incorporating components that can also be upcycled, thereby making them ideal for displaced populations. With more than 70 million people displaced in their own countries or living as refugees, and half under the age of 18, EAA saw a critical need for a suitable infrastructure that could serve as classrooms, temporary housing, and medical centres for displaced children and their families. That’s when the Foundation teamed up with Zaha Hadid Architects to create a structure that offers safe, versatile and sustainable spaces for children to use for play, learning, and development.

ZHA-EAA Tent Prototype 1, single classroom

ZHA-EAA Tent Prototype 2, two classrooms

ZHA-EAA Tent Prototype 1, classroom in filled with students

ZHA-EAA Tent Prototype 2, children line up in the shaded outdoor space

ZHA-EAA Tent Prototype 2, students raise their arms during class

The tent can function as a learning space as well as offer the flexibility to become a community hub or a medical shelter. With modular and flexible configurations, the design is adaptable to a range of needs and circumstances on the ground. Moreover, Zaha Hadid tents can be adapted as shelters or temporary housing for refugees and Internally Displaced People, responding to the complex challenges faced by societies that are affected by conflict, insecurity, and crisis.

For more information, contact:
Mohamed Al-Amri
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Education Above All
Email: msalih@eaa.org.qa
Mobile: +974 5000 9960

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Impact

"Humanity will not overcome the immense challenges we face unless we ensure that children get the quality education that equips them to play their part in the modern world." -- HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser