THE ROYAL HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION (RHF)

URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION

OASIS OF HOPE
SUMMER 2025

Nour Abdulaal 20192177

Mooza Ahmed 20193311
Jose Pascual 20193455
Samana Alwadai 20193861

Supervision By:
Dr. Wafa Alghatam
Dr. Manal Jameel Khalaf
Dr. Hawra Alshaik

August 27, 2025

1. Introduction

The development of a community for widows and orphans is both a social obligation and an
architectural chance to innovate social design. Sponsored by the Bahrain Royal Humanitarian
Foundation (RHF) and supporting Bahrain's comprehensive plans for sustainable urban
development, the aim of the project is to promote a caring and protective socio-physical
environment where families can live with dignity and hope.

Our submission responds to the given request for evidence-based urbanism that integrates
residential, educational, commercial, and communal spaces into an integrated urban fabric.
Where social integration, walkability, and sustainability are a priority. The neighborhood is
designed as a living community that fosters belonging, empowerment, and resilience, and not
merely as a housing development.

The report traces the design development from user-centered research and surveys among
widows, orphans, and the wider community to ensure that the project reflects the very
aspirations and desires of the stakeholders. It then spells out the guiding idea, design
approaches, provisions of sustainability, and spatial responses to the competition brief.
Underpinned by images, diagrams, and evidence-led thinking, the project aims to set an
example for socially responsible and environmentally sustainable urban design.​

The land covers 48,350 m² in the middle of Hamad Town and is easily accessible via
Roundabout 16 and bounded by four peripheral streets, one being a main road. The land is
located within a dense urban area with a walkable distance of 3 minutes at maximum,
highlighting the significance of pedestrian-friendly flow. No essential services provision is
currently available in the area, making the project a chance to offer a mix of housing, facilities,
and public areas. Due to the hot and humid weather of Hamad Town, the location must have
properly designed strategies such as proper orientation, parks, and eco-friendly solutions to
make it more habitable and comfortable.

2. Concept & Vision

This project integrates the principles of Garden City Theory, Neighborhood Unit Theory, and
Tactical Urban Planning to design a human-centered residential neighborhood that enhances
residents’ quality of life while addressing environmental challenges such as excessive heat.
Through the creation of comfortable, safe buildings and open spaces, the project fosters
community intimacy and social interaction. The outcome is a sustainable, walkable environment
that promotes safety, financial sustainability, and a strong sense of belonging and containment.​
3. User-Centered Research

A. Survey with Target Users (Orphans & Widows)

To ensure that our design is a true reflection of its future occupants' real needs, we also
conducted interviews with widows and orphaned children's families. From these interviews, we
were able to obtain valuable information regarding their daily routines, challenges, dreams, and
preferences. The findings directly affected our design strategies and priorities for the community.

Daily Routines & Challenges

Widows portrayed their days were dedicated to home work, care for children, and coordination
of tasks such as school drop-off and shopping. All movement is confined to the immediate
surroundings. Overcrowding, a lack of privacy, poor ventilation, and restricted natural light were
the most important issues they indicated. Most homes were also irked by restricted toilets,
unhygienic outdoor play areas for children, and the unavailability of secure transport.

“Most of my day is spent at home caring for my children. We don’t have safe spaces outside for
them to play, so they stay indoors.” - Target User.’

Housing Needs & Privacy

Interviewees all stressed the desirability of bigger space, better air circulation, and privacy.
Privacy was mentioned time and time again as a pressing concern (both within a unit between
rooms and between neighboring families). Shared amenities such as courtyards and laundry
facilities were fine, but only if designed with boundaries and consideration for human dignity.

“Shared areas are fine, but only if they are safe and respectful. I don’t want strangers passing
near my home.” -Target User.

Safety & Social Connection

Safety was the number one theme that occurred. Families were adamant about the installation
of streetlights, safe and open spaces to play, and pedestrian sidewalks that are visible and
secure. They want to belong to a caring society and yet maintain some ability to control who
comes into public spaces. The majority of widows reported that shaded meeting places, small
squares, and prayer areas would help bring about amity without compromising on security.

“I feel unsafe walking alone at night because the streets are dark and empty.” - Target User.
 Children’s Needs

Mothers emphasized proximity to local nurseries and schools within walking distance. They
would like to have safe, shaded pathways to these schools. The development of children was
the main theme (respondents want libraries, outdoor classrooms, play courts, and creative play
spaces that encourage learning and playing in a safe environment). They also complained of
the lack of after-school programs or tutorial buildings in their current residential locations.

“My children need a school close by. Walking long distances under the sun is difficult and
unsafe.” - Target User.

Shops, Services & Activities

The interviews also revealed the need for everyday services within walking distance, including
supermarkets, pharmacies, tailoring services, childcare centers, and affordable food outlets.
Families stressed that these had to be within a 5–10 minute walk, as the majority do not have
private transportation. Most frequently mentioned lacking services were daycare centers,
medical clinics, and vocational training centers.

“Affordable grocery shops and a daycare would change our lives.” -Traget User.

Recreation and Well-being

To promote emotional well-being, widows expressed the necessity for peaceful gardens, shaded
walks, and spaces for prayer. Children's play spaces befitting their age where children would
interact in a safe manner and serene outdoor sitting areas where mothers might relax.

“Shaded seating areas would be wonderful. A place where mothers can sit while watching their
children play.” - Target User.

Future Aspirations

When asked to describe what they would like to see for their future, widows all across express
stability, security, and children's upbringing through education. Empowerment was also
mentioned by the majority, such as skills acquisition, community support groups, and
multipurpose centers where they can be active members in their community.

“If we had training centers or workshops, I could learn new skills and support my family.” -Target
User.
B. Survey with General Public

In addition to our consultations with orphans and widows, we also made a survey of the general
public to establish general housing problems and community expectations in Bahrain. This
allowed us to compare the needs of vulnerable individuals with the general public, so that our
design not only caters for the needs of the specific users but also urban conditions and cultural
environment.

Current Housing Problems

Survey respondents and interviewees made the following recurring issues in existing housing:

●​ Inadequate ventilation and insulation: The majority of homes lacked proper airflow,
orientation, and operational windows.
●​ Crowding and cramped living spaces: Occupants explained that the living area was
too small.
●​ Private space requirement: Respondents stated the passive transfer of noise, poor
window placement, and weak separation of neighbors.
●​ Few courtyards or gathering spaces: Inadequate common spaces limited
opportunities for family and neighbor interaction.
●​ Parking shortages

“The apartment doesn’t have much ventilation, and we don’t have privacy in terms of sound or
visuality.” - Governmental Apartments’ Resident.

“We don’t have good views nor services around, and there’s not enough space for parking or
gathering.”- Governmental Apartments’ Resident.

Proposed Solutions

●​ Wider living areas with a dedicated space for social gatherings and separate guest
areas.
●​ Better parking amenities, including basement parking, to decongest.
●​ Increased and strategically located windows to maximize natural light and air flow.
●​ Increased shared green areas, courtyards, and play courts for families.
Fig 1.1 Resident’s Solutions in Salmabad Governmental Housing.

“To make the house more private, we changed the height of the walls and improved our garden
to make it more habitable.” - Governmental Housing’s Resident.

Broader Concerns

The research also revealed three ongoing themes within Bahrain's housing sector:

●​ Affordability: Rising land prices, alongside the issue of jobs, make houses out of reach
for the majority of citizens.
●​ Sustainability: Homes are not energy efficient, lack any water-saving appliances, and are
not constructed to use environmental-friendly materials.
●​ Functionality: Homes do not support social interaction, community integration, and
favorable everyday living.

4. Design Strategies

●​ Site Planning
●​ Based on the Neighborhood Unit theory, the school and kindergarten are located at the
center of the neighborhood, surrounded by other services, with a hierarchical street
layout that keeps the inner areas car-free, enhancing safety, public health, and social
interaction.
●​ All facilities that attract many visitors are designed for access from outside the
neighborhood, maintaining a Zero-Car Zone in the center without compromising ease of
access or residents’ daily life.
●​ The residential units (6 floors) are placed on the southern side, casting shadows over the
outdoor spaces, while essential facilities for children are located close to the housing
 units, unlike general service facilities, creating a privacy hierarchy within the
neighborhood.
●​ Pedestrian paths connect the neighborhood to surrounding areas, with crossings and
traffic lights on the main street to
●​ facilitate pedestrian access and link adjacent areas, enhancing walkability and social
interaction.
●​ The neighborhood is also designed to create a strong community environment, fostering
a sense of belonging, inclusion, and psychological support for orphans and widows.
●​ Finally, investment facilities are integrated within the design to serve the primary
beneficiaries, while future flexibility is ensured, allowing some spaces to be repurposed
according to evolving needs, following the principles of Tactical Urbanism.
 ●​ Housing Units

The housing component of the community is configured as mid-rise apartment blocks with four
apartments per floor on six floors. Each apartment is planned for a family of five in a compact
but comfortable home. Each building thus contains 24 families, or approximately 120
individuals, and with four residential buildings planned, the development includes nearly 480
residents in an efficient and community-oriented design.

Each unit includes a living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms, and a bathroom, with
the layout specifically designed to separate the private zones (bedrooms) from the social zones
(living and dining rooms). To enhance quality of life, every apartment has two balconies, which
offer outdoor access, natural lighting, and social contact in a protected area. Units are oriented
to achieve maximum views of landscaped green spaces, and roofs are designed as shared
gardens, creating additional semi-public outdoor spaces for leisure and community interaction.

Community interaction is promoted by flexible shared spaces at each floor including mini
lounges, laundry areas, and/or storage. This provides a balance between privacy within the
apartments and social integration at the building level. Windows are placed in all rooms in order
to maximize natural ventilation, and tinted glazing is employed to shield privacy and reduce
glare. Apartments are configured such that flats do not have common walls to provide both
acoustic comfort and individual privacy for inhabitants.

Accessibility and safety are maintained through a number of strategies. Fire escapes and
elevators provide necessary vertical circulation, whereas universal design elements like ramps,
accessible ground-floor bathrooms, and wide corridors make them easy to use for residents with
mobility impairments or parents with strollers. Controlled entrances and security lobbies
contribute to overall safety along with an inviting atmosphere.

The vertical housing model is land-saving and affordable, taking up less land than individual
houses and accommodating more families. Sustainability is integrated through natural
cross-ventilation, building orientation for maximum daylight and minimized heat gain, and
shaded balconies that reduce glare and maximize thermal comfort.

In general, the housing policy is concerned with prioritizing dignity, privacy, affordability,
accessibility, and community well-being, with a view to providing occupants with homes that
balance efficiency and comfort, social cohesion, and cultural values.
 ●​ Educational Spaces

Private School:

The four levels of the private schools are linked and superimposed, with each responding to site
conditions and generating a shaded interior courtyard at the center. The courtyard serves as the
heart of the school, offering an exterior space for students to gather safely while enhancing
daylighting and natural ventilation of surrounding classrooms and circulation spaces.

A motif patterned shading device drawn from Arabic design distributes light across sunlit areas,
reducing glare and adding cultural identity. Solar discs are embedded within the curtainwall
glazing to generate renewable energy and boost comfort levels even more. The modular
massing of the school creates terraces and cantilevered space that provide shaded outdoor
areas and visual link between floors, allowing for interaction as well as learning.

Sustainability is incorporated into building design: insulation walls, double-glazed windows, and
green materials optimize thermal comfort for Bahrain's hot and humid climate. Strong roof
overhangs and PV panels reduce energy needs while harvesting renewable energy sources.

The school layout is flexible and inclusive, with classrooms, labs, and amenity areas designed
for ease of collaboration and social interaction. All spaces are physically and visually linked to
the courtyard, even further developing the sense of security and community. On the outside,
there are allocated drop-off and parking locations well incorporated to facilitate smooth flow of
vehicles while providing safe pedestrian routes.

More importantly, it sits as a community center point in the neighborhood, being easily
accessible from the residential area. It not only schools the children but strengthens the social
tissue by residing where families gather and is a symbol of opportunities for the future.

Kindergarten:

The kindergarten location is designed to be located centrally within or close to the residential
clusters, allowing for easy and safe access by families and keeping young children close to their
home environments.

The building façade adopts a playful but restrained coloration intended to stimulate children's
sensory perception without overwhelming them. The architectural move is consciously soft and
welcoming, instilling a sense of trust and curiosity. Large, glazed windows allow daylight to
penetrate deep into classrooms while maintaining sightlines to the external world, inspiring a
sense of openness along with security.

Around the courtyard is an open-air courtyard in the center of the kindergarten, used both as a
secure outdoor playground, outdoor classroom, and children's social space. The courtyard not
only aids learning through play but enhances natural lighting and ventilation throughout the
building.

Comfort from the environment comes in the form of heat-insulated walls, cross-ventilation
methods, and well-positioned windows that provide both air movement and glaze protection. All
these features lead to a healthy and stimulating indoor environment where the children learn,
play, and develop.

Typically, the kindergarten is a warm, nurturing, and protective environment, combining playful
architecture with functional simplicity for facilitating the initial years of children's education.
 ●​ Social & Cultural Spaces

Student Studios & Co-Working Space:

The student work studio and co-working space are built as a center for learning, collaboration,
and empowerment and house students, and young professionals to acquire skills, research, and
carry out entrepreneurial endeavors.

The building is organic in form, responding to the geometry of the site so that it blends easily
into the texture of the neighborhood. Its facades are oriented in all directions in order to
maximize good views, promoting a sense of openness and connection to the world around.

Environmental performance is a fundamental aspect of design. Green roofs provide natural

insulation, reduce heat gain, and function as exterior terraces for informal entertainment. Solar
panels on the roof provide renewable energy, and double-glazed windows provide enhanced
thermal comfort and sound insulation. Louvers that are adjustable on sun-exposed façades filter
direct sunlight, creating interior spaces that are well lit without glare or heat.

Interior, the building offers a range of flexible spaces, from private study pods to collaborative
studios, open workspaces, and small meeting rooms. The spaces are planned to accommodate
both concentration and collaboration and facilitate multiple styles of learning and work.
Inclusivity is enabled by accessible circulation and layout that encourages social interaction.

As a whole, student studio and co-working space is an icon of empowerment in the community
where learning, creativity, and community interaction meet in a sustainable, evolving setting.
Activity & Service Center:

The activity and service center is designed as an everything-purpose neighborhood node which
provides for both socialization and administrative activities within the community. The office and
service center appears as a large building and is complemented by events, gatherings, and
community supporting activity space.

There is a multipurpose hall at the rear of the building looking towards the highway. It is placed
in such a manner that it can accommodate large events and activities without disrupting the
quiet residential ones, and above all, having good visual connectivity with the city surrounding it.

On the ground floor level, there is a patio space that extends the social use of the building with
an open space for informal meetings, cultural activities, and community relations. A central
open-air courtyard occupies the building's center, which gives order to circulation, optimizes
natural ventilation and daylighting, and makes for a welcoming community setting.

The facade treatment is an extension of the student studio and co-working space, making use of
sustainable shading devices and energy-efficient design principles in order to reduce glare and
heat gain. The building does not feature a green roof, but the patio and courtyard provide
abundant exterior relationships and help with environmental comfort.

Overall, the activity and service center is the community's administrative and cultural center
where residents can get services, participate in activities, and meet other individuals in a
sustainable and friendly setting.

Wellbeing Spaces

The Wellbeing block was designed as a continuous belt-shaped building on the northern edge of
the site. It forms a safe boundary between the street and the community square. The block is
simple in form but responds to the environment in several ways:

●​ Local limestone works as a heat reflector and thermal buffer.

●​ Mashrabiya screens with local patterns shade the east and west façades.
●​ Horizontal shading protects southern openings.
●​ Contemporary wind towers capture prevailing winds and direct cool air into the
community square.
 ●​ The restaurant building, set in a strategic location with panoramic views, includes a
green courtyard that supports passive cooling.

Community Square Solutions

Due to Bahrain’s climate challenges, the square required special treatment:

●​ Entirely shaded with double-layer canopies carrying solar cells. They provide energy
while allowing views of the sky.
●​ District cooling system integrated, with air outlets hidden in canopy columns.
●​ Shrubs were placed on the east side and dense trees in the west picnic park for shading.
●​ Paving materials include terrazzo, recycled colored concrete, and piezoelectric tiles that
generate energy through footfall.

Sustainable Planting

Sustainable planting strategies include:

●​ Selecting native, low-water plants.

●​ Olla irrigation pots for efficient water use.
●​ Terracotta planters that cool the air when moistened.
●​

Public Space Hierarchy

Public areas follow a hierarchy of privacy:

●​ Near housing: children’s playgrounds for safety and easy supervision.

●​ Central zone: youth activities, seating, billiards, and chess near the school and activity
centers.
●​ Northern edge: open food kiosks for youth projects and local families, supporting social
cohesion.
●​ At the square’s center, a monument inspired by Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa
carries the message:
●​ “Orphans are not just a source of care; they are part of building the future. The strength
is in you, and the light is ahead of you.”

Connectivity and Mobility

The neighborhood is not closed. It is open to the surrounding areas through:

●​ Connected roads, safe crossings, and traffic [Link] an attempt to integrate this
category with the communities.
 ●​ Pedestrian-centered design to encourage walking.
●​ Scooter and bike rental stations at the edges of the site.

The neighborhood is a complete, sustainable environment. It balances safety, openness, and

community integration. It serves residents and connects with nearby districts, with pedestrians
at the heart of urban life

5. Investment Activation
●​ The project relies on a mix of small and medium investment services:
●​ 20 commercial service shops provide regular income for the institution while serving the
neighborhood.A sports, physiotherapy, and wellness center that can be monetized
through affordable subscriptions.
●​ 32 kiosk spaces, such as stalls for productive widows and food kiosks for Bahraini youth,
promoting social solidarity and generating additional income.
●​ Bicycle and scooter rentals to reduce carbon footprint, encourage an active lifestyle, and
provide extra revenue.
●​ Six spaces for restaurants and cafés catering to residents and visitors.
●​ The activity and summer program center mainly serves the RHF’s events.
●​ Studio apartments for students due to the proximity of the University of Bahrain, along
with a co-working space for startup offices.
 ●​ 36 investment residential apartments for sustainable additional income.
●​ These ideas ensure the project’s financial sustainability, as it not only provides housing
but also contributes to operating and developing the institution’s resources.

6. Conclusion

The Widows and Orphans community project supported by RHF represents a comprehensive
approach to socially responsible, sustainable, and inclusive urban development. By integrating
residential, educational, cultural, and commercial spaces, the project provides a safe, dignified,
and empowering space designed in particular for the special needs of its residents.
User-centered, evidence-based research ensures that design responds directly to widows',
orphans', and the community's aspirations and worries, and provides safety, privacy,
accessibility, and social interaction.

Sustainability is built into the project from energy-efficient design and green infrastructure to
climate-resilient public space and ecologically aware planting. The community supports unity of
the community along with economic sustainability through strategic investment and
revenue-generating facilities, which ensure long-term sustainability of the physical environment
as well as the institution.

Lastly, the development is not merely a housing project; it is a vibrant, living community that
promotes resiliency, empowerment, and opportunity, a socially and environmentally sustainable
urban planning model for Bahrain.