Rehabilitation center for orphans with PTSD

In Gaza, where childhood is reduced to memories of war, the phenomenon of the “sole survivor” was born: a child emerging from under the rubble after losing their entire family, left without roots or support. No longer just an orphan, but a living witness to genocide, carrying deep trauma and an absolute loss of belonging. These children need more than shelter; they need a healing environment that can rebuild their spirit and grant them a chance at life again.

From this need, the Orphans Rehabilitation Center on the coast of Khan Younis was conceived—not as a mere building, but as a therapeutic–architectural journey. Inspired by SOS villages yet reimagined for Gaza’s reality, the project moves beyond providing alternative housing to creating a future-oriented model that restores a child’s sense of belonging and growth.

The design rests on three key pillars:
– Healing Architecture: spaces are organized as a path of recovery—beginning with isolation in private therapy rooms, moving into connection within small family-like units, and finally integration through workshops, playgrounds, and gardens.
– Blue Spaces Theory: the seafront site acts as a therapeutic element, planting serenity and openness, turning the sea into an alternative embrace.
– Trauma Therapies: the architecture incorporates CBT, art and play therapy, and exposure therapy, transforming educational, artistic, and residential spaces into tools for healing.

A unique layer of the project is the role of substitute mothers—women who themselves lost children and families in war. They become caregivers for orphans, creating mutual healing: the child gains warmth and safety, while the mother rediscovers motherhood and meaning after loss.

The center uses a modular design that allows for future expansion as needs grow, making it a flexible model for care and rebuilding childhood in post-war Gaza.

Here, survival is redefined—not as mere existence, but as an opportunity for healing, belonging, and planting new childhoods amid the ruins.