A participant from the National University Working Group showcased an innovative, low‑cost shelter concept.
University students, architects, and design experts from Somalia and abroad presented a new generation of modest, sustainable, and culturally authentic shelters.
The event, held at a Mogadishu exhibition organized by the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing and the International Organization for Migration, highlighted a significant advance in developing locally tailored shelter solutions for Somalia’s displaced residents through the Homegrown, Sustainable, and Scalable Shelter Solutions initiative launched in April 2025.
Over the past ten months, students from Somali National University, SIMAD University, Benadir University, and City University collaborated with international peers from YACademy in Bologna, Italy, within five working groups led by renowned architects to rethink shelter design for Somalia’s internally displaced populations. Their aim was to create innovative, affordable, context‑appropriate, and sustainable shelter prototypes that address the country’s complex realities, including family growth, land tenure, climate vulnerability, and material availability.
From the submissions of the five groups, three leading designsincluding earth‑based shelterswere chosen for their feasibility, originality, and innovation by a panel of national and international experts.
The top designs include:
Special honors were awarded to Hoy – A Place to Return To and An Inclusive Design, two mixed teams led by Dr. Salma Samar Damluji; to Flexible, Dynamic, and Breathable Shelters, led by Anteo Taro Sanada; and an honorable mention to Low‑Cost Housing Design, a national group guided by mentors Abdullahi Abdulrahman Muhdin, Liban Ali Sahal, and Abdikafi Elmi Abdishakur.
The groups received guidance from leading experts such as Abdifatah Abdiaziz of the Somali Institute of Architects, Dr. Yusuf Omar of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, Omar Degan of the DO Architecture Group, and Enrique Sevillano Gutierrez of CRAterre. “This initiative demonstrates that Somali talents, when engaged globally, can pioneer dignified, sustainable, and climate‑smart shelters for communities in need,” remarked H.E. Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur, Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing.
Using a shared technical design brief, the participants developed modular and upgradeable shelter solutions at three scalesunit, plot, and clusteracross four varied site scenarios in Baidoa, Doolow, Bossaso, and Mogadishu. Each prototype addressed social, environmental, and technical aspects unique to Somalia’s displacement, disaster, and climate challenges.
“These designs signify a shift toward scalable models that can transform shelter construction in Somalia, placing people, local material production, sustainability, cultural relevance, and dignity at the core,” said Manuel Marques Pereira, IOM Somalia’s Chief of Mission.
The initiative received funding through the Saameynta Programme via the Somalia Joint Fund, Swiss Development Cooperation, the Netherlands, and Norway, underscoring a collective commitment to advancing locally led, scalable, and sustainable solutions to displacement.