sos aqaba :D

size=24]This SOS complex for orphaned children is located in the residential outskirts of the city of Aqaba, on the Red Sea. A prerequisite of SOS Villages
International is that they should be built within an existing social environment, so that they are not isolated from the urban context of the town or city they are in. This was the second such village to be constructed in Jordan; the first was in the capital, Amman, and a third, in Irbid, was completed in 2000. (All three were designed by Jafar Tukan & Partners.) The architecture is attractive, well designed and sincere, and represents a modern interpretation of the local vernacular stone building. The scale of the village is dictated by its environmentally friendly design, and is also related to the scale of the children themselves within a contained and intimate urban setting. The complex comprises eight family houses, a staff house, an administration building, a guest house and the village director's residence; all are planned around a village square and connected via pedestrian paths, gardens and alleyways. Vaulted archways lead to shaded courts, while gardens surround the buildings both within and on the edge of the village. On the southern border of the site, close to the main road, are located facilities that are shared with the local community, namely a kindergarten, a supermarket, a pharmacy and a sports hall.

The general programme objective was to create, within an existing urban community, an environment where orphaned children could enjoy living conditions that are as close as possible to normal family life. This has been achieved by creating houses that accommodate nine children in each, looked after by a dedicated woman (aged between twenty-eight and fifty-three) who becomes a surrogate 'mother' figure. The children are provided with private meals and tutoring, and have a brother- and sister-like relationship with others within the family unit. The father figure is represented by the 'village father' (the director of the village, who lives in the premises with his real family), his assistant or deputy, and the other men who work in the village, namely the gardener and the maintenance man.


One project objective is to integrate the village with the rest of the community by drawing in the neighbouring community. This is achieved by creating public and social interaction points: a supermarket, a pharmacy (rented by members of the community and which both the village and community use), a sports centre and a kindergarten.


Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 2001[/size]