Name: Wadi Gharba Community Center by Hand Over
Type: Cultural
Area: 245 m2
Location: St. Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt
Year: 2018

Wadi Gharba Community Center is a collaboration between Hand Over and the initiative of Catherine Exists – a community development initiative. The initiative’s aim was to develop the community there and provide them with all needed services.  Some of these services include an educational facility for kids, medical ones, commercial spaces for the residents to sell their goods and visitors to come and see them. So, basically, the residents needed a community center that would serve their needs and also connect them with their visitors.  

Design Theme

Certainly, Hand Over team worked to create a human-centric design. The project is realized through cooperating with the local communities, volunteers and students to design and implement the space. One of the main objectives of this project is to create a space that fits the nature there, by creating a dialogue between the local community and outsiders to fulfill the pressing needs of the locals. Because Hand Over tried to outsource most of the materials used from the site, they were able to cut the cost of the project budget and save money. They also hired local builders only, so as to give the locals a working opportunity and also teach them a new technique and skill that is rammed earth construction.

Design Details

The designed community center offers medical services through a clinic. Furthermore, Wadi Gharba Community Center also has a gallery to showcase the culture and heritage of the region. In addition to that, there is a multi-purpose unit that will be used to hold workshops, retreats, or public events. Handover designers didn’t forget St. Catherine’s local craftsmen. So, they included an open market in the design of the center so that they could sell their own products to the visitors.

To sum up, The design of Wadi Gharba Community Center by Hand Over is truly inspiring. If you want to read more about their work, then, go to Hand Over Official Facebook Page. Also, you can read in detail about their projects by clicking on: Building Better Communities