The winner of the latest edition of the Aga Khan Awards for Archtecture, the modular system Khudi Bari – Bengali for ‘small house’ – is an architectural response to forced displacements in emergency situations. Designed by Marina Tabassum, it has been replicated as self-built housing in different locations in Bangladesh.

Khudi Bari is a lightweight but sturdy structure made of bamboo and steel connectors. Its design makes it possible, using simple tools, for three people to assemble it in just three days and dismantle it in a few hours. To boot, it requires only a shallow foundation and a simple anchoring to the ground.

The design has two functional levels: a ground floor for social and private spaces, and an upper story that serves as bedroom and shelter in case of flood. Roofs of corrugated metal facilitate transport and maintenance, while the facades can be built with local materials, reinforcing the connection to vernacular architecture.

Beyond its technical value, Khudi Bari places the dignity of displaced people at the center. The design and construction process is based on dialogue and collaboration with vulnerable communities, thereby promoting social empowerment. Its versatility has also led to its application in larger public infrastructures, such as centers for women in Rohingya refugee camps.

Khudi Bari is not only an emergency shelter. It is an example of architecture’s capacity to be flexible, replicable, and transformative, able to respond with sensitivity and efficiency to climate and social changes.

Women's community centre in the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar.  Photos: © Aga Khan Trust for Culture / City Syntax (F. M. Faruque Abdullah Shawon, H. M. Fozla Rabby Apurbo)

Women's community centre in the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar

Women's community centre in the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar

Women's community centre in the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar

Khudi Bari in Char Juan Satra, in the Kurigram district

Khudi Bari in Char Juan Satra, in the Kurigram district

Khudi Bari in Char Juan Satra, in the Kurigram district

Khudi Bari in Char Juan Satra, in the Kurigram district

Char Shildaha, in the district of Jamalpur

Modhu Chhara Centre in Ukhiya