This open studio and discussion grew out of a residency rooted in practical inquiry and field engagement, exploring architectural approaches grounded in the Palestinian context—particularly in the Naqab Desert—and shaped by urgent realities on the ground.
Darat al Funun’s the Lab hosted Naqab Architects, a collective founded by Lobna Al Sane, whose work centers on collaborative research aimed at imagining architectural alternatives in response to the ongoing threats faced by residents of “unrecognized” villages in southern Palestine—threats including demolition, displacement, and systemic persecution.
Working in partnership with Haitham Canaan (of the Nabat Farm initiative) and alongside a group of architects and volunteers, the team carried out a series of experimental building practices. These focused on the use of palm fronds—a lightweight, affordable, and locally abundant material found across the plains of Tamra and the edges of the Naqab Desert—to construct shelter prototypes with both functional and aesthetic value.
This open studio presents the research and outcomes developed over the course of the residency, with Lobna and the participating team reflecting on these architectural experiments—their resonance within the Naqab and its communities, and their broader relevance to ongoing struggles for survival and resilience in Palestine today.
Naqab Architects is an initiative founded by Lobna Al Sana two years ago to address architectural and spatial challenges in unrecognized Bedouin villages through design, construction, and planning. In collaboration with the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages and local representatives, the initiative develops advanced mapping tools to document villages excluded from official and global maps. It also produced a local shelter prototype to protect residents during wars and airstrikes, as over 50 villages lack any infrastructure or emergency systems.
Haitham Canaan is an environmental activist and farmer from Tamra in the Western Galilee, Palestine. He is a co-founder of Nabat Farm for natural history and serves as the organizer of its programs. His work focuses on preserving the natural history of living organisms in green spaces and connecting it to contemporary life in Arab communities, using it as a tool to promote abundance and sovereignty over natural and food resources. This approach aims to provide solutions to environmental, economic, and social challenges, especially under the conditions of colonialism. Additionally, Haitham plays an active role in supporting local environmental initiatives that emphasize the development of agroecology and natural building practices.
Students in residency with Naqab Architects: Lina Mtalka, Balsam Abu Ajaj, and Suzan Abu Kush.
Participants: Abeer Aref, Leen Abu Najem, Yafa Darweesh, Jawdat Abed, Areej Al-Huneiti, Abdallah Tabaza.
In collaboration with: Mariam Al-Azzeh and Fawzi Bata.
Special Thanks to Bayouda Crafts Association, Maher and Zaher Haram.