Modular Monsoon Shelter Khudi Bari Wins Aga Khan Award
Modular monsoon shelter Khudi Baridesigned by Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) for communities in Bangladesh, has been awarded the 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. This highly functional and ethical housing project is an actionable manifesto for communities displaced by climate change. Khudi Bari’s profound value lies in its challenge to the fundamental philosophy of construction, shifting the definition of architectural durability from static permanence to dynamic adaptability and flexibility. Its structural innovation uses bamboo and steel connectors to create a highly efficient, movable two-level house
Khudi Bari was designed as a direct response to the ongoing insecurity experienced by communities in the Chars region of Bangladesh, a region prone to river erosion and frequent flooding. It stands out as a truly unique modular monsoon shelter.
Khudi Bari combines bamboo and steel connecting elements into a rational geometric module. The renewable strength of bamboo, combined with specially designed steel fasteners manufactured in a Dhaka foundry, ensures the structure is both durable and easily dismantled.
This two-story, portable modular monsoon shelter is offered as a basic kit. Owners say it delivers on its promise of being built in three days and dismantled in three hours, allowing families to move quickly before the impending floods.
Khudi Bari’s true strength lies in its strong commitment to cost and social impact. Its incredibly low cost of just $450 puts Khudi Bari at a fraction of the price of similar prefabricated solutions on the market.
This affordable solution was supported by the nonprofit Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity (FACE) and designed in direct consultation with the local community. MTA went beyond providing simple shelter, giving communities dignity, control, and the ability to build themselves. This philosophy has since been successfully applied to larger community projects, including Rohingya refugee camps.
Khudi Bari proves that design can speak a global language, but its solutions must be realized with local materials. The project’s open-source and scalable nature reflects the vision of future design consistently championed by Designworldnews.
Khudi Bari stands out as a profoundly optimistic example of the role architecture can and should play in challenging global realities: a human-centered, robust, and systemic solution that transcends mere technical details and aesthetics.
Project Name
Khudi Bari
Architect Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)
Location Various locations in Bangladesh, including the flood-prone Chars region and Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Award 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) (16th Cycle)
Function: Flexible, affordable, self-build modular shelters designed for climate-displaced, marginalized populations.
Structural Innovation: Lightweight, demountable, two-storey modular system using chevron-braced bamboo frames and custom-designed steel connectors.
Key Features: Elevated upper floor for flood resilience. Can be assembled in three days and dismantled in three hours.
Core Materials: Locally sourced bamboo for the structure; corrugated tin roofs (chosen for durability and reusability); local materials for lower walls (grasses, sticks, jute).
Cost Approximately US$450 per kit (making it significantly more affordable than similar prefabricated solutions).
Non-Profit/Support: Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity (FACE)
Social Philosophy: Open-source and self-build system that promotes dignity, control, and empowerment within vulnerable communities.