A West Bank version of the Katrina Cottage

Architect Steve Coyle, principal of Town Green and National Charrette Institute faculty managed a charrette to plan for new growth in a Palestinian village and design a West Bank version of the “Katrina Cottage.” The Al Aqaba charrette, held in early August, was sponsored by the Rebuilding Alliance based in Palo Alto, California, a non-profit that helps war-ravaged communities around the world.

The charrette work was staffed by volunteer Palestinian architects and local groups. Coyle worked for expenses and a small honorarium.

Al Aqaba Village sits on the western edge of the Jordan Valley, surrounded Israeli military bases. Since Israeli occupation began in 1967, 12 residents have been killed and 38 wounded as a result of military exercises in the village, according to the Rebuilding Alliance. The village faces demolition by the military, but is revising its urban plan in an effort to resist the demolition and grow again, the Alliance reports.

The low-cost house designed during the charrette carries a price tag of $20,000. Katrina Cottages, small houses originally designed as emergency shelter after Hurricane Katina, are now being used in a variety of applications.