Our project HEALING GARDEN – Therapy Centre for Women and Children in Chamchamal, in the autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, has been awarded first prize in the TERRA Landscape Architectural Award 2026.

In the category “Valorisation of Local Resources and Know-how”, the award recognises architecture that combines local materials, craft knowledge, and community structures in an exemplary way. It is presented by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and CRAterre as part of the TERRA 2026 World Congress on Earthen Architecture in Al Ain.

 The Healing Garden project was realised for the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights in cooperation with students from TU Berlin and Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. It expands an existing trauma therapy centre in Chamchamal into a protected space for healing, encounter, and community. Across several consecutive construction phases, an ensemble was developed that responds consistently to therapeutic needs, cultural conditions, and locally available resources.

After ten years of successful operation by the Jiyan Foundation, preparations are currently underway to transfer the Healing Garden into public responsibility, ensuring its long-term use and sustainable continuation.

Photos: ZRS Architekten Ingenieure