In the flood-prone deltas of Bangladesh, where millions face annual displacement due to rising waters, architect Marina Tabassum has developed a revolutionary housing solution that redefines how communities respond to climate change. Her project, Khudi Bari, recently recognized as a winner of the prestigious 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, offers a lightweight, modular, and affordable dwelling system specifically designed for climate-displaced populations.

The innovative housing model represents a paradigm shift in disaster-responsive architecture, providing communities with the tools to build their own homes rather than waiting for external aid. Each Khudi Bari unit consists of a bamboo frame structure reinforced with galvanized steel connectors, elevated on slender stilts to remain above flood levels. The compact 3x3-meter footprint rises approximately 3.5 meters high, creating sufficient living space while maintaining portability for easy relocation when rivers shift course.

What sets Khudi Bari apart from traditional emergency housing is its emphasis on community empowerment and local construction knowledge. Rather than delivering pre-built units, Marina Tabassum Architects developed a comprehensive training system where residents learn to construct their own homes through hands-on workshops in riverine villages. This approach ensures that families not only receive shelter but also acquire valuable construction skills that can be passed down through generations.

The construction process exemplifies simplicity and efficiency, with two people capable of erecting a complete house in under six hours using only basic hand tools. The structure requires no concrete foundations, making it entirely reversible and environmentally sustainable. All materials, including bamboo flooring and corrugated metal roofing, are locally sourced and recyclable, keeping costs around $300 per unit – an amount accessible within Bangladesh's rural economy.

The architectural design draws heavily from vernacular construction methods, with every joint visible and every component easily replaceable. The corrugated metal sheets that form the roof and walls feature reflective surfaces to reduce heat gain, while small openings provide natural ventilation. The elevated design creates valuable shaded space beneath the structure, which families utilize for cooking, storage, or sheltering livestock during dry seasons.

Beyond individual housing, the Khudi Bari system has successfully scaled to accommodate larger community needs. The same structural principles have been adapted to create meeting halls, classrooms, and community centers within Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, demonstrating the versatility of the modular design. This expansion showcases how simple frameworks can address complex social and spatial requirements across different contexts.

The project's open-source philosophy has enabled widespread replication and adaptation. Construction drawings, dimensions, and assembly instructions are freely available, allowing local builders, NGOs, and volunteers to modify the design according to specific geographic and cultural needs. This approach has created a decentralized network of makers who continue to refine and reproduce the model, ensuring its evolution remains community-driven.

International recognition came in 2024 when a full-scale prototype was installed at the Vitra Campus in Germany as part of an exhibition on design responses to climate migration. This installation served not merely as architectural display but as an educational tool, demonstrating to European audiences how architecture can empower rather than impose solutions in climate-vulnerable regions.

The project's impact extends far beyond individual structures, representing a fundamental shift in how architects approach climate adaptation. By prioritizing mobility over permanence, local materials over imported solutions, and community agency over external dependency, Khudi Bari challenges conventional notions of architectural success. The system's effectiveness is measured not in the quantity of units constructed but in the knowledge transferred and communities empowered.

Current implementation efforts, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Foundation for Architecture and Community Equity, continue expanding Khudi Bari's reach across Bangladesh's diverse climatic conditions. The project now serves various vulnerable populations in flood-prone and unstable terrains, adapting to local needs while maintaining its core principles of affordability, sustainability, and community ownership.

As climate displacement becomes an increasingly global challenge, Khudi Bari offers a replicable model for dignified, community-driven responses to environmental crisis. Marina Tabassum's approach demonstrates that architecture's greatest contribution to climate adaptation may not lie in technological innovation but in systems that enable communities to build their own resilience, one house at a time.