Trauma Healing & Learning Center for Children

Mehdi Sabet

Project idea

The project is a Trauma Healing Center for Children designed to support vulnerable children affected by conflict, displacement, and psychological trauma in Afghanistan. The center provides a safe and supportive environment for 60 children, including 30 girls and 30 boys between the ages of 7 to 15.
The design combines healing, education, and community living through therapy spaces, workshops, classrooms, gardens, and recreational areas. Using local materials, sustainable strategies, and child-friendly spaces, the project aims to create a warm environment where children can recover emotionally, develop practical skills, and rebuild a sense of safety, confidence, and hope for the future.

Project description

The project is a community-based educational and therapy center for children. The design features a multi-story building complex with earth-toned facades that blend with the local vernacular architecture. The center incorporates landscaped outdoor spaces with natural gardens, providing a healing environment for children. The building appears to be situated in a region with traditional Afghan or Central Asian context, responding to local cultural and environmental conditions.

Technical information

The project uses a reinforced concrete structural system combined with locally responsive materials to ensure durability, safety, and long-term performance. Stabilized clay plaster, natural stone, wood, and Afghan carpets are used to create a warm and human-centered environment while reflecting local identity and construction traditions.
The design also integrates passive environmental strategies such as natural lighting, cross ventilation, thermal mass walls, roof insulation, shaded outdoor spaces, and greenery to improve indoor comfort and reduce energy consumption. Solar panels and water heating systems are incorporated to support sustainable energy use and environmental efficiency within the center.

Documentation

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