The idea of this project is to respond to the humanitarian and environmental challenges affecting Sudan by proposing a resilient and adaptable settlement system along the Nile River. The ongoing civil war has displaced millions of people, while the potential environmental risks associated with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) contribute to an increasingly unstable and unpredictable landscape. In this context, the project reimagines the Nile not only as a vital natural resource but also as a safe and habitable corridor for displaced communities.

Inspired by the traditional wooden boat-building heritage of Omdurman, the project develops a culturally grounded system of modular floating settlements. The goal is to provide safe, mobile, and self-sufficient shelters that can adapt to changing conflict zones, fluctuating water conditions, and future environmental uncertainties while preserving local identity and craftsmanship.

This project proposes a network of floating mobile settlements and secure floating stations distributed along the Nile River. The intervention begins in Omdurman, one of the cities most severely affected by the conflict and historically known for its traditional boat-building industry.

The project consists of three main components:

Modular Floating Housing Units: Individual and family-scale floating shelters, markets, and childrens' educational units that provide safe, adaptable accommodation. The units are designed to be movable, expandable, and easy to construct using locally available materials and traditional building techniques.

Floating Secure Stations: Larger floating platforms positioned along the river that function as community hubs. These stations provide essential services including healthcare, food distribution, sanitation, clean water, education, energy generation, and emergency support.

River Mobility Network: The Nile becomes a transportation and humanitarian corridor, allowing floating units to move safely between secure stations depending on security conditions, environmental risks, and community needs.

The project aims to create a scalable settlement system capable of supporting displaced populations in both emergency situations and long-term recovery. By combining mobility, self-sufficiency, and local cultural knowledge, the proposal offers an alternative model for resilient habitation in conflict-affected regions.

The project is based on a modular floating construction system inspired by the traditional wooden boat-building techniques of Omdurman. Locally sourced Acacia wood, forms the primary structural material, allowing the proposal to reconnect with Sudan's craftsmanship while using materials that are readily available and familiar to local builders.

The mobile units are designed as lightweight catamaran structures consisting of two buoyant hulls supporting a timber platform. A slanted roof provides passive shading and ventilation, while a triangular Nile sail, inspired by traditional Sudanese boats, enables wind-assisted movement between floating stations and can also support manual or motorized navigation when required.

The floating secure stations are constructed on large buoyant platforms made from plastic barrels enclosed within a protective cage. Above the platform, a truss structure accommodates communal facilities such as healthcare, food distribution, education, and gathering spaces. The stations are anchored to the riverbed using reinforced concrete blocks and tension cables, ensuring stability while allowing vertical movement as water levels rise and fall.

The modular system enables both housing units and stations to be expanded, repaired, or reconfigured according to changing community needs. During flooding, the floating structures automatically rise with the water level while remaining securely anchored, providing continuous safety and functionality.