SSH have designed the AMAR School for Orphans and an AMAR Office in Basra, Iraq.

The school will comprise of 18 teaching and learning spaces for 500 students with additional facilities that include a function space, hall, science laboratories, library, offices and sports areas. It will present an attractive alternative to the standard government administered facilities both in terms of the quality of facilities and the educational standards achieved. It will offer an enhanced learning environment and opportunities for local children in a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere conducive to learning.

AMAR currently rents a small office in Basra City which will be replaced by an AMAR owned office built to the Basra Teams requirements. The office and school will share the site with common utilities and systems such as drainage, potable water and power wherever practicable.

A series of initial concepts, representations and images were commissioned by the Basra Team who subsequently worked with a small SSH studio team to design both the school and the AMAR office. The design team started by creating a range of inspirational designs that delivered the learning and administrative spaces required and introduced a high level of flexibility in the potential use of spaces so that they may be used for charity functions and wider community use out of school hours. AMAR were not only focussed on potential costs associated with the development but also the simplicity of construction using readily available materials and with a minimum design life of 25 years capable of operating independently of locally supplied utilities (power and water). 

SSH are proud to be part of the unique opportunity to design and create educational facilities for the future and delighted to offer our specialist assistance to deliver the best possible facilities to support teaching and learning in the region.