Designing a Safe Residential High-Rise Building in war zones for Safety and Security in Gaza Strip, Jabalia City

Abstract

This residential project, located in Jabalia, Gaza, addresses the urgent need for safe and resilient housing for civilians continuously exposed to conflict and recurrent airstrikes. The design focuses on maximizing civilian protection through a multi-layered approach, offering different levels of safety according to user groups and building zones. A major challenge is developing a structural system capable of withstanding direct explosions and reflected blast waves while maintaining the building’s functionality and livability. To achieve this, the project integrates reinforced blast-resistant concrete structures, hardened building cores, MAMAD rooms, and underground bunkers designed for long-term occupancy during emergencies. Supporting infrastructure includes emergency power backups, secure water storage, advanced air-filtration systems, and resilient communication networks, ensuring the survival and comfort of occupants. the methods will be applied are both qualitative and quantitative approaches, combining case studies of existing protective housing, structural simulations, and field data analysis to create a context-specific design. also as a challenge the current residential solutions in Gaza lack integrated structural and infrastructural systems that can provide both immediate blast resistance and sustainable long-term shelter during prolonged conflicts. This project aims to fill that gap by offering a holistic and adaptive housing model for at-risk civilians.