Khudi Bari, meaning "small house" in Bengali, is an innovative modular housing solution designed by Marina Tabassum Architects for Bangladesh's climate-displaced populations. This lightweight structure can be assembled and dismantled by hand without electricity, costing approximately $500 per unit.12 The two-level design elevates living quarters six feet above ground, providing crucial protection during flooding while the ground level can be used for storage or left open.34

The structure's genius lies in its mobility and adaptability. Built with locally sourced bamboo and distinctive steel joints, Khudi Bari requires no heavy foundation and can be easily transported when communities need to relocate.56 This feature is particularly vital for landless populations living on the shifting sandbars of Bangladesh's river deltas, where 80% of the land is floodplain.62 Through Tabassum's foundation, over 100 Khudi Baris have already been installed across Bangladesh, with the modular system now being scaled up for community centers in Rohingya refugee camps.62

Banyuwangi International Airport in East Java stands as Indonesia's first green airport, earning recognition with the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2022.12 Designed by architect Andra Matin as a corporate social responsibility project, the terminal embodies highly efficient passive design principles inspired by the local Osing tribe's traditional architecture.12 The airport's most distinctive feature is its 4,765m² grass-covered green roof that acts like a sponge for heat and water, maintaining constant interior temperatures without requiring air conditioning in the main areas.23 This sustainable approach extends to the building's construction, which utilizes reclaimed ulin wood from old ships and local fishing docks.3

The project's environmental commitment goes beyond the building itself. The Banyuwangi Regional Government declared an exceptional 10-kilometer-radius "No Development Zone" around the airport, protecting existing paddy fields and villages—a remarkable decision given the typical commercial exploitation of airport-adjacent land.14 With 95.5% of its total floor area relying on natural ventilation, the airport achieves a super-low energy usage intensity of 59.9 kWh/sqm/year.3 Additional sustainable elements include:

• Timber-framed pyramidal skylights with perforated panels that draw warm air upwards and outwards1

• Vertical ulin-wood louvres serving as transparent but secure boundaries1

• Koi carp ponds and plant-filled courtyards providing visual and climatic respite5

• Natural daylighting that meets IATA standards with light intensity around 200-300 lux3

The Islamic Cemetery in Altach, designed by Bernardo Bader Architects, serves the Muslim population of Vorarlberg, Austria's westernmost state where Muslims make up over eight percent of the population.12 Completed in 2011 and recognized with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2013, the cemetery represents a significant cultural milestone as it enabled proper Islamic burial rites in Austria for the first time.34 The design draws inspiration from the concept of the "primordial garden," with a delicate network of roseate concrete walls of varying heights framing five staggered, rectangular grave fields oriented toward Mecca.15

The cemetery's architecture masterfully balances functionality with subtle Islamic symbolism through:

• A prayer room featuring a "shingle mihrab" with metal mesh curtains woven with wooden shingles forming Kufic calligraphy spelling "Allah" and "Muhammad"64

• "Finger-shaped" burial areas that integrate the 8,415 m² site harmoniously with the surrounding alpine landscape78

• Principal materials of exposed reinforced concrete for walls and oak wood for ornamentation23

• A congregation space with wooden latticework in geometric Islamic patterns that visitors must pass through25

• A covered area for farewells that opens to a courtyard, creating a serene space for contemplation68