A'Samma Al-Ahmar
A’Samma Al-Ahmar is a colloquial expression meaning “the red sky”, commonly used by Sudanese mothers to express frustration and a desire to escape to a distant or unreachable place. Drawing on this notion of refuge, the thesis proposes a trauma-informed architectural environment for intergenerational healing for women affected by Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Honour-Based Abuse (HBA) in Birmingham.
Informed by transnational feminist theory and trauma-informed design principles, the project explores how architecture can restore dignity, safety, agency, and belonging through sensory, community-led, and culturally grounded design. Situated within Edgbaston Reservoir, the proposal responds to histories of migration, displacement, and urban fragmentation while utilising privacy, nature, water, and collective gathering to support healing, dialogue, and refuge for affected women and the wider community, contributing towards the prevention and eradication of FGM and HBA.
The thesis critiques and analyses both eastern and western feminist approaches to develop a transnational feminist framework that validates the lived experiences of affected women. Through the A’Samma Alahmar Play, workshops, and participatory design methods, the project explores how Khaltos navigate safety, agency, intimacy, and collective care. These findings inform the use of the hijab as a spatial design methodology, where draping, veiling, and layering create thresholds of privacy, moments of retreat, and varying levels of intimacy.
The architectural proposal is shaped through three trauma-informed design drivers: agency, spaces of refuge, and sensory experience. Together, these principles inform a community-centred environment that positions architecture as a tool for healing, empowerment, and cultural change.
