Weston Williamson + Partners has designed an innovative incremental apartment model in response to the growing need for affordable housing in the West Bank and Gaza.  An estimated 70 per cent of households simply cannot afford the average house price and neither do they require the size of property that is generally on offer.

Using data collected from surveys commissioned by The Office of the Quartet and the World Bank, WW+P has developed a conceptual design to provide people with the long-term homes they want.

The Palestinian housing marketing is currently characterised by over supply at the high end and under supply at the lower end; large scale affordable housing schemes are needed to unlock housing demand.

The WW+P apartments are designed to grow with their inhabitants.  The basic units are placed around a central circulation core and include generous outdoor spaces.  Floor slabs are constructed to allow for expansion into these outdoor spaces as the family and its income gets bigger.  Pre-fabricated panels allow various different configurations to create exciting forms and massing and deep overhangs provide necessary shade.

Units have been designed around the needs of various family structures –from one to three bedrooms, and the space is flexible but segregated. Living spaces have generous daylight and views of the terraces.

The ground floor of the units could contain communal facilities and areas for larger gatherings, creating a real sense of community.