Ethiopia Siiqqee Center

Every five minutes, a girl dies as a result of violence worldwide. One in four girls marries while still a child, and 130 million girls do not attend school.This project supports 119 girls at risk of becoming part of these statistics—providing them with a residential and educational center, helping them stay in school, and enabling them to develop the skills needed to become economically independent.

place Sebeta, Ethiopia. ETH 001
Surface 260 m2. Date Finished:
March 1, 2022.
Phase In use. Type Education and social housing.
Target Group Children and women. Partner Partnership for Change Norge. Studio Oslo Landskapsarkitekter AS
Client Siqqee Womens Development Association Donor Private donor.
Tecnology Bioclimatic design, locally sourced materials.

1. Observe.

Why, context, challenge.

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What began as a small effort to support eight girls has grown into a shared vision for an entire community.
Partnership for Change (PFC), a Norwegian NGO, together with Siiqqee Women’s Development Association, launched a project in the Oromia region to help girls stay in school and believe in a future shaped by education and independence. With financial support from PFC, the project set out to create safe conditions where learning could continue—and grow.
At the heart of this vision is a residential and educational center: a place where girls can live, study, and feel secure. AUG Norge contributes to this dream by providing the architectural design for the new center pro bono.
Originally planned as a simple refurbishment of an existing building, the project slowly transformed. As local interest increased and possibilities expanded, more land was added, and eventually an entirely new and larger site was offered

3. Approach.

How, strategy, interact

Today, the center is envisioned as more than a home for girls. It will welcome the wider community, with space for a library, gym, café, small shops run by the girls themselves, and flexible rooms for learning. A place where education, opportunity, and community meet—and where girls can safely imagine a larger future

Design

4. Design.

Programmering, development, co-create.

We have focused on making several enclosed patios where the Siqque girls can move around within a secure area. The rooms are organized around open green areas, making visual contact between the bedrooms, and the library, multipurpose room and the enclosed garden. The hexagon form, with an opening in the middle to allow light to come through, can easily be added and therefor an extension is quite easy to undertake.
Exposed to the corner of the site, we have placed public functions such as shops and cafés. To secure communication we have made a passage connecting the square in front of the main entrance with the playground in the back.
The classroom and computer room can easily be reached form the public side as from the private side. Secured doors will prevent unauthorized peopled to accesses the enclosed area.

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5. Implement.

Work in the field.

Design
Design
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Design

Who participate

Bridget White

Bridget White

Architect - bridget@augnorge.org
Isabel Lopez Ruiz

Isabel Lopez Ruiz

Architect - isabel@grape.no
Isabel Ruiz is an architect from Spain, based in Oslo since 2009. Her Mediterranean background has shaped a strong interest in public life, urban culture, and the role of inclusive spaces in creating meaningful everyday environments. She holds a Master's degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, complemented by a postmaster in mapping and advanced training in analytical tools such as ArcGIS.Her work focuses on the intersection between social sustainability, feminist architecture, and urban development. Isabel is particularly interested in how design processes can amplify diverse voices and address inequalities in the built environment. Through her involvement with Architects Without Borders, she contributed to a project in Ethiopia, where participatory methods and local knowledge were central to the design approach.Isabel combines research, analysis, and practice to develop strategies that prioritize care, inclusion, and lived experience. She is also co-founder and chair of InnoArch, promoting innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration in architecture.
Inga Egeberg

Inga Egeberg

Architect
Dorota Pilecka

Dorota Pilecka

Architect - Project Achitect
Ashley Conn

Ashley Conn

Landscape Architect - Local Architect
Geir Håvard Bakken

Geir Håvard Bakken

Architect - Project Achitect
Julie Guiraud

Julie Guiraud

Architect - Urban Designer
Katrin Petursdottir

Katrin Petursdottir

Landscape Architect
Kjell Hafnor

Kjell Hafnor

Landscape Architect
Kyrre Robersten

Kyrre Robersten

Architect
Mari Rotvold

Mari Rotvold

Landscape Architect
Mattia Carioti

Mattia Carioti

Engineer

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