The winners of an open international contest for a 450-unit housing development in post-earthquake Azaz, Syria have been revealedThe overall winners were Youssef Ragab, Mohamed Hussien and Marawan Yehia Salem from Egypt whose MYM proposal featured public spaces of varying sizes inspired by the urban fabric of Aleppo.Second place was meanwhile awarded to team Archi Tellers and third prize went to Two Hundred Sixteen.Architects, designers, and urban planners from around the world were invited to draw up proposals for a 48,300murban quarter for the country which was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2023.Competition site: Azaz urban quarter, SyriaCredit:Image by Molhamteam The Architects for Humanity competition backed by architectural services platform Mimaria Studio and the Syrian charity Molham Team set out to identify a range of long-term, sustainable solutions which could help promote a sense of identity, community, and security among displaced people.The MYM winning proposal features a series of residential units arranged on a 33 modular grid. Each block is constructed on isolated foundations to mitigate earthquake risks and incorporates a private courtyard to promote social interaction.The proposal harnesses locally available materials, wind catchers, double walls, interior courtyards and light-reflective colours to promote sustainability. Green areas for agriculture and animal husbandry are also included.During the past 13 years the ongoing conflict in Syria has seen significant destruction of housing and physical infrastructure leaving millions homeless. Following the February 2023 earthquake, it is now estimated around 12.5 million people have been displaced.Competition site: Azaz urban quarter, SyriaCredit:Image by Molhamteam The competition launched in 2024 five years after an international ideas contest was held to rethink the bombed-out ruins of the Grand Serail of Aleppo in Syria. The latest contest focused on the settlement of Azaz which is located 32km northwest of Aleppo and has received more than 2.9 million refugees in recent years.Proposals for the rural site located on the main road between Nayarah and Azaz and currently used for emergency housing had to feature 450 homes along with a 4,000m public square, a 1,500m youth centre with a multipurpose hall and library, a 400m mosque, a 2,500m primary school and 700m of commercial stores and a bakery.Concepts were expected to adopt innovative solutions which help promote the long-term reintegration of displaced people, to show cultural sensitivity and to reflect sustainable practices. Proposals which were community oriented and promise scalability and replicability were also encouraged.Judges included Christoph Wessling, academic at Brandenburg University of Technology; Ouessess Hummos, architect and researcher at Mimaria Studio; and Atef Nanoua, architect and co-founder of Molham Volunteering Team.