Progressive urban neighbourhood concept by Manhal Habbobi Consultants breaks ground in Iraq

Having recently broken ground, the Budoor Residential Complex in Iraq is a self-contained city for 50,000 residents and one of the most ambitious post-war developments to come to fruition in Baghdad. Designed by Iraqi architecture firm Manhal Habbobi Consultants, the progressive urban neighborhood concept combines rectilinear and curvilinear grid systems to reimagine how a planned neighborhood can look, function, and bring communities together. 

Covering a site area of approximately 4,000,000 square meters, the development is located less than five kilometers from Baghdad International Airport and is near the American University of Iraq. The project arises in the context of a housing shortage that is of critical national concern. To be constructed over four phases, the site will accommodate an estimated 50,000 inhabitants in a progressive urban neighborhood concept that includes 8,0000 residential units, a mall, restaurants, cafes, medical centers, libraries, business districts, educational facilities, and open parkland.

The 8,000 detached residential units are available in seven different types, with floor areas ranging from 200 to 400 square meters and in two-to-four-bedroom configurations. The units will be built primarily with red hollow brick, selected for its durability and excellent thermal and acoustic performance. Some facades will also feature detailed extruded brickwork, injecting dynamism into the street frontages. 

Each house typology includes a front garden with another smaller green pocket tucked into the back, allowing for views amidst the flat terrain and enclosures. Furthermore, these gardens help mitigate the urban heat, a necessary consideration in a city where temperatures reach high summertime peaks. 

Habbobi’s design takes an innovative approach to urban design by combining rectilinear and curvilinear grids to create a rational yet dynamic and vibrant city. The residential areas are located within the rectilinear grid system with orthogonally designed homes. Cutting through the center of the urban plan is a dramatic curvilinear grid with organic, parametrically designed building forms that host public, civic, and commercial uses. Taller than the residential areas, this area offers a dramatic skyline, point of reference, and orientation across the site.

“Our approach to solid-void relationships in urban space is to create a rational and dynamic grid. It’s a fundamental element of our vision for the complex,’ says Habbobi.