BioJarrah

Project idea

Introducing BioJarrah – My Graduation Project ?
A cultural retreat hub nestled in Al Quseir, Egypt – a city rich with Bedouin heritage, historical depth, and one of the Red Sea’s earliest port settlements. Yet today, Al Quseir faces one of the most pressing global challenges: water scarcity.

BioJarrah is rooted in two powerful concepts:
? Bio – derived from biochemistry, symbolizing the project’s integrated water desalination and recycling technologies.
? Jarrah – from مجرة (galaxy), reflecting the celestial navigation traditions of the Bedouins, who relied on the stars in search of water and livable land.

The design is guided by the Bedouin spirit of resilience, movement, and harmony with nature.

Project description

Two key architectural elements express this:

1. Cave-like Spaces: The site is carved into the natural topography, with transparent glass entrances leading into excavated rock interiors – immersing users in an introspective retreat away from noise and distraction.

2. Dynamic Towers: Rectangular vertical pods rise and descend, creating a sensory journey that connects users to the stars above and the earth below. These kinetic towers aren’t just for spatial experience — they power the desalination system through motion:
As the pod ascends, it draws in seawater. When it descends, the pressure pushes the water through a reverse osmosis membrane, producing clean, drinkable water — a tribute to Bedouin innovation and adaptation.

BioJarrah is not just a retreat.
It’s a journey through history, nature, and science, merging ancestral wisdom with sustainable technology

Technical information

The water desalination pods dimensions are 8*8m. They are powered and supported by a hydraulic system composed of 4 pistons and telescopic cylinders. In the center, a telescopic pipe is placed in order to pull the saltwater in as the floor rises, and then the water intake valve is shut down for it to start descending, beginning to push the saltwater into a reverse osmosis membrane that purifies the seawater into pure water and brine water. Brine water is used to extract salt through evaporation in the outdoor salt lakes, and pure water undergoes the required purification methods in order to be used.