About us
An eco-design studio founded in Gaza
Veranda Design is a Palestinian eco-design studio founded in 2014 by architect Suzan Attallah and management specialist Qamar Attallah. We design rooftop gardens, hydroponic growing systems, inclusive playgrounds and eco-educational spaces together with the families, schools and organisations who use them. We have also designed and built private homes, offices and gardens across Gaza; see our built commissions.
- 2014
- Founded in Gaza
- 40+
- Rooftops transformed
- 12
- Projects across Gaza
OUR JOURNEY
How Veranda has grown
2014
Founded on a family rooftop
Sisters Suzan and Qamar Attallah founded Veranda Design in 2014, after winning a university incubator competition. The first project was a productive garden on the rooftop of their own house in Gaza.
2014 – 2016
From rooftops to community projects
The studio expanded from single rooftop gardens to community-wide projects with schools, farms and local organisations.
2016 – 2020
More than 40 rooftop gardens
Between 2016 and 2020 the team transformed more than 40 rooftops across Gaza. Families told us the gardens gave them more than food: for many women, tending their plants became a daily moment of calm.
2021 – 2023
Farms, schools and inclusive play
Projects grew in scale and type: an eco-tourism village and the tree-house café at Hamdouna Farm (2021), inclusive playgrounds in eight locations, a model farm for women entrepreneurs and the HydroVera hydroponic device (2022), and a sensory eco-garden at Gaza’s Deaf School (2023).
2024 – Today
Working through the war
The founders now lead design from outside Gaza while field teams build on the ground. Recent work includes home gardens for 75 displaced families, a community greenhouse with Nushoor, the Palestine Land Lab and a SuperAdobe housing pilot.
Meet Our Founders
Two sisters who started from the rooftop of their own house in Gaza — and never stopped growing.
Suzan Attallah
Co-Founder & Architect
Architect with a background in green economy. Suzan brings the architectural and technical side of Veranda’s work: site design, materials and technical guidance for the field teams in Gaza. She and Qamar share design and partnerships.
Qamar Attallah
Co-Founder & Strategy
Management technology specialist. Qamar brings the strategy and project-management side of Veranda’s work, with a focus on how people experience, adopt and look after new spaces. She and Suzan share design and partnerships.
HOW WE WORK TODAY
Designed from afar, built on the ground
A design team working remotely
Our co-founders lead design, project development and partnerships from outside Gaza, working with funders and partners internationally.
Field teams in Gaza
Local field teams build each project and adapt the design on site to available materials, access and safety conditions.
Working with partners
We deliver alongside local and international partners, including Nushoor Institute, Urgent Action Fund and Permaculture for Refugees.
Learning on the ground
Every project is documented step by step, and each design is refined with our field teams and the families who use it.
WHAT DRIVES US
Mission & Values
Our Mission
Every person deserves a healthy environment. We co-design places where communities can grow food, play and learn, from rooftop gardens for families to inclusive playgrounds for children with disabilities.
Our Values
Collaboration, sustainability and innovation. We design with the people who will use a space, build with recycled and local materials, as at Al-Hakura and Hamdouna Farm, and test new ideas such as HydroVera and SuperAdobe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Veranda Design was founded in Gaza, Palestine. Today our co-founders lead design and partnerships remotely, while our field teams in Gaza build projects on the ground with residents, schools, churches and NGOs.
You can support Veranda by donating through the Donate page, partnering with the team on community or humanitarian projects, or sharing Veranda’s story with organizations working on sustainability and rebuilding in Palestine.
Want to Build Something Green With Us?
Whether you’re a family, a school, or an organisation — let’s talk about your space.