Making everyday more comfortable for Mid Corridor residents

Improving the quality of life for a Marshall Islands community is the primary focus of the Mid Corridor Housing Development project, which Beca is helping to deliver.

A story of community resilience and adaptation, the Mid-Corridor Housing Project takes place on Ebeye, the most populated island of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. In the 1960’s, the people of the Mid Atoll Corridor were removed from their homes in the Kwajalein Atoll by US authorities to accommodate military testing, and relocated to Ebeye.

Immproving quality of life

To help improve this community’s quality of life and address their earlier forced removal, the Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority (KADA) developed plans to build new community housing for the Mid Corridor Community in Ebeye.

With our extensive and growing experience in infrastructure development across the Pacific, we were commissioned to prepare design for the buildings that form the centrepiece of this project.

Ebeye’s low elevation and harsh conditions make it extremely exposed to the adverse effects of climate change such as sea level rise, inundation, and coastal erosion.

Housing designed for local conditions

With this in mind, we helped redevelop current housing into two-storey apartment blocks that maximise natural ventilation, enable rainwater harvesting and include common areas for passive and active recreation.

The Ebeye housing project was developed through extensive engagement with the Mid Corridor Community. This engagement was key to finalising a complex design that is cost effective, sustainable, high quality, low maintenance, appropriate for the local environment and most importantly supported by stakeholders and the wider community.

Phase 1 construction was completed in May 2022 - a significant milestone for the development authority and the Mid Corridor Community. With final construction due for completion in 2027, Mid Corridor residents can look forward to a more comfortable future on the land they call home.