Megawra – BEC is a twinship between Megawra, an architectural office specializing in conservation and heritage management, and the Built Environment Collective, an NGO specializing in place-based cultural and urban development. They partner to run Athar Lina Initiative in al-Khalifa.

In 2011, Megawra opened its doors at 17 Amin Zaki, for architects to join the on-going conversation about architecture and the built environment. It was initiated as a platform for debate and action in the built environment with a focus on theory, praxis, art and linking cultural heritage to sustainability and social responsibility. Megawra’s workspaces and library became home to lecture series, film screenings, book clubs, workshops and much more, welcoming students and professionals alike.

In 2015, Megawra moved to al-Khalifa, driven by Megawra – BEC’s place-based initiative, Athar Lina. Al-Khalifa and its people set the scene for many of Athar Lina’s traditions such as the annual Spend the Day in Khalifa event and the children’s summer camp. It also paved the way for many of Megawra – BEC’s most significant conservation projects, participatory research, urban interventions and community development programs.

Megawra continues to become a platform for artists, architects and other practitioners to engage in and with the built environment through its practice and research, occasionally published through Megawra Papers, and its numerous partnerships and mentorship programs.