Is it permissible to pay Zakat to projects for building orphanages, and are orphans among the stipulated recipients of Zakat?

Orphans are not eligible to receive zakat simply because they are orphans. Rather, zakat is disbursed to them if they are poor or needy and have no one to provide for them. As for building homes for them from zakat funds, this is impermissible. Instead, such projects should be funded by endowments (awqaf), charities (sadaqat), or public funds.