Design for Refugees
Amid the current refugee crisis, UNHCR estimates the global population of displaced people – including refugees and internally displaced persons – at ~80 million, including 26 million refugees, of which half are children under 18. This represents a sharp uptick in an existing upward trend of displaced people on a global scale since 2015. Displaced populations and their residence times are inherently dynamic and range from a year requiring temporary shelter to over 50 years in some circumstances. Every one of these individuals deserves shelter and associated infrastructure that provides comfort, dignity, and protection but is affordable, flexible, and incorporates human-centered design.
While refugee camps and refugee settlements are often designed as an initial stop-gap solution, families stay in refugee encampments for an average of seven years. This time-span necessitates a particular architectural response to the built environment in relation to refugee housing units and other public spaces and private spaces within refugee camps and settlements – responses that are often not included in solutions dealing with relief of the acute condition of displacement. Over time many refugees and internally displaced people move into nearby, or distant, communities, creating refugee communities within host nations. This adds its own stresses on the displaced persons as well as host communities, particularly on infrastructure and essential services (i.e., water and sanitation, education, and health care). The need for well-designed spaces and infrastructure is both critical and wide ranging
- permanent housing
- medical clinic,
- temporary shelter
- education and community centers,
- nutrition centers,
- sanitation facilities,
- water points and
- training facilities
- design interventions in existing structures
Our goal is to engage in creative problem solving strategies that privilege human dignity and redefine “essential needs” to provide design solutions that help improve overall wellbeing – including mental and physical health, and the need for connection, community, culture and safety – for this vulnerable population.
