Another look at Refugee Housing
One of my projects in my first residential design studio in Graduate school was to design a tiny house for a cause. We were allowed to choose a cause we thought was important and were given a specific square footage to cover. When I started my research I already knew I wanted to focus on refugee housing and chose the Rohingya crisis simply because of its proximity to my home, India and thinking it would give me the ability to utilize my knowledge of construction in the area.
A deeper dive into the crisis was what caused the heartbreak. It was terrifying to hear the stories of the refugees from the crisis fleeing to Myanmar in the hopes that what they would find would be safer for them and their children. The recent events in Myanmar brought about a curiosity to deep dive again on what the state of refugees in the country was and what has happened of the crisis. The news as expected has not been good.
I felt the need to revisit my design so I could speak about what I took into account while thinking about refugee housing. Some of these may seem simple and clear while others are more nuanced and based solely on my experience with architecture and understanding comfort within less privileged communities in my own country.
To start off my site plan was based around a central community area with mixed use and open spaces. The community area was meant as a place to gather, cook, clean and so on. The space allowed for sheltered gatherings in the summer sun and protection due to its height in the harsh monsoon.
The monsoon is what drove my design within the individual dwelling units and their layout. The actual sleeping areas were elevated on columns and were kept relatively open. They were built to be customized according to the needs of the individual or family residing in the unit, allowing for partitions made of bamboo. The elevated space created a sheltered area underneath that allowed for storage or emergency housing for new refugees or in case of overcrowding.
Another important aspect of the housing design was the construction. This was important in two ways, one being it had to be easy to construct and pull down and second, it being low cost. I encountered this problem in two ways. The materials themselves were chosen so they were easy to procure and simple to put together. The construction used rammed earth and bamboo reinforcement to create a strong yet easily constructed structure.
The availability of bamboo in Myanmar made this the right pick for a raw material. The versatility of bamboo also allows for its use in constructing partitions and furniture. Another major advantage of the use of this type of construction is the ease of instruction and ability to learn the method. It could be easily taught to the refugees themselves so they can continue on the construction with available resources.
The warmth and familiarity of wood and earth creates a space that allows for a real sense of home for these refugees. The ability to build and shelter themselves while also having spaces that allow for support and community is something so important to those ripped away from their homes.
The main considerations I took into account were these:
Understanding local climate and the possible issues they could cause at the extremes
Understanding availability of local materials and their cost
Weighing different types of construction and finding the one that is affordable yet resistant to climate and other forces.
Understanding the need for independence and community for the refugees and how we can provide that through the design
Understanding the need for familiarity and warmth, accommodation and customization
Here is me hoping we can do more for those in need and be considerate and generous in our attempts.
If you’d like to learn more about the Rohingya crisis here is a place to start:
BBC - Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis
Here is a place you can donate to help : give.unrefugees.org
