BEYOND THE TENT
[RE]thinking Architecture of Response to Service Refugees And Their Host Communities
Research Booklet
Problem | Displaced
Architecture | A Role
Users | Host and Guest
Site | Fertile and in Need
Process | Participatory
The Syrian civil war or Syrian crisis started in March 2011. By mid-2014, more than two million refugees are displaced into five neighboring countries: Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. Caught in the war, families leave everything and everything behind them and cross the border to the host country. The refugees’ situation is acknowledged by the United Nations as the worst exodus since the Rwandan exodus 20 years ago.
Neighboring countries have a weak infrastructure system, and limited resources. Refugees’ basic needs are left to NGOs to take care of. Families with financial resources start a new life. Other families rely on the hospitality of citizens of host countries and/or live in small unorganized tents. As there are no camps for refugees in Lebanon, refugees seek shelter in abandoned structure, unfinished buildings or vacant lots.
Designing a refugees’ camp is also about designing for people who are invisible. It means designing for a refugee, elderly or children. Making the place not only bearable, but livable. Creating a safe place, not a permanent home, but a safe space. Keeping in mind the host community is key. What’s in it for them?
With this large number of refugees, I envision a new city emerging independently in the vast agricultural valley. The location would be beneficial for energy autonomy, and work opportunities. The landscape could bring peace to the displaced and wounded. A system of roads maintains the circulation within the city, using local materials and low impact substances
The purpose of my project is to develop a seed for an urban design that serves the Syrian refugees in the agricultural valley of Lebanon, while providing investment opportunities for the host community during both short and long terms. The central campus building is a new kind of mixed use functioning as a transitional and adaptation center for refugees, but also as an agroforestry enhancement center for the host community.
Design Booklet Winner in 3MT Interdisciplinary Statewide Thesis Award- Oregon 2014
Grace Aaraj, Assoc. AIA