Transitional Shelter for Syrian Refugees

Report for:

Building for Humanity Design Competition (B4H-DC), 2nd Edition

Team:

S2222

DESIGNING FOR THE INTEGRATION AND INCLUSION OF SYRIAN REFUGEES IN TURKEY

BUILDING FOR HUMANITY: TRANSITIONAL SHELTER REPORT - S2222

Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 CURRENT SITUATION IN SYRIA................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 HOW CAN ARCHITECTURE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? .............................................................................................. 6 1.3 WHAT ARE TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS? .................................................................................................................... 6 Types and Approaches........................................................................................................................................................... 8 What is our game plan? ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Why was a vertical approach necessary? ............................................................................................................................... 8 1.4 WHAT HAPPENS TO A TRANSITIONAL SHELTER AFTER ITS LIFE SPAN? ......................................................... 8 1.5 UNDERSTANDING THE SITE ......................................................................................................................................... 9 2. CASE STUDIES ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 CASE STUDY 1 (TRANSITIONAL SHELTER) – HEX HOUSE .................................................................................. 11 2.2. CASE STUDY 2 – SHATILA REFUGEE CAMP ........................................................................................................... 13 2.3 INFERENCE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.4 OUR OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................................................... 15 2.5 GUIDELINES .................................................................................................................................................................... 15 2.6 STRUCTURAL AND VECTOR GUIDELINES .............................................................................................................. 16 3. TARGET GROUPS, USER AND BENEFICIARIES ............................................................................................................. 16 1) Establishing of clientele .................................................................................................................................................. 16 2) Monitoring and Review ................................................................................................................................................... 17 3) Understanding the Target Group ..................................................................................................................................... 17 4) Designing for a Target Group ......................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 EMERGENCY MARKET MAPPING AND ANALYSIS (EMMA) ................................................................................ 17 1. Essential preparation........................................................................................................................................................ 17 2. Market Selection .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 3. Preliminary Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 4. Preparation for fieldwork ................................................................................................................................................. 20 5. Fieldwork activities and interviews ................................................................................................................................. 21 6. Mapping the market system ............................................................................................................................................. 21 7. Gap analysis..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 8. Market-system analysis ................................................................................................................................................... 23 9. Response analysis ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 10. Communicating results .................................................................................................................................................. 24 3.2 UNHCR – AGD POLICY FOR SOCIAL GROUPING .................................................................................................... 25 3.3 GANTT CHART – UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS ...................................... 27 4. ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAMMING ................................................................................................................................. 27 4.1 IDEOLOGY AND LONG-TERM PLANNING ................................................................................................................ 27 4.2 SPACES AND THEIR INTERCONNECTIVITY ............................................................................................................ 28 5. CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIES .......................................................................................................................................... 28 5.1 MATERIAL SELECTION AND AVAILABILITY ......................................................................................................... 28 Selection and Logistics ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 Procurement and Availability .............................................................................................................................................. 31

BUILDING FOR HUMANITY: TRANSITIONAL SHELTER REPORT - S2222

5.2 CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES ................................................................................................................................... 33 6. DESIGN STRATEGIES .......................................................................................................................................................... 34 6.1 WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO ACHIEVE? ....................................................................................................................... 34 6.2 STUDY OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF SYRIA .......................................................................................... 34 6.3 STUDY OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF TURKEY...................................................................................... 35 6.4 METHODS OF EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE IN BUILDINGS ................................................................................. 36 6.5 CULTURAL BELIEFS OF SYRIAN PEOPLE ................................................................................................................ 37 6.6 UNHCR MASTER PLAN APPROACH TO SETTLEMENT PLANNING ..................................................................... 37 7. DESIGN SOLUTION – volk-400 ............................................................................................................................................ 39 7.1 SITE AND FLOOR PLANS .............................................................................................................................................. 39 7.2 LOGIC BEHIND STACKING OF UNITS ....................................................................................................................... 41 7.3 EXPLODED ISOMETRIC VIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 41 7.4 MATERIALS PACKED IN A CONTAINER ................................................................................................................... 41 7.5 VISUALISATION OF COMPLETED SITE ..................................................................................................................... 41 8. MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES ........................................................................................................................................... 45 8.1 INITIAL ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT AS A BENEFICIARY ................................................................................. 46 8.2 ALLOCATION OF JOBS ................................................................................................................................................. 46 8.3 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN BUI LDING PROCES S ...................................................................................... 46 8.4 USER GROUPS AT RISK ................................................................................................................................................ 47 8.5 PSYCOLOGICAL TREATMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 48 8.6 PROCESS OF REFUGEE INFLUX .................................................................................................................................. 48 9. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................... 49 10. CONSTRAINTS DUE TO GOVERNMENT POLICIES ...................................................................................................... 49 11. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 50

BUILDING FOR HUMANITY: TRANSITIONAL SHELTER REPORT - S2222

1. INTRODUCTION The Syrian conflict started in March 2011, and has generated the world’s largest humanitarian and refugee crisis since World War II. The situation in the country and the conditions for refugees in neighbouring countries continues to deteriorate.

Almost 13.1 million Syrians now need assistance, and 6.1 million of them are displaced inside their own country and half of the IDPs are children struggling to survive and cope with the crisis. Around 70% of this number are women, often young and widowed. In addition, more than 5.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries, a third of them school-aged children and youth between 5 and 17 years old. An estimated 8.1 million Syrian children and youth inside Syria and in neighbouring countries are in need of education. In addition, the country’s cultural heritage is continuously exposed to threats of destruction, looting and illicit traffic. Important sites and monuments have been destroyed or substantially damaged resulting in cultural loss.

In responding to the crisis, the international community’s primary focus has been on humanitarian aid and, increasingly, containment. Consequently, stemming the flow of refugees toward Europe has generally taken priority over addressing the conflict’s root causes and refugees’ living conditions. The mass displacement of civilians has produced both a large-scale, second-hand occupation of housing by internally and externally displaced populations and the creation of makeshift, ill-equipped camps on land owned by civilians who fled the conflict. It is assumed that refugees can remain indefinitely in host countries while the contours of a political settlement in Syria are worked out. However, certain countries including Turkey have policies in place that do not allow indefinite housing of refugees or grant them legal status. Hence, what we are now looking at is huge scale housing and rehabilitation of a large displaced population.

Many societies confront the challenges of balancing the needs of the individual with that of the collective. The various scales seen in cities, from the urban to the neighbourhood, indicate the attempts to negotiate these differences. There is often a struggling relationship between what the individual thinks they deserve, and what the city is responsible for provide. In many cases the formation of communities allows residents to feel more connected with their surroundings. These attachments help to ground a person in a stable place. As they relate to the buildings, businesses, people, etc. Of their surrounding area they feel more at home, naturally gravitating towards the permanent.

These three issues (scale, community forming, and temporarily) indicate some of the largest concerns any city or city dweller faces. An analysis of refugee camps and the complex information used to form them reveals an extreme example of what happens when these three concerns are at polar opposite ends of the spectrum. Refugee camps act as extreme cities where the issues of scale, permanence verses temporarily, and community forming can be confronted. There highly charged political nature provides the ground work for operating within a tight system. Two styles begin to emerge, the rigidly controlled, and the ad hoc organization.

Figure 1: A displacement camp in Lebanon. Source: Times of Israel.

This refugee crisis is on the forefront of international development. In this report, we are going to discuss in detail the various studies undertaken to understand how refugee camps evolve over time; the strategies people use to personify these spaces as the camp evolves; and how a short-term transitional dwelling may fit into the stitch. A transitional shelter, unlike a refugee camp operates for a shorter time, however the layout of the homes and community facilities are placed. In the end, we have provided our design proposal and the various strategies we have used for beneficiary selection, management of risk groups, social evils, refuge influx and ease of creation of individual transitional units by the beneficiaries.

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1.1 CURRENT SITUATION IN SYRIA DESTRUCTION DESTRUCTION:

CONFINEMENT

?

DISPLACEMENT DESTRUCTION: When a conflict begins, it is amplified by the destruction of land and systems that make a society stable. People who are forced into displacement are socially uprooted. There is a loss of family and a loss of sense of community. This begins the erasure of identity for people because they lose the things that define their personhood. In an economic context, because of the destruction of land and resources there is a loss of livelihood because people are not able to sell goods or provide services.

CONFINEMENT: When refugees get to a place of confinement, i.e. refugee camps controlled by UNHCR settlements they enter another phase of displacement. They enter what is for them a completely unprecedented social context. While the UNHCR provides protection, camps represent an insecure environment where there is little sense of community. The camps represent a transit zone, therefore there is little social stability. This is amplified because there is a lack of economic opportunities. With no access to jobs, income and little to no savings, people have little access to cash and credit. At the same time, there is a mass influx of humanitarian aid that camps receive in order to help people in need. This aide does not last forever, eventually there is a need for people to create a way to make money on their own.

Spatially, the camps exist in isolated environments, on the margins and edges in of cites. The architecture consists of security checkpoints, harsh walls or fences covered with barbed wire and usually a barren landscape. There is little to no community space and the shelter usually consists of basic tent structures.

EVOLVING BUT TEMPORARY CITY: As time passes by, inhabitants of camps begin to create a new social systems. These systems are based on the new shared culture of many different types of people that are confined in these spaces. Since refugees are not allowed work permits, small scale labor markets pop-up with people trading things they own, including food and goods received from humanitarian aid. As the social and economic structure of the camps change, so does the built environment. Shared spaces come about in the camps as people change the makeshift encampment into a space of improvisation. Changes are made to the shelters, tents are replaced with pre-fab structures that create a stronger sense of permanence. At this point in the timeline of displacement, an interesting phenomena begins. Temporary characteristics of the camps start to change such that they begin to resemble more permanent settlements.

Figure 2: In the wake of the Syrian crisis, about 42,000 illegal tents are scattered at nearly 1,500 locations throughout Lebanon, mainly concentrated in the north and Bekka Valley. Image by Maria Gabriella Trovato.

The existence of these camps is paradoxical because refugee camps, which are conceived as temporary, become permanent.

Transitional shelters are a way to circumvent this paradox, however even these have a minimum life span of 5 years. Good recycling and scrap values facilitates easier decisions for razing by the government.

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1.2 HOW CAN ARCHITECTURE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? Before the country was ravaged by civil war, Syria was considered one of the leading centres of art in the Middle East, simultaneously known for its well-preserved cultural history and exciting, up-and-coming galleries. With the start of the Arab Spring, art became a way for people to create a revolutionary identity for themselves, using paintings, street art, and film as a medium to express their opposition to the regime, and their hopes for a new future. As is well known, these hopes were dashed, and the government instead reacted with extraordinary brutality to its citizens. This may have been expected to diminish creative expression; instead, as with many in the past facing oppression and violence, Syrians have continued to place value on the importance of artistic production, often using it as a platform to expose the realities of their life under war.

The role of art and architecture in preserving culture: Art and architecture, while subtle, are pervious to all layers of society and unconsciously effect how we perceive our surroundings. A person’s adaptability to a new space is also dependent on how many cultural and political references of the place he can identify with. From political posters to graffiti on walls Figure 3: The Kiss originally by Gustav Klimt on a bombed proclaiming social reforms and slurs, roadside plays, performances, building. Source: Culture Trip. Enduring Spirit: Art And Culture everything contributes into helping map on a specific “culture” onto In Syria Today the mind of an onlooker.

Adaptation of these local things onto a new environment might help in slow transitional of the residents into a new place while they live there.

1.3 WHAT ARE TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS? Shelters provided as mass housing to people on the aftermath of a disaster – natural or manmade – follow the approach of transitional shelters. These shelters must meet good quality standards, last a number of years and offer the effected persons a safe, secure, healthy and dignified way of life. They must also be planned in the right size and the layout must enable the beneficiaries to themselves take part in the efforts of reconstruction and thus perhaps, regain their livelihoods to some extent.

In the context of a refugee shelter or camp, a transitional shelter takes on a more concrete term. These shelters are not designed with the objective to temporarily house an affected population, but provide a dignified way of living, where if required, they may convert it into more permanent quarters. The likely shelf life of a refugee camp is 17 years. Occupants can be here for as little as 2 months to three years.

The transitional shelter approach adds to other successful response approaches, such as core housing and semi-permanent housing, to broaden the range of options for governments and humanitarian stakeholders to support populations affected by disasters and conflicts. The usual response by governments and the international humanitarian community has been the distribution of tents or kits of basic shelter materials and tools, such as plastic sheeting and hammers. This response has many advantages including speed and, for appropriate kits, flexibility in being useful also for repair and reconstruction.

Figure 4: Transitional Shelter in the Response Cycle. Source: Transitional Shelter Guidelines

Thus, a transitional shelter in this context must be “a starting point for people to rebuild their lives and livelihood” and as such, it must employ “local materials and techniques” that the populace is familiar with

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or can carry out with minimal training, “locally sourced materials to avoid a surge in cost, and ample welfare for psychological improvement.”

Transitional shelters can be of many types including urban self-settlements and collective centre settlements. Here, we are proposing a planned camp, where the government or aid organisations plan camps, including infrastructure, to house displaced populations.

It is important for us to know, that the occupants have no legal status or are in the process of acquiring one and hence susceptible to racism, being outcasted and prejudiced against in various employment sectors. This inadvertently has an effect on their mental state and well-being. A high percentage of refugees from war torn countries are found to suffer from psychological traumas. Effective dealing with these issues at this stage by providing appropriate space for congregation, discussion etc. is also crucial to the success of a resilient, long standing camp.

It is important to understand why a prefabricated or modular unit cannot stand as a transitional shelter. A transitional shelter is an incremental and preferably occupantassembled housing. It should be reusable, recyclable, resaleable, relocatable, and upgradable for those wishing to convert it into stays that are more permanent. A prefabricated unit does not provide the required flexibility for these decisions.

Figure 5: Understanding Needs

Despite requiring significant human resources, transitional shelters are a revolutionary concept as they span the entire construction period while the damages are repaired and issues pertaining to land rights are sorted out. These shelters are a part of community living and allow for facilities such as child and health care. They are seen as a step up from refugee camps due to their formal approach and government provision of certain basic infrastructure like sewage lines, water lines, electricity provisions etc. The materials used can also be recycled to generate a small “nest-egg” for the moving resident to fall back upon. Transitional shelters are also more expensive than tents and depend on availability and punctual transportation of materials. As such, the residents are dependent on a number of benefactors and are subject to the mercy of various policies and regulations. Use of excess local materials may disrupt the local economy if sourced from unsustainable sources due to high Figure 6: Difference between transitional shelters and prefabricated units

Figure 7: A generalized simulation development approach for predicting refugee destinations. Source: Nature Scientific Reports.

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demand. Hence, it is important to judge if the situation at hand requires a transitional shelter approach or not.

Types and Approaches Once it is deemed necessary, as it has been in this case, there are various principles that guide the formation of the settlement: Assessment – at household and community level       

Community – benefitting or not?

Strategy - how is it contributing to inter-sectoral strategy?

Vulnerability – is it reduced?

Standards – and design parameters to be followed Maximise choice – how many choices does it afford the populace?

Buy time – rapid sustainable reconstruction Incremental process There are also various approaches one may take, such as:

Semi-permanent shelter - Building parts of some elements of a house, such as foundations and a roof, in order to offer shelter while the remainder of the house is completed.

Sites and services - Preparing the site for the permanent house and all wet services and utilities, such as the bathroom, sewage and electrical supply, in order to: accelerate the process of reconstructing the remainder of the house Core house or one room shelter (ORS) - Building at least one complete room of a final house, in order to offer shelter while the remainder of the house is completed.

We shall be using a composite approach of site and services as well as parallel incremental housing creation.

What is our game plan?

Transitional shelters are usually limited to ground floor structures due to their modular nature and cost constraints.

However, real estate being a valuable property and also due to the limited site area available, it is necessary for us to take on a “vertical city” approach. This can be combined with several clusters and blocks to form a community.

Why was a vertical approach necessary?

The total site area given for transitional shelters was 6932 sqm. Disregarding mandatory open space, we are left with 3870 sqm. Of space. A rough approximation Transitional Shelter Quality Standards and Upgrading Guidelines, published by UNHCR, a transitional shelter must have a minimum floor area of 200 sqft. = 18.5 sqm. Assuming a population of 3 people in each house, we need 400/ 3 = 135 (rounded off) units.

Thus, total area needed = 2,497.5 sqm. Adding 50% for ancillary and service spaces = 3750 sqm. This leaves very little space for other congregation zones, terraces and outdoor areas. A refugee camp must place appropriate importance on the social lives of people and not restrict them to living within cutout boxes.

A vertical exploration could provide more opportunities Figure 8: Old Turkish settlements. Source: Learning from for different typologies, clusters with open spaces, as well as for Mardin and Cumalıkızık: Turkish Vernacular Architecture in the bringing in some semblance of vernacular Turkish and Syrian Context of Sustainability cities.

1.4 WHAT HAPPENS TO A TRANSITIONAL SHELTER AFTER ITS LIFE SPAN? A transitional shelter is meant to allow for an easier transition for a refugee, immigrant, homeless people, etc. from a life of poverty to one with a dignified means of livelihood. As such, a transitional shelter has a fixed life span ranging from anywhere between four months to seventeen years (which is the regular lifespan of a refugee camp, which is what a nonabandoned shelter may turn into). However, under ideal circumstances, a transitional settlement moves on. The people find better opportunities and integrate themselves with their new surroundings. A shelter may take any number of approaches in the future.  

For a family deciding to move out, they may choose to sell the shelter to someone else to use as an additional unit. The shelter then retains its form and only the ownership title changes hands.

For a family deciding to move out, they may also choose to dissolve the housing, that is, sell it off as scrap material. Whatever wood, metal, clay, etc is undamaged is sourced together and recycled.

BUILDING FOR HUMANITY: TRANSITIONAL SHELTER REPORT - S2222





Some refugees may attain legal status and decide to become permanent or long-term residents their itself. In such cases, the shelter must have provisions for upgrading. This might be in the form of ‘betterment packages’ that are supplied by the same agency creating the shelter. Or individual families can take on their own upgrading and incremental procedure.

If a transitional shelter is abandoned, it also results in breakdown of the micro-economy it had created. The self-sustenance chain is lost. Hence, the government may choose to retain the shelter, but transfer its land usage to a commercial or service sector usage. It can also be used as a warehouse.

In this sense, a transitional shelter may have a very long life span. It must be designed not only as something meant to house people, but also be resilient and impact proof enough to serve future needs.

Figure 9: Changing uses of one building with additions and subtractions

1.5 UNDERSTANDING THE SITE Reyhanlı is a small Turkish town bordering with Syria in the province of Hatay located on the southeast of Turkey. As the main gateway from Turkey to Aleppo in Syria, the town has become the main entry point for Syrians seeking asylum during the escalating conflict. Therefore, in the last 8 years, the population of Reyhanlı has nearly doubled, progressively absorbing hundreds of thousands of Syrians who do not envisage a restoration of peace in their home country in the short term.

Although featuring a quiet urban environment, Reyhanlı is not entirely free from the risk of war aggression. In May 2013, Reyhanlı experienced two bombing attacks in the same day, killing 52 people and wounding 146 people. Since 2011, it has also been the target of many rocket attacks that have caused further casualties, with the most recent ones being in January 2018.

BRIEF: The aim is to propose a radical but applicable design idea for transitional shelters with 5,000 square meters of indoor floor area that can be used for accommodating 400 Syrian settlers, particularly for the wounded elderly, war widows and orphans. The design might consider using an area of up to 800 square meters for welcoming or receiving guests, administering first aids, and providing other basic services, such as food, healthcare and indoor leisure activities. The urban fragments dedicated to the proposed transitional shelters must be confined to a piece of land with 7,000 square meters in the north side of the location, and must observe a vacant area of 10 meters in width in front of the construction site (see the image satellite with the plot limits).

Designed primarily for serving Syrians, it must embody the spirit of integration and meet the aspirations of local community through architecture, urban and landscape design. This centre should be envisaged as a meeting point between people and cultures, with a view to promoting cultural exchange, sharing lifestyle knowledge, enhancing social bonds, engaging Syrians into the city’s social, economic and cultural life, and building resilience for the community as a whole.

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In addition to terrorist attacks, Reyhanlı has experienced social problems due to the sudden rise in population. These problems pertain to poverty, unemployment, shortage of water and electricity, a lack of infrastructure, insufficient public facilities for housing, health, education and recreation. These problems are the sources of increasing tension between Turks and Syrians in Reyhanlı. An effort must be made to reconcile these issues as far as possible via the proposal.

CONNECTIVITY TO CITIES

ISOLATION

ACCEPATBLE COMMUNITY

DETRIMENTAL COMUNITY

HIGH EMPLOYEMENT OPPORTUNITY

LOW EMPLOYEMENT OPPORTUNITY

HIGH TERRORISM PROBABILITY

LOW TERROSRISM PROBABILITY

NEAR CITY CENTRE

AWAY FROM CITY CENTRE

NEAR PERRENIAL WATERBODY

FAR FROM PERENNIAL WATERBODY

Figure 10: Contour Mapping. Source: Axis maps

Nearest airport: Hatay Airport, Paşaköy (40kms away) Nearest school: Reyhanlı Tayfur Sökmen Anadolu Lisesi, (2.8kms) Nearest market: Gözde Market, Ersözlü Merket Main occupation: Agriculture Nearest industrial estate: Keser Demir Doğrama Perforce, 6 kms

BUILDING FOR HUMANITY: TRANSITIONAL SHELTER REPORT - S2222

2. CASE STUDIES 2.1 CASE STUDY 1 (TRANSITIONAL SHELTER) – HEX HOUSE Background: Minnesota-based Architects for Society has developed a prototype for a rapidly deployable dwelling that could house victims of catastrophic events. Called the Hex House, the 431-square-foot (40-square-metre) unit is largely made of steel-and-foam Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), which can be flat-packed and delivered by truck to a building site.

Design and Materials: The design is meant to be scalable, and each home is intended to be occupied for 15 to 20 years. The shelters can be arranged in various ways and can be combined with exterior gardens, courtyards, driveways and pedestrian paths. "Units can simply be arranged next to one another in appropriate patterns or they can be joined and share walls for enhanced thermal performance," said Architects for Society, a non-profit design practice established in September 2015. "Interior walls are not attached to the ceiling to accommodate customisation of layout and provide natural ventilation," the design team said, adding that two ventilation shafts on opposing sides of the structure push hot air upward and out of the home.

Structure: The interiors also feature "simple, functional and elegant finishes" such as gypsum walls, bamboo cabinetry, and ceramic tile flooring in the bathroom. The structure's walls, flooring and roof would be constructed of SIPs with steel facings and rigid foam insulation. All exterior wall panels measure approximately 10 by 13 feet (three by four metres), with some variations in the size of doors and windows. The roof and floor panels are also standardised to ensure efficiency in fabrication, packing and transportation.

The walls are affixed to a hexagonal steel frame, with six perimeter supports and one central support. The height-adjustable supports are anchored to concrete pier foundations. Designed to be self-supporting, the walls and roof panels are locked together using tongue and groove joints, and form a sturdy structural shell. The exteriors can be clad in stucco, wood, or other materials using typical mechanical fasteners Figure 11: Hex house. Source: Dezeen

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Other interests: The plans also include rainwater harvesting systems, underground water storage tanks and rooftop solar panels that can power lighting and small electronics. "The hexagonal roof allows for optimal solar panel placement, with three surfaces oriented for maximum solar incidence as the sun moves across the sky," the group said.

Figure 13: Section of the Hex House with details. Source: Dezeen

Figure 12: Design concept of Hex House. Source: Dezeen

Opened in 2012 as a temporary housing solution, the camp has evolved into a permanent settlement with more than 80,000 inhabitants. The organisation is raising money through a crowdfunding campaign to construct a Hex House prototype.

It also is in the midst of working out a contract with a SIPs manufacturer in Florida to build a prototype and manufacture the homes in mass.

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2.2. CASE STUDY 2 – SHATILA REFUGEE CAMP

Figure 14: Shatila Refugee Camp. Source: Shatila Camp, Refugee Study

Background: Formed in 1949 following ousting of hundreds of Palestinians from their hometown. Sixty years later, it resembles an urban slum now. There are little means of supporting the population that is growing at a much faster rate than it can support. Multiple tracks of negotiation over the years failed to obtain a permanent or equitable settlement to the protracted refugee crisis.

It is located in southern Beirut, Lebanon and houses more than 9,842 registered Palestine refugees. Since the eruption of the Syrian Civil War, the camp has swollen with Syrian refugees. As of 2014, the camp's population is estimated to be from 10,000 to 22,000.

Shatila was set up by the International Committee of the Red Cross to accommodate hundreds of refugees who came there after 1948. he Sabra and Shatila massacre was the slaughter of between 762 and 3,500 civilians, mostly Palestinians and Lebanese Shiites, by the Kataeb militia in the Sabra neighbourhood of southern Beirut and the nearby Shatila refugee camp from approximately 6:00 pm on 16 September to 8:00 am on 18 September 1982. It is often seen that refugee camps and settlements become militia targets.

Resources and Benefactors: The camp comprises approximately one square kilometer and thus has an exceptionally high population density. UNRWA operates one health center and two primary schools within the camp. Non-governmental organizations active in the camp include Al-Najda, Beit Atfal AlSoumoud, Norwegian Peoples' Aid, Doctors Without Borders, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Association Najdeh.

Beneficiary Selection: Some Syrians have been able to claim up to 75% of the cost of life-saving surgery, and some have been eligible to receive a "blue card", which entitles them to about $130 (£78) of food per month. Eligibility is determined by family size, number of dependents, and whether or not potential recipients are in work. However, there are many Syrians who have refused to register with UN agencies in Lebanon, out of fear that their names might be discovered by the Syrian government and that they might be accused of being defectors.

Growth of the Camp: Despite the growth in the number of inhabitants, the camps are prohibited by the Lebanese authorities from expanding outwards, so both are slowly growing upwards. Many breeze-block houses, which comprise small square rooms of about 25-30 sq m (80-100 sq ft), are now four or five storeys high, sometimes more. The tapering streets, many of which are barely a metre wide, are now cast in nearpermanent darkness, save for a few hours around noon when the sunlight can penetrate through the concrete canopy. The lack of fresh air and abundance of open sewers, coupled with the incredibly dense population, also contributes to spread of

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disease in the camp. With their rabbit-warren-like alleyways and informal housing, the geography of the camps make it nearly impossible for large NGOs to operate there. Dozens of local militia and armed criminal gangs have taken advantage of the camp's inaccessibility to run black markets there. Their presence also prevents international organisations from obtaining insurance to allow their workers to enter.

Culture: There are a large number of political posters and agendas on the walls. Despite most residents now being second or third generation refugees, Palestinian pride is very evident.

2.3 INFERENCE A shelter is not a standalone unit but an amalgamation of all social and physical factors that make it up. CLUSTER All

refugee camp studies allude to the fact that at some point the aid will stop. Organizations want occupants to take charge of their surroundings, because eventually it will become their sole responsibility. While aid organizations will never fully abandon an active camp, decreases in staffing and resources can occur. Shelter solutions should be implemented with the understanding of the refugees’ leadership in mind.

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It is assumed that by the end, people will be engaged in newer employment schemes or working towards acquiring new skills.

There are eight primary structure types found in the Zaatari refugee camp.

They include shelter typologies, offices, clinics, ad hoc additions, and storage areas. In most cases they have little relevance to local building typologies.

Occupants will often combine or adjust their buildings to better deal with the climate of the region.

Figure 15: Employment options for men

Figure 16: Incremental Housing

2.4 OUR OBJECTIVES Our objectives involve creating a radical housing system within a neighbourhood that works toward:  

   

UNHCR says…

In pre-conflict Syria, high rates of primary Reducing crime within compound, avoiding areas which can turn into school attendance were achieved due to negative spaces for women free public education. However, rates of Allow creation job opportunities for both men and women. Encourage primary school attendance in rural areas micro-industries and cottage industries for women, including training for were significantly lower than the national sewing, minor nursing work, organic farming, artefact creation, etc. average, and there were high dropout Educational Classes rates at the secondary school level, Community Participation in building. This also helps later on to create a especially among girls. co-operative housing society with its own authority.

Incremental housing based on individual need, allowance for recycling of material, allowance for conversion of building into other purposes.

Promotion of Syrian art and culture to allow people some semblance of democratic life and encourage freedom of speech, facilities or an atmosphere that encourages people to speak up on their traumas.

2.5 GUIDELINES As per the brief, several documents provide the necessary guidelines to be followed. The UN Goals relevant to the scenario are:       

Provision of basic needs Preservation of local heritage Participatory development Reduce economic loss due to disasters Reduce environmental impact Plan for future - inclusion, adaptation etc Resilient buildings using local materials

The UN, World Shelter Organization as well as the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards for Disaster Response provide a gist of several logistics to keep in mind while formulating the module: A transitional shelter is usually built by beneficiaries and agency staff. It is likely that they will have limitations in transportation. Agency staff will also want a more efficient and easy-to-store make.

Hence the requirements are formulated as follow:

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  



Complete shelter package should have a mass between 40kg to 80kg.

Total shelter should be transported in one package, with smaller parts in parcels.

Total packed volume of the shelter should be between 0.3 to 0.5 m3 Packages should be able to be stacked vertically, and be stored for at least 5 years.

2.6 STRUCTURAL AND VECTOR GUIDELINES The shelter should also be properly marked and contain space for stamping of the logo of the overseeing organisation.

It should be able to withstand a load of 300N/m2.

It should be easily available from manufactures under competitive bidding. They should provide adequate security and privacy, thermal comfort, and adequate living conditions to carry out normal household duties and re-establish livelihoods.

Minimum ventilation area of 0.01m2.

In hot climates, roof should be double skinned with ventilation between layers to reduce heat gain.

The erected shelter should be able to withstand a wind speed of 18m/s in each direction. No use of toxic materials and provisions for mosquito nets.

Provision of 10cm vertical edge around the base at all entry points. And termite protection of all entries.

Military or camouflage colour shall not be used. It should be possible for two untrained adults to build the shelter. Frame should be strong enough to support 6-8 of 30kgs hanging live load.

For upgrading, improvement packages can be sent later on. The shelter should be so designed so that it can be added with another similar unit to create an individual unit with increased area.

3. TARGET GROUPS, USER AND BENEFICIARIES A linear approach is followed to identify the benefactors as follow: Identify and engage stakeholders – consisting of affected populace, the Turkey government and NGOs, other humanitarian communities as well as private donors. Local partners must be identified, an implementing agency is necessary to device the work on site.

Program planning and Implementation – Requiring involvement of the local populace in capacity. This also involves developing a consensus work plan based on logical framework analysis, analysis of affected regions, persons, and their zoning codes. This also includes identification of the beneficiaries, site selection, building the transitional shelter, procurement and logistics, signing over to the beneficiaries and finally post-operative analysis.

Identification of Beneficiaries: 1) Establishing of clientele For e.g.: displaced people reaching Turkey within a key date or via certain channels. Identification may also be based on their place of displacement, legal status, degree of need or vulnerability. Special attention may be given to women/ widows or orphans. The stakeholders involved undertake this process. Acceptable criteria are established by mutual agreement and communicated to the affected populace. The beneficiary list so prepared is circulated amongst them and active participation and arguments are invited. As this has the capacity to turn into a long-drawn battle, it is important to establish rigid criteria. After a procedure of trial hearings, a new and final list is generated.

In this case, special preference is given to women, widows and the wounded and elderly. According to the UNHCR reports of 2018, out of the 3.6 million Syrians displaced, 70% happen to be women. 50% of these women were married before 18 years of age. 12% of the population suffers from various medical disorders from respiratory issues to glaucoma to diabetes. The elderly also consists of 4% of the population. Such backward and oppressed groups may need more secure channels and ways of communicating their needs.

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2) Monitoring and Review As the population moves from one settlement to another, their land needs will be under constant review and evaluation.

This is crucial to understand the living patterns and standards of the people. In most circumstances, tenants and occupants with no legal status turn out to be frequent movers and are also the Figure 17: Special Needs Group most vulnerable to exploitation. They are also the ones least likely to return to sustainable livelihoods.

3) Understanding the Target Group It is important to understand the needs and aspirations of a displaced person to know the type of shelter and community living to provide them with.

The users belong to the following categories as show in the image alongside.

Hence, from this we can create a character sketch of the ideal person and his needs. The average person residing here belongs to a previously middle-income group, presumably from Aleppo or other major cities. They have reasonably good working skills and working experience. However, the average woman is of a much younger age, presumably with at least two kids, already married or widowed and Figure 18: Target group need study lacks much in work experience and more suited to home tasks.

4) Designing for a Target Group Identifying social needs – identifying social needs for women – identifying familial bonds – no. of children? – preferred future employment channels and so on. Involves creating a set of groups via zoning people and mapping out the needs of those zones of people. Are they interdependent on each other or only on their own community?

3.1 EMERGENCY MARKET MAPPING AND ANALYSIS (EMMA) The EMMA toolkit is a set of tools and guidance notes that encourages and assists front-line humanitarian staff in sudden-onset emergencies to better understand, accommodate, and make use of market systems. It does not offer a simplistic blue-print for action. However, EMMA does provide accessible, relevant guidance to staff who are not already specialists in market analysis.

The EMMA toolkit adds value to established humanitarian practices in diverse contexts. Let us follow it step-by-step: 1. Essential preparation Background research (before arrival)   

Review any pre-crisis livelihoods assessments.

Review general economic analyses, information about disaster area.

Review any recent damage / impact assessments.

In this situation, the UN Report of 2018 provides information about the previous livelihoods of the displaced countrymen as well as a breakdown of their age and sex. This is discussed in details later.

Consultations with colleagues (in-country or in the disaster area)    

Review latest emergency needs assessments.

Clarify geographical and / or sectoral mandate of agency.

Clarify the agency’s response time-frame.

Arrange briefings on political and security considerations.

Setting up an EMMA working base   

Establish work-space (meetings, training, group work).

Confirm the EMMA team membership, roles, and responsibilities.

Organize fieldwork logistics, travel, and accommodation plans

These tasks are to be undertaken by the Government or NGO subsidiary who are the main benefactors or implementers of the project.

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Population targeting and disaggregation   

Identify who the target population are.

Draft a general seasonal calendar for their local economy.

Define distinct target groups within the target population, including by livelihood strategy, wealth or social status, culture or ethnicity, and gender.

This step was covered under the beneficiary identification process itself. Livelihood strategy will be discussed in section 7 – Management Techniques.

2. Market Selection Before embarking on this step, the leader of the EMMA operation should have developed a good enough understanding of the emergency, organised a team, workspace and receive necessary monetary and labour support. The step assumes that there are clear terms of reference for the EMMA exercise with the management and clarity on the intended target population.

Our intended target population are 400 displaced Syrians who have arrived at the city of Reyhanlı. The program aims to provide housing, healthcare and social integration for all with special focus on war widows, children and the wounded and elderly. The next steps include: Select critical market systems   

Review the priority needs of the target population’s different groups: e.g. food, essential household items, shelter.

Consider other needs related to livelihoods, assets, and incomes.

Select critical market systems for EMMA The main needs for the shelter are packaged raw materials or prefabricated materials that can be easily assembled on site.

This may include containers containing individual house units – boards for walls, structural framing units, flooring units, tiles or shingles for roofing, corrugated or polypropylene sheets, insulator material, window frames, etc. It also includes necessary sanitary ware and toiler accessories, plumbing pipelines, concrete for water tanks or pre-built containers as temporary tanks, wire meshes for support, scaffolding if required, small joineries and concrete or timber slabs. If stabilised mud is used, appropriate reinforcement is need. Also provision of educators and trainers, who will teach the populace and oversee the construction process.

Other items needed for livelihood include a dignified standard of living, assets in the form of monetary or material assets. There are also other needs for people related to their livelihoods. A workman needs his tools, a cottage industry their raw materials and workshop.

Figure 19: A preliminary mapping example. Source: EMMA Toolkit

Identify key analytical questions  

Consult with colleagues, cluster-group members, key informants Identify the key analytical questions for each selected market system

From the list, sieve down the assets that are imminently needed and can be easily provided. For a refugee camp to earn its own livelihood, several micro or cottage industries can be established. In this scenario, assuming a moderately educated population, it refers to raw materials for women such as: cotton, wool, fruits or vegetables to make pickles, milk to create cheese or other milk products, or farm animals to provide milk, tools for work such as sewing or knitting needles, etc. For men, it could be: work

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tools for an engineer, basic medical equipment for a doctor to run an outpatient clinic. Children till the age of at least 14 need educational materials – writing material, papers, books, etc.

Brainstorming options for market-system selection: There exist two types of market systems –  

Ensuring survival Protecting livelihood

One must remember that selecting critical markets and identifying needs are not the same thing.

Figure 20: Table of types

A table is created of different industries and trades that are affected, and to what extent.

3. Preliminary Analysis From this point on wards, each critical market system selected for EMMA investigation is mapped and analysed separately. Step 3 involves the first rough-and-ready attempt to describe and sketch the market system – as it was before the crisis, and as it is now.

Getting started with mapping 

Familiarize the EMMA field team with the toolkit, concepts, and expected outputs.

Here, this involves the educators or practitioners holding classes or workshops to impart how the shelter will be assembled.

Mapping of the market systems and understanding the system  

Undertake initial mapping of baseline and emergency-affected situations.

Develop a picture of the different market-system components

This is to understand the seasonal or yearly surges of the various market systems. The mapping is done preliminarily and then updated as newer information comes to light. This provides contacts and keys for lead informants. Market-system mapping is the central tool in EMMA. It is derived from a participatory approach to market development. In practice, the mapping process is an iterative process: it happens incrementally.

Gender often plays an important role in market systems especially in a population where gender roles are so divided and stark. Women and men often have very different roles and responsibilities within any given market system. For example, in staple-food systems, women may be ‘producers’ in the sense of doing the physical agricultural work, but men may take responsibility for selling any surpluses to traders. Where such gender divisions are strongly present, EMMA implementation

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should be cautious about mapping the household as a single market actor. It may be necessary to differentiate between male and female actors, since the impact of the emergency, and their needs and preferences for assistance, cannot be assumed to be the same.

The next step involves mapping of the infrastructure, inputs and services. Examples of infrastructure and business services include:   

water and electricity utilities; input supplies (seeds, livestock, fertilizers, etc.); market information services (about prices, trends, buyers, suppliers);

Figure 21: Necessary Infrastructure

  

financial services (such as credit, savings, or insurance); transport services and infrastructure; technical expertise and business advice

This mapping may also lead to a change in the analytical questions prepared.

4. Preparation for fieldwork This step aims to develop the questions, interview plans, and information-recording formats needed for EMMA interviews and other fieldwork. A mixture of qualitative information and quantitative data will be sought through fieldwork that is rapid, informal, and often conducted in local languages.

Interview agendas  

Identify the information needs that arise in each EMMA strand.

Translate these into interview questions that can be used in the field

Our interview list consists of: Special issues in the fieldwork agenda  

Gender, conflict situations, transport, and financial services Cash-feasibility questions

This aspect is dealt with in a later section under population breakdown.

Preparation and rehearsal  

Testing and rehearsal of interview formats Preparation of data-sheets

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5. Fieldwork activities and interviews EMMA fieldwork: interviews and other information gathering which make up the heart of the EMMA investigation. It includes advice on setting up and conducting interviews with different categories of informant: households, market actors, officials.

The outputs of this step will be recorded in three formats: 1. Data sheets – 

 

forms that systematically record quantitative data, for example: estimates of the scale of target households’ priority gaps (un-met needs); estimates of baseline and current production, stocks, and trade volumes; data on baseline and current prices at key points in the market system.

2. Interview records –    

notes taken during interviews and meetings, for example: descriptions of livelihoods and coping strategies of various target groups; women’s and men’s preferences for various forms of humanitarian assistance; opinions about impacts of the crisis on people’s businesses and the wider market system; information about regulation and market-actor conduct – cartels and market power; coping strategies reported as used by a range of market actors in reaction to the crisis; bottlenecks and constraints reported or anticipated by traders.

3. Other field notes –      

EMMA team members’ own insights and interpretations during fieldwork: information about baseline market structure – including who is linked to whom; diagrams or sketches of the market system, or of household income and expenditure profiles; notes and observations for construction of seasonal calendars; factors affecting different target groups’ access to the market system; views about the most urgent and effective possible forms of market system support.

6. Mapping the market system A key aspect of mapping is comparison of the crisisaffected and baseline situations. This makes it easier to understand the current issues, problems, and opportunities. Marks or flags on the map draw attention to the important changes caused by the emergency, or arising from the humanitarian response. The kinds of feature to highlight (with visual flags) on the emergency 

  

affected map include the following: damage to assets or disruption to the livelihood activities of target households; partial or complete disruption of businesses (traders, retailers) in the supply /value chain; blockage or partial obstruction of particular linkages or relationships in the system; break-down or loss of key services or forms of infrastructure; emergence of temporary alternative pathways for items, e.g. via humanitarian activities; policies, regulations, or social norms that are acting as a constraint on the market system.

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Figure 22: Example of Mapping the System. Source: EMMA Toolkit.

It is important to look out for and take note of any significant changes in the numbers of market actors at key points in the system, especially if these changes point to the possibility of severe problems such as   

lack of physical access to the market system for any target groups; excessive concentration of market power in the hands of a few remaining actors (see ‘competition’ issues below); situations where there is a risk of cartels forming or monopolistic behaviour (poor conduct).

Figure 23: A possible strategy

There are essentially two ways to do it: 

Methods based on consumption

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

Methods based on production

7. Gap analysis Step 7 completes the gap-analysis strand. It should produce a final estimate of the total shortfall or gap that the target population is facing for the critical item or service.

Compile data 



Compile all available qualitative information about priority needs, preferences, and access constraints (from background research, emergency needs assessments, interview records, and field notes).

Sort and compile all quantitative data (from household surveys and interview data sheets).

Analysis and interpretation  

Draw conclusions about target groups’ priority needs, access constraints, and preferences.

Estimate the total gap that the target population faces

8. Market-system analysis Step 8 completes the market-analysis strand, using the maps and calendars from Step 6 and the gap analysis from Step 7.

This is one of the most crucial steps in EMMA. It involves a final assessment of the capacity of the critical market system, through increased production and trade, to fill the gaps facing the target population.

Baseline analysis   

Assessment of the market system’s prior capacity and performance Analysis of data on volumes of production and trade, market integration, competition, and conduct

Impact analysis   

Exploration of the impact of the emergency Comparisons of baseline and emergency situations in terms of trade volumes, prices, integration, and conduct Future forecast  Estimates of the market system’s capacity to contribute to emergency response  Identification of market-support options

Figure 24: Trades affected by displacement

9. Response analysis The purpose of Step 9 is to produce response-option recommendations for agencies seeking to meet the emergency needs of a range of target groups. The essential task in response analysis is to move in a logical way from a position of understanding the emergency situation (Steps 6, 7, and 8) to making a set of reasoned recommendations for action.

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Core logic of response Decide whether responses can or cannot rely on the market system performing well.

Response options  

Consider various options for response arising from the response logic Appraise the options for market-system support identified during fieldwork

Response frameworks   

Examine the feasibility and risks of the most attractive or plausible response options.

Describe anticipated outcomes (and indicators for monitoring these).

Summarize findings, interpretations, and conclusions

10. Communicating results The purpose of Step 10 is to document the EMMA findings and communicate them in a timely and effective way to decision makers and other target audiences. The emphasis is on brief, convincing, visually accessible formats for reports or presentations.

Executive summary or brief This is the key summary of EMMA’s findings and recommendations. It concentrates on the outputs from Steps 6–9.

Market-system maps (of baseline and emergency affected situations) provide the foundation for the findings, backed up by household profiles and seasonal calendars if necessary. Recommendations are presented in the form of the response-option frameworks.

Emergency context This section is not essential for communicating to audiences on the ground (such as Cluster-group members); but in a more comprehensive report, for example to donors, the following information is vital in order to put the findings in context.

EMMA methodology A brief description (half a page) of the methodology used and activities undertaken to produce the report is vital for establishing credibility. It should cover the following topics:   

composition and experience of the team, and any training provided; fieldwork locations and methodology (e.g. number and types of interview); how leadership and support were provided to the EMMA team

The target population This section summarizes the available information about the target population, including what was known before EMMA fieldwork Critical market systems This section summarizes the decision process that was undertaken in order to select specific critical market systems. It explains – briefly – how you got from a general understanding of emergency needs to a list of candidates for market-system analysis.

Market-system maps This is the main descriptive section of the report, based on findings. Two types of maps are created:  

the baseline market-system map the emergency-affected market-system map(s).

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Key findings These are the results of the gap analysis and market analysis This section should summarize the main insights and interpretations that you and the team have gained from the EMMA investigation.

Main recommendations and conclusions This section is a summary of the outputs from Step 9.

Awareness of the value of rapid market analysis in emergencies is related to the growth of cash responses to crises. Efforts to forge stronger links between emergency and development programmes will also increase the demand for EMMA. The challenge for humanitarian agencies and donors in the coming years will be to incorporate this type of analysis into their emergency assessment and planning processes as a norm.

3.2 UNHCR – AGD POLICY FOR SOCIAL GROUPING Why segregation?

Many Syrian refugee men are unable to find work and provide for their families. As a result, their traditional role within the family is being disrupted, leading to stress and lowered self-esteem. As men face mounting poverty and desperation, their frustration has increasingly turned into physical violence towards their wives.

Even before the war, around 1 in 10 Syrian marriages involved a girl under 18. UNICEF reports that in some Syrian refugee camps 32% of registered marriages involved a child under the age of 18. Marriage is now more frequently seen as a way of providing for daughters when there are few other options, as well as offering some protection from sexual violence.

Many women have been forced to turn to prostitution to make money for food and rent. Others engage in what is termed “survival sex” — taking lovers in exchange for food, clothing, and shelter.

Syrian refugee women — particularly those without adult male family members — are an increasingly vulnerable population, and fear of sexual assault is keeping many indoors. This insecurity, as well as growing feelings of isolation and desperation, often leads to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

Originally, the refugees were overwhelmingly Arab Sunni Syrians with a smaller number of Turcomans and Alawites.

Today, they have been joined by Kurds from northern Syria as well as Yazidis and Christians from Iraq. A diverse community is formed and tensions run high. It is likely people might not get along well even in these times of need.

From data documentation made available by the UNHCR, a statistical breakdown of the population can be achieved.

UNHCR has developed a social grouping policy called “Age, Gender, and Diversity”. It follows the following steps of engagement:

Figure 25: AGD policy engagement steps

Religion: The grouping according to religion is found as such: 

 

Islam - 87% o Sunni is 74% o Alawi, Ismaili and Shia - 13% Christianity - 10% Druze - 3%

Healthcare:

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

 

 

Vaccine-preventable diseases are particularly difficult to assess, as the majority of refugees will not have their personal documents, such as immunization and medical records. Mass vaccination campaigns for polio and measles were undertaken in Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan in 2013.

Medical conditions mentioned in the UNHCR research of refugees include respiratory tract infections, chronic respiratory diseases, diarrhoea, skin infections, urinary tract infections and eye or ear infections.

Mental health is one of the most prevalent health concerns, as much of the Syrian refugee population has experienced some form of trauma, including losing family members, being subject to or witnessing violent acts, or suffering from conflict-induced physical disabilities due to the use of barrel bombs and torture.

UNHCR research also shows a large number of Syrian refugees with injuries. In 2013, 5 percent of health care consultations in Jordan and 1 percent in Lebanon were for injuries Sexual violence and the threat of sexual violence was a concern for many women and girls in Syria before fleeing, if not one of the reasons for fleeing. Rape and other forms of violence affect women and girls as well as men and boys.

Figure 26: UNHCR report on health of refugees

When asked why the Syrian refugees couldn’t find a job, the responses varied but included a disability/injury or the reluctance of employers to hire Syrians. When asked which skills would help them find a job, or a better job, improved communication skills (including language, communication and computer skills) were mentioned the most.

Gender and Age: The grouping according to age and gender is found as such:

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Based on this data, in our calculation of 400 people, >65 years (old age home) – 14 25-64 years – 191 15-24 years - 58 <14 years (need school) = 136 AROUND 80 PEOPLE HAVE SOME HEALTH ISSUE. Islam - 348 Christianity – 40 Druze – 12

Males = 196 Females = 204

Assuming a family size of 3 people (an extreme point), we need to accommodate around 50 widowed women, presumably with children under 10, and around 350 families.

3.3 GANTT CHART – UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS Engagement Coordination Initial Assessment Outline Strategy Emergency Relief Distribution Joint Rapid Needs Assessment Full Strategy Influx of Refugees Quarantine Period Training Period Integration Period Sustenance Period Final Stage Evolution Achieve required goals period

4. ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAMMING 4.1 IDEOLOGY AND LONG-TERM PLANNING After initial role of government as an enabler, the shelter is left to its own means. Therefore a feeling of community has to be created. This includes     

Community participation Using local materials known to them Simple building techniques Creation of jobs Increase long term population holding capacity – organic growth

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4.2 SPACES AND THEIR INTERCONNECTIVITY

Housing units in clusters Womens’ dorm

School Farmers Market as delineator and integrator Central administrative block

Medical Area

5. CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIES 5.1 MATERIAL SELECTION AND AVAILABILITY Selection and Logistics Materials on site and to be sourced from nearby locations must be enough for the safe completion of the transitional shelter. It should also be easily workable with and not require expensive heavy machinery. There need to be a few trained officials on site to direct and order the work. Educational and training workshops can be of temporary help and may even help some people to find various livelihoods later on. Procurement or sudden demand of the material must not put a strain on its market availability hence, local materials are suggested.

Turkey has many different examples of traditional architecture that accord with the unique regional features of the environment in which they are found. For example, this difference reveals itself with the timber-based architecture of the Eastern Black Sea region, the cubic stone architecture in the Mediterranean region, limestone in South-eastern Anatolia, stone-adobe bricks in Central Anatolia, and in the way filling materials are used in the Central Aegean region with a stone ground floor level and timber upper floors. These differences are not only evident in the choice of materials used, but can also be observed in the way that the settlement’s fabric is shaped to accord with the topographic characteristics and how the spatial organization and body mass are formulated in consideration of the sun and wind conditions of the site and the view offered by the unique site.

Figure 27: Types of construction techniques in Turkey. Source: Learning from Mardin and Cumalıkızık: Turkish Vernacular Architecture in the Context of Sustainability, by Guliz Ozorhon and Ilker Fatih Ozorhon

Types of materials used in vernacular architecture range from stone roofing, rammed earth or wooden frame walls, to thatched roofing and wall with lime plaster or mud rendering.

The main materials selected for the project are: steel, wood and earth.

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Aluminium: Keeping the economic status of the project in mind, we tried to source local but durable materials which need not be imported and whose abundant availability would ensure a mid-range cost. Halil Sahin, CEO of one of Turkey’s major billet and bar producers, Izmir Demir Celik (IDC), noted that, “2018 saw a notable 14.9% shrinkage in domestic demand, which however, was compensated by the rise in export sales last year.” While domestic consumption decreased, overall export saw a rise. Apart from the EU, Turkey is the most important consumer in Europe. Turkey is totally dependent on Aluminium.

One of the main reasons Aluminium is used in so many construction projects is its durability—it has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any other building material, making it ideal for buildings both large and small. Due to its abundant and widespread use in Turkey as well as due to its earthquake resistant properties, ease of fabrication and transportation, make it an ideal choice to be used as framing for the structure.

Using it for the framing also ensures an industry quality-controlled material for the main structural frame. Due to use of community participation and Figure 28: Al Industry data. Source: Organisation for Economic Covolunteers, there is a high risk of complex construction operation and Development (OECD) processes not being carried out in the law-mandated way.

To avoid human errors as much as possible, steel also provided a good, tensile solution. Welding and bolting are also comparatively easier processes.

Why not used reinforced cement concrete? Despite various laws and guidelines, it is seen that the collapse of several reinforced cement concrete (RCC) buildings in Turkey during earthquakes can be attributed to human errors via fabrication, mixing, curing, etc. Other factors also include embracing newer architectural ideologies and techniques without appropriate thought being given to their execution.

The building shown alongside collapsed midconstruction during an earthquake. It was construction based on Le Corbusier’s conceptual Dom-Ino House. What seems to have been missed in this philosophical embrace of “the eternally open house,” is that the dematerialization of the walls that lay at the philosophical center of the “New Architecture” collides directly with the enclosure requirements of completed buildings.

Compounding this problem was the frequent use of open “piloti” or shop fronts on the ground floor, which caused a risk that became defined as a “soft story” in this case.

It was seen that In Turkey and neighbouring countries, even as traditional forms of construction for dwellings are being replaced with new buildings that incorporate steel and reinforced concrete, the chances of survival of their occupants during strong Figure 29: Example of an RCC building in Turkey that collapsed during an earthquakes has not improved. The partial earthquake. Source: Saga of the Half-timbered Skyscraper: What Does Halfintroduction of modern materials and systems Timbered Construction have to do with the Chicago Frame? by Randolph into the building process, such as the steel beams Langenbach used in the Bam houses, or brittle hollow clay tile block in the Turkish reinforced concrete frame structures, sometimes can result in a poorer earthquake performance than existed for traditional construction. This change from vernacular materials and methods, from a system suitable for small-scale itinerant builders to one only suitable to specialized and industrialized contractors, producers, and suppliers is incredibly rapid and under-studied. More profoundly, while concrete is thought by its users to be simple and capable of being used by untrained work crews, it is routinely dangerously misunderstood by ordinary builders. In one district in the hills above Gölcük where 60 of the 814 reinforced-concrete, four-to-seven-story

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structures collapsed or were heavily damaged, only 4 of the 789 two-to-three-story traditional structures collapsed or had been heavily damaged.

So why does concrete fail more often? It appears to be a failure of the entire building delivery process, from design to construction and inspection.

Figure 30: Improper use of concrete in Turkey. Source: The Earthquake Resistance of Traditional Timber and Masonry Dwellings in Turkey

Wood: During Ottoman period, as masonry houses have suffered numerous intense and destructive earthquakes, wooden buildings gained importance to be safe especially among rich people. The traditional timber construction practice in Turkey can be encountered in east Europe, Egypt, Middle East and west Asia because the Ottoman Empire, which lasted for 650 years, had a broad cultural influence. Traditionally, the wood used in timber houses was of the local predominance of species.

The hard woods as walnut, oak, elm and juniper or soft woods as pine, beech tree and chestnut was used according to the structural or ornamental function. Generally, for columns, studs, beams and joists; oak and yellow pine, for ceiling and floor coverings and windows; yellow or red pine and for balustrades and carved ceilings, red pine, walnut and linden were preferred. However, in the North Anatolia, in Black Sea region, the use of oak and chestnut is predominant for the structural elements in most buildings. In the rest of the country the use of pine predominates. in 1898, came the construction of the world’s largest pure wood structure on the Istanbul island of Büyükada.

It is clear that timber construction has been used for long and forms an integral part of the local architecture of the place.

It is also easily sourced and available, making it an ideal choice to be used in the design.

Earth Bag Construction: One of the most economical, non-toxic and recyclable method of constructions is Earth bag construction, made popular by Architect Nadir Khalili.

Figure 31: Turkish Wooden Furniture Production. Source: The forest products industry in Turkey, by Baki Aksu1 *, K. Hüseyin Koç2 and Ahmet Kurtoğlu2

Figure 32: Old timber structures in Turkey. Source: Evolution of Timber Construction In Turkey, by Görün Arun

Earthbag construction usually begins with the digging of a trench down to the mineral subsoil which is then partially filled with gravel to create a foundation. Woven bags filled with gravel or adobe are then placed into the trench with strands of barbed wire placed in between each layer to prevent slippage and resist an outward expansion of the walls. Each successive layer of filled bags is offset by a half bag’s width to form a staggered pattern. These push down on the barbed wire to essentially “lock” the bags in place. One of the main advantages of earthbag construction is the minimal energy requirements, with earth readily available in most regions and having the favourable qualities of being a termite-, rot- and fire-proof material.

They are known to be withstand earthquakes of up to 7.0 or 8.0 magnitude on the Richter scale. They are also limited to single storey structures and combined with a rubble foundation

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of stone (also found in Turkey) are an ideal solution. Due to their waterproof nature they can also be used as granaries for food and supply storage.

Why was this chosen for the site? Digging of shallow foundations and creation of various landscaping results in excavated soil. Soil is also one of the most easily sourced resources in plain lands. The process of building with earthbags is relatively simple and requires no training. It is also interesting to note that while earthbag construction is used in Turkey, it is exclusively found in the town of Harran, near south east Turkey.

These domed structures were made out of handdried earth bricks of various shapes in a fluid conical shape and the top was left open to act as a chimney. The exterior was rendered with mud which was renewed after every rainy season. The interior revealed a linear planning that led from one space to another with each space topped by its own dome.

Figure 33: Earthbag construction.

Similar shapes like Harran houses can also be created by earthbag construction. The central idea was to use sandbags to form structures which shared the same factors as these vernacular creations.

Some of the incorporated features are as

Figure 34:Harran Dome Houses, Source: Vernacular Domed Houses of Harran, Turkey, by M. B. O® ZDENIZ*, A. BEKLEYENs, I. A. GO ®NU® Ls, H. GO ®NU® Ls, H. SARIGU® Ls, T. ILTERs, N. DALKILIh, M. YILDIRIMs

follows:

Figure 35: Taking cues from Harran architecture - linear plans, clusters and stack effect using chimneys

Procurement and Availability Sourcing of materials has to be done from local sources. Imported products have been avoided. Here are some suggestions as per our study of places where they can be sourced from.

Steel: Can be easily sourced from the nearby town of Antakya located 40kms away. Several steel distributors are available in the town including:

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Güleryüz Çelik Çatı, Güzelburç, E-5 Karayolu Cad No:214/11, 31001 Antakya/Hatay, Turkey

They specialize in all sort of prefabricated housing structures, containers, sheathing, etc. making them an ideal choice for this case. Please note that this is only an indicative reference and the best option will be chosen by the staff formed.

Materials needed include H sections and relevant joinery materials.

Timber: Wood can also be sourced from the nearby town of Antakya where a number of lumber suppliers are available. Needs include modular wooden joists, studs, bearers etc. A sample supplier is as follow: CEZAYİROĞLU KERESTE, Odabaşı, Hatay Küçük Sanayi Sitesi, 31001 Antakya/Hatay, Turkey

Earth and Earthbags: Common agrarian household materials, which can be easily sourced especially from stores selling old or recycled ones. Earth can be sourced from the excavations on the site itself, excavated earth from the nearby construction of a hospital to the south of the site, and from other abundant sources.

Stone: Rough-cut stone will be required in the creation of rubble foundation in trenches of the earth bag constructed structures.

Others: insulating material for walls, wooden flooring slats, vinyl flooring for bathrooms,

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5.2 CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES Timber could be used in a number of ways. The most common form was to create a framing using studs and joists.

However, timber was not strong enough for the vertical approach we wanted to take. Hence, the external framing would have to be with something much stronger, able to resist wind and seismic loads. We chose Aluminium H sections due to fast manufacturing speed and ease of availability. They do not need to be customised.

Aluminium beams with an H-shaped cross section of wide flange series was used.

The section used was 300mm x 210mm to fit in with the 192mm thick walls.

Figure 36: Timber Framed Structure

Figure 37: Table showing H section sizes. 200mm x200mm was used.

Types of wooden joints to be used:

Figure 38: Types of wooden joints used

To keep the simplicity of structures to a minimum, classical wooden joints are used with minimal intervention of nails to preserve strength.

Other types of materials include:

Use of wooden texture PVC skirting (termite proof)

Use of wooden texture vinyl flooring in bathrooms, affixed with mastic

Use of medium density fibreboard with no polypropylene

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Figure 39: Use of low-emissivity glass on one window and louvres on another ensures choice to the resident. These double layered glasses prevent entry of ultra-violet light and unnecessary sound and disturbance.

6. DESIGN STRATEGIES 6.1 WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO ACHIEVE? Our plan can be outlined as follows, sourced from the EMMA toolkit.

6.2 STUDY OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF SYRIA Morphological classifications: - The Basic House This type is composed of two aligned living units; they are open on the exterior, either in front of the house called "Mastaba", generally used as a leisure part of the house, or on the back of the house, called "Zribeh", and used as a stable for animals.

These two rooms communicate through a door; their use is mixed between day and night activities. The first is mainly used as a bedroom and the second as a kitchen and food storage area.

- The House with a Riwaq This type of house is composed of several aligned rooms forming a residential unit; they are connected to each other’s via a covered gallery called "Riwaq", which makes up the whole front elevation.

- The House with a Liwan This type of houses can be found in the region located north of Damascus. It is a tripartite structure composed of three aligned units: two are used for living and the central unit, open on the exterior, is called liwan. The connection between the two living sections takes place through the liwan, which is used as a distribution space.

- The Rural House with Courtyard

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The difference between city and country life has an impact on building the typologies and shapes of houses: building materials therefore also differ in the outskirts of Syrian cities. Life in the countryside depends on agriculture and livestock farming, this lifestyle calls for a courtyard attached to the house. It is used as a private space and is not necessarily surrounded by rooms. It can also have specific areas for animals e.g. horses, poultry, and seasonal vegetables.

Figure 40: Typologies of Syrian Houses

6.3 STUDY OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF TURKEY Turkey has many different examples of traditional architecture that accord with the unique regional features of the environment in which they are found.

Figure 41: Vernacular settlement in Mardin

Mardin: The vernacular Mardin settlement is composed of terrace houses situated on inclined land parcels, with their grounds terraced on top of each other. The houses are two or three stories, with their heights according to differences of incline between the beginning point of the parcel and its end.

The thick stone walls and small windows used in the building envelopes of the traditional Mardin houses minimize the effects of the hot climate. In addition to the normal windows, the houses also have small windows on the upper parts of the

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walls. These windows provide air circulation in the houses. One of the characteristic features of the Mardin houses is “çörten”.

While this feature lends ornamentation to the structure, it is functional as it channels rain water to water storage channels.

Cumalıkızık: The squares, streets and houses of the village nestling at the foot of the mountain are in harmony with the natural topography and materials. Cumalıkızık houses usually have two or three floors. Within this multi-floored building, each floor has a separate function and identity. The most important space in the entrance floor is no doubt the yard that creates the border between the inner and the street.

This space is both the life in which the production from the field to the house continues, and is also a passage area that connects life to the upper floors via the stairs. The grounds of the house also function as the stable, storage and hayloft areas of the house. The low-ceilinged middle floors of the residences function as the ‘winter’ spaces, while the high-ceilinged upper floors function as the ‘summer’ spaces.

Sofas that connect the rooms and also host the built-in kitchen and certain sitting elements are differentiated with respect to the number of rooms, the shaping and the view.

Figure 42: Vernacular of Cumalıkızık

6.4 METHODS OF EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE IN BUILDINGS Using hinge joinery techniques to prevent lateral movement during seismic waves

Use of concrete encased foundation following the contour of the site.

Use of timber framing at 450mm distance and wooden joists.

Minimum weight of individual housing units – reduction in overall mass reduces shocks due to earthquakes.

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6.5 CULTURAL BELIEFS OF SYRIAN PEOPLE National Identity: Syrians tend to identify primarily with their religious group or sect; however, as the majority of the country is Sunni Muslim, this creates a strong feeling of cultural unity. Modern-day Syria is in part the result of geographic lines drawn by the French in 1920, and there is still a strong pan-Arab sympathy that defines national identity beyond the current borders. The current map was also redrawn in 1967, when Israel took the Golan Heights, a previously Syrian territory, and the national identity is based in part on the concept of defending and reclaiming this land.

Ethnic Relations: Syria is ethnically fairly homogeneous (80 percent of the population is Arab). Religious differences are tolerated, and minorities tend to retain distinct ethnic, cultural, and religious identities. The Alawite Muslims (about a half-million people) live in the area of Latakia.

The Druze, a smaller group that resides in the mountainous region of Jebel Druze, are known as fierce soldiers. The Ismailis are an even smaller sect, that originated in Asia. The Armenians from Turkey are Christian. The Kurds are Muslim but have a distinct culture and language, for which they have been persecuted throughout the Middle East. The Circassians, who are Muslim, are of Russian origin and generally have fair hair and skin.

The nomadic Beduoin lead a lifestyle that keeps them largely separated from the rest of society, herding sheep and moving through the desert, although some have settled in towns and villages. Another group that remains on the outside of society both politically and socially, is the roughly 100,000 Palestinian refugees, who left their homeland in 1948 after the founding of Israel.

Division of Labour by Gender: Traditionally, wives in towns are responsible for running the household and are restricted to the home. Rural women often work in the fields in addition to performing domestic tasks. While women are legally allowed to work outside the home, there are significant obstacles. For example, the government's Moral Intelligence Department investigates women before allowing them to hold federal jobs. Only 11 percent of women of working age are employed outside the home; among those women, 80 percent work in agriculture. They also are represented in textiles and the tobacco industry, but only 1 percent of employed women have administrative or managerial positions. There are women in the national government, and in the capital a few women work in metal or electrical workshops. It is not uncommon for women to do piecework in their homes.

The Relative Status of Women and Men: The Baath Party was one of the first in the Arab world to declare as one of its goals the emancipation and equal treatment of women; its constitution of 1964 states that all citizens have equal rights.

While women are now entitled to receive the same education as men and to seek employment, the traditional attitude that views females as inferior beings prevails. A woman is considered the possession of a man rather than her own person. She is identified as her father's daughter until marriage; after the birth of a male child, her identity is transferred from the wife of her husband to the mother of her son.

Marriage: By Muslim tradition, marriage is arranged by the couple's families. While more leniency is now allowed, particularly in cities and among the upper classes, it is still extremely rare for a couple to marry against their family's wishes.

According to the constitution, the state has assumed the duty of protecting and encouraging the institution of marriage.

Nonetheless, the marriage rate has declined because of housing shortages, inflation, rising levels of education, bride money, and the prohibitive cost of weddings.

Divorce laws used to follow the Arabic tradition that a man had only to repeat three times "I divorce you" (in his wife's presence or not), court proceedings are now required.

6.6 UNHCR MASTER PLAN APPROACH TO SETTLEMENT PLANNING The master plan guidelines provided by UNHCR are as follows:    



Take into account national development plans to ensure that settlement plans are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Be people‐centred, promoting self-reliance and enabling communities to develop suitable solutions themselves.

Take into account the characteristics and identity of the area, of the environment, and of the people and their habitat.

Systematically apply an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach to ensure that all persons of concern have equal access to their rights, protection, services and resources, and are able to participate as active partners in the decisions that affect them.

Be dynamic. Settlement designs should be adaptable and capable of responding to changes in a crisis situation. They should foresee an exit strategy when persons of concern find durable solutions.

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Objectives:      

To plan and manage settlements in a manner that encourages affinities, and mitigates potential friction, between refugee and host populations.

To locate camps at a reasonable distance from international borders and sensitive sites, such as military installations.

To recognize, and encourage other actors to recognize, that every person, including every refugee, is entitled to move freely, in accordance with human rights and refugee law.

To assist refugees to meet their essential needs and enjoy their economic and social rights with dignity, contributing to the country that hosts them and finding long term solutions for themselves.

To ensure that all persons of concern enjoy their rights on equal footing and are able to participate in decisions that affect their lives. (AGD approach) To ensure that settlement and related policies and decisions are driven primarily by the best interests of refugees (rather than the interests of UNHCR or Government).

Figure 43: UNHCR Camp master plan guides

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7. DESIGN SOLUTION – volk-400 7.1 SITE AND FLOOR PLANS The plan of the site goes as follows: the housing units contain 3 floors and occupy the highest land. Other things are one storey.

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Figure 44: Suggested design solution, terraces for private use: VOLK-400

volk-400 is a home of 230 sqft. adaptable low-cost building system appropriate for transitional shelter requirements.

The panel materials are flame retardant, UV-resistant 5mm corrugated polypropylene, with a 10-year lifetime if left unpainted.

The main framing is done using Aluminium I-sections of 6061-T6B-1200-7000- 310 of size: 12x6x0.31 inches, 21.2kg per m.

The entire units have common concrete footings that encase the I sections, and are joined via hinge joints to allow movement during seismic activity.

When panellised, it fits into a container of volume 3m3 and as such, three units can be shipped in each ocean freight container. They can withstand over 100kmph of wind speed and loading of 500N/mm2.

These modular units can be joined to form 2 or 3 units complexes as needed. On higher levels, each house comes with an terrace which is the roof of the lower floors. Termite resistant painted wood is used for floor joists and a 10cm skirting is provided to discourage outdoor matter.

For cross ventilation, a ventilator fitted with traditional jaalis are provided. The sleeping loft can also be sectioned off using a mosquito mesh on one wall only. The roof uses fibreglass and asphalt shingles which allows a good texture for children to pay on. The use of various trellises allow the open spaces to be used as an extended space for household activities.

The interiors are in warm shades of timber floorboards and joists. Louvered windows allow light and filter hot air. Individual residents can install kitchen cabinets. The home comes with an inbuilt wooden box at the window, which acts both as a storage unit and as a termite repellent.

Figure 45: Interior view

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7.2 LOGIC BEHIND STACKING OF UNITS

7.3 EXPLODED ISOMETRIC VIEW

Figure 46: Exploded view with materials

7.4 MATERIALS PACKED IN A CONTAINER

7.5 VISUALISATION OF COMPLETED SITE The following are the visualisations created of the various spaces

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View of administrative block, with folded plate roof, made from timber framing and walls made of sandbag construction.

Plinth is made of locally available stone. The roof is raised to allow ventilation.

Emergency entrance to administrative zone. Leads straight into the triage zone, and then operating area.

View of the brick walled courtyard where quarantined residents can mingle with existing residents.

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View of farmer’s market where residents can sell their home produce and skills on a weekly basis.

View of school area. Made using timber framing and sandbag construction with plinth made of locally sourced stones. Roof is pitched and raised to allow ventilation.

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View of housing units, made of volk-400 units, to accommodate 400 people. Total of 135 units, with aluminium stairs and railings.

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View of women’s dormitory. Made of compressed earth blocks and timber framing, with stone highlights and stone plinth.

View of integrated OAT which serves as a place for informal performances, helping to preserve the cultural identity of the people – an important step towards regaining of self-esteem. It is located to be shaded even during the day.

8. MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES Discussing the management techniques used as follows:

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8.1 INITIAL ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT AS A BENEFICIARY The government acts as the mediator for carrying out the EMMA procedures. They shall establish a committee for taking of the steps, as well as for interacting with the people, researching and creating of list of beneficiaries. It shall be their duty to take in account any complaints or observations presented and incorporate them into the subsequent steps.

Moreover, the government shall also act as a mediator for gathering the initial funding from various benefactors, including private companies, personalities, NGOs, etc. After the initial stage of construction is done, the committee formed ensures smooth running of the affairs of the site, until as such time as a co-operative housing society is established and enough refugees arrive or are educated to carry on the affairs of the camp. The goal is for the camp to turn self-sufficient, with their own supply of electricians, engineers, nurses, tailors and so on. Women who acts as orphanage caretakers and as teachers.

8.2 ALLOCATION OF JOBS Jobs can be allocated based on previous experience in Syria or on knowledge gained by training classes.

People

Women

Previous Experiences

Old jobs

Men

Previous Experiences

Newly trained

Tailoring

Nurses

Teachers

Caretakers

Old jobs

Newly Trained

Physical Labour

Accountancy

Figure 47: Job Allocations based on previous and new training

8.3 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN BUI LDING PROCES S Community engagement is a way of ensuring that community members have access to valued social settings and activities, feel that they are able to contribute meaningfully to those activities, and develop functional capabilities that enable them to participate fully.

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8.4 USER GROUPS AT RISK High rates of sexual violence and depression prevails among women. A solution to this is creation of a separate zone for women and accommodating them in dormitories in groups of three. This will create bonds and prevent suicidal intents to some extent.

However, it can only be completely negated by efforts of the victim and psychiatrist together. Areas for consultation are provided within the administrative zone. It is hoped that creating an atmosphere where they can express their fears, etc will encourage more acceptance and outspokenness of mental illness.

Children below 13 will be housed with their widowed mothers, or families. If a child is an orphan, they will be taken care of in the school, where dormitory arrangement for around 15-20 children are Figure 48: User Groups and finding their common ground provided. The schools are expected to be run by caretakers and teachers who are from the shelter itself, and take part in teaching the youth. This provides employment.

To reduce feeling of helplessness, adult education classes are to be provided to both men and women.

Women are encouraged to take part in cottage industries – sewing, making pickles and growing vegetables in the plot of land allotted to them or in the greenhouses. Men are encouraged to learn fieldwork, including how to construct their own transitional shelters, welding, carpentry and other independent professions. Qualified teachers, doctors, nurses, and engineers can regain their post within the camp since it operates like a co-operative housing with the formation of a committee.

Ultimately the shelter has to function alone hence the formation of a welfare committee with appropriate representation from each sector of society (the aged, women, families, etc.) is crucial to its success and harmony. The aged community is housed within the familial units Figure 50: The cycle of learning and teaching themselves. Syrian society places much importance on the caring and respect of elders. Hence, they can reside with their families, or in case of several old people with no guardians, a group of houses are provided with a voluntary caretaker.

Housing for 2 on-site doctors are provided, as well as 2 consultation chambers for intermittent visiting of counsellors, psychiatrists, general physicians, etc. Around 12% of the people suffer from minor or major health issues. A minor operating theatre is provided for serious injuries in incoming refugee flux. Disabled or injured refugees can choose to remain in the quarantined area for as long as they feel comfortable and need to readjust to society.

Figure 49: Final segregation for user groups at risk

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8.5 PSYCOLOGICAL TREATMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT A number of things plague on the minds of refugees.

Fear of returning home Acceptance by new place

The leading cause was found to be a general feeling of abandonment by the international community. With no government in place, people often looked up to international organisations for help and judicial decisions.

Abandonement by international community

Secondly, despite the implementation of a green card policy in some camps which allows them to buy rationed groceries, a lot of people fear signing up their name as it could lead to their family names being found out, resulting in attack by the power. Some fear their names could be linked to their relatives

Figure 51: Fears of the refugee community

who chose to remain behind, who could then be tortured or harmed.

Other fears include, helplessness over unemployment, education for their children, acceptance of their children and families by the community of their newer country. To treat, this first it is necessary for people to speak up. The traditional laws of Syrian society does not treat mental illness and psychiatric matters with the attention or seriousness it deserves. It is important to create an atmosphere of likeminded individuals where people can feel free to express their fears.

In the initial days, an on-call psychiatrist will be visiting. While this goes on, training will be undertaken to train some men and women into therapists. The aim is to reduce the suffering of those suffering from mental trauma and depression, reduce suicide rates among women and allow those facing sexual or physical abuse to speak up.

8.6 PROCESS OF REFUGEE INFLUX Refugee influx follows the following path:

5 3 2 4 1

1) The reception/ administrative zone accepts the new batch. While in waiting, they are kept in quarantine while their names are tallied, and services are readied.

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2) They move on into the sterilisation zone, where they are given a regular health check-up by a visiting doctor, along with necessary vaccinations, and access to prescription drugs.

3) Once cleared, they are segregated into zones and kept in separate quarantine zones as per their medical requirement, if needed.

4) During this time, the new entrants can also use the courtyard provided, engage in leisure activities, indoor games, take training classes and interact with existing residents in these educational classes. This makes their integration smoother and makes it easier for the existing community to accept growth.

5) Upon clearance, the community moves out, gathers their shelter package from the storage room, which can hold up to 30 packets at once. They join the community at their home, built via participation.

9. STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Use of pin and hinge joints to allow seismic movement

Concrete encased footing

When panellised, volk-400 fits into a container of volume 3m3 and as such, two-three units can be shipped in each ocean freight container. They can withstand over 80kmph of wind speed and loading of 500N/mm 2 10. CONSTRAINTS DUE TO GOVERNMENT POLICIES The 1951 Geneva Convention states as follow: Syrian refugees do not have the possibility of receiving a full-fledged refugee status, and instead are considered “guests”—no legal protection. In effect, the situation is not very different in Turkey, as Turkey maintains a “geographical limitation” that limits the application of the Geneva Convention to those asylum seekers who have become refugees as a result of “events occurring in Europe.” This means that Turkey neither grants refugee status to Syrians nor allows them the possibility of remaining in the country for the long term. Resettlement and voluntary repatriation are seen as the only durable solutions. Instead of being recognized as refugees with rights, Syrians are granted “temporary protection” in Turkey.

Health and medical issues: Refugees often have complex medical problems including physical injuries and psychological trauma. In host countries, they often face poor housing and sanitary environments, difficult labour conditions, inadequate nutrition, and inaccessible medical care. The most prevalent ailments are skin, digestive system, and respiratory diseases as well as trauma-related mental and psychiatric disorders. A refugee camp can only take care of smaller conditions and provide regular health checkups. However, more serious and recurring medical conditions that need specialist intervention can only be taken if the government takes any steps to provide them with welfare schemes or facilities.

Physical violence towards women: 35% — of the 188,000 Syrian refugee families registered with the agency in Jordan. Widowed, divorced or abandoned by their husbands, these women have become their families’ sole breadwinners, roles traditionally held in Syrian society by men. Not only this, but many Syrian refugee men are unable to find work and provide for their families. As a result, their traditional role within the family is being disrupted, leading to stress and lowered self-esteem.

Male refugees are being forced to choose between extreme poverty and exploitation in host countries for low paid physical labour, insecurity and possible persecution in Syria. As men face mounting poverty and desperation, their frustration has increasingly turned into physical violence towards their wives.

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11. REFERENCES United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2014). Addressing Challenges in the Resettlement of Refugees with Serious Medical Conditions and Disabilities.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2015). International Protection Considerations with regard to People Fleeing the Syrian Arab Republic, Update II. http://www.refworld.org/docid/5265184f4.html.

Ward, Sasha. (2014). British Council. “What’s Happening to Syria’s Students During the Conflict?”.

Transitional Shelter Guidelines Learning from Mardin and Cumalıkızık: Turkish Vernacular Architecture in the Context of Sustainability, by Guliz Ozorhon and Ilker Fatih Ozorhon Saga of the Half-timbered Skyscraper: Randolph Langenbach

What Does Half-Timbered Construction have to do with the Chicago Frame? by

Urban Systems of the Refugee Camp, Julia Slater Vernacular domed houses of Harran, Turkey. Article in Habitat International · December 1998 THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE / INDIVIDUAL SURVIVAL TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, by Lubna Chaudhry, Master of Architecture, 2015 TRANSITIONAL SHELTER QUALITY, STANDARDS and UPGRADING GUIDELINES THE EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE OF TRADITIONAL TIMBER AND MASONRY DWELLINGS IN TURKEY, by Polat GÜLKAN1 and Randolph LANGENBACH 2 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) The forest products industry in Turkey, by Baki Aksu, K. Hüseyin Koç and Ahmet Kurtoğlu Evolution of Timber Construction In Turkey, by Görün Arun Transitional Shelter Standards, by Shelter Cluster Organisation, 2008 Corsellis, T. and Vitale, A. (2005). Transitional Settlement: Displaced Populations. Oxfam Publishing, Oxford, UK. Davis. J and Lambert R. (2002). Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workers, ITDG, London, UK. Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry. (2013). Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency: Syrian Refugees in Turkey, 2013 Field Survey Results. http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees /download.php?id=4085.

Cultural Orientation Resource Center. (2013). Refugees from Syria. http://www.cultural orientation.net/learning/backgrounders.

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