NEW LIFE IN FORGOTTEN SPACES Rehabilitating Negelected Infrastructure to Create Employment Opportunities 7%
REFUGEE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Syria
of Total Population (9.5 Mil)
655,056
Iraq
65,505
Yemen
Refugees
9,032
Sudan
Camps
3,966
Somalia 809
81%
Other 1,554
of Refugees live in the city CMU Herb Planter Existing Cocrete Structure
Urban
6.2 Syrian refugees in an average home
Camps
The Marketplace In Amman, Jordan more than 80% of refugees live in urban areas outside of the established refugee camps. Refugees are faced with a number of challenges when trying to re-establish their livelihoods. A primary barrier to their basic survival is the opportunity to work. Difficulties in obtaining work permits as a result of financial or legal barriers forces them to find alternative means of securing an income. All of this despite an existing law which allows refugees to make up 25% of a manufacturing companies workforce, in exchange for fiscal incentives.
34,636 Work Permits Issued
1,000+
abandoned buildings in Amman city limits
93%
In Amman, Jordan more than 80% of refugees live in urban areas outside of the established refugee camps. Refugees are faced with a number of challenges when trying to re-establish their livelihoods. A primary barrier to their basic survival is the opportunity to work. Difficulties in obtaining work permits as a result of financial or legal barriers forces them to find alternative means of securing an income. All of this despite an existing law which allows refugees to make up 25% of a manufacturing companies workforce, in exchange for fiscal incentives.
of refugees live below the poverty line
t-U
HOUSING
CONFERENCE/ TRAINING ROOM
CHILD CARE
MULTIPURPOSE SPACE
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
LOCAL BUSINESS/ START-UP
Job Opportunities New Networks and Perspectives
1,000+ Abandoned Buildings in Amman
Integration
Healthier Communities
More Buildings in Use
Rehabilitation to Create Marketplace + Housing
Influx of 650,000 Refugees into Amman
Housing
p s
St
U n dete rred by this, Amman rem ai n s a d e st i n at i on for ma ny re fu ge es. Their d esire to re t ai n a s e n s e of t h e i r p reviou s lives and the op p ortuni t y for fami l i e s to st ay to geth e r m akes the city a p refe r re d op t i on ove r t h e re f uge e ca mp s. Amman was o n ce a ci t y p r i me d for e con om ic growth and develop men t , b u t as a re s u l t of t he 2 008 fin ancial crisis many proj e c t s we re stop p e d mi dway th roug h completion a n d ot h e r on ce l i ve l y b uildin gs were left ab andoned. Now more t h an a 1 ,0 0 0 a b an don e d b uildings, co nstant re mi n d e r s of u n ac h i eve d p o ten tial, are left strewn t h rou g h ou t t h e ci t y.
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Undeterred by this, Amman remains a destination for many refugees. Their desire to retain a sense of their previous lives and the opportunity for families to stay together makes the city a preferred option over the refugee camps. Amman was once a city primed for economic growth and development, but as a result of the 2008 financial crisis many projects were stopped midway through completion and other once lively buildings were left abandoned. Now more than a 1,000 abandoned buildings, constant reminders of unachieved potential, are left strewn throughout the city.
Urban
Background
Above: A variety of unit types are available to accommodate different family sizes. Single person units are offered, as well as units that can house up to seven people. Left: This wall section is an example of simple masonry unit construction to infill abandoned buildings. The exterior walls are set back 4’-0” to shade the units in the hot summer climate. Planters are installed to give live to the facade and pleasure to the inhabitants.
COST OF NEW CONSTRUCTION
Support and Protection
Interactions and Connections
COST (JOD) 600,000
62 JOD sf
Cost Analysis
400,000
300,000
180,000
COST TO RENOVATE
160,000
17 JOD sf 140,000
50,000
25,000
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Research demographics and social issues to identify the problem
Establish program based on the needs identified during research.
Cost analysis of new construction vs renovation of abandoned buildings to determine the feasibility of design intent
Catalogue abandoned buildings throughout the city.
Identify potential buildings from catalogue to identify potential marketplace
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200,000
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Our project is phased into multiple parts beginning with the marketplace. It was determined that the cost to fully rehabilitate a building of the appropriate scale (4-6 stories, 30,000sf) would cost ~$25 sf. putting the total initial cost at roughly $700,000. based on our programmatic uses, by taking into account the immediate revenue stream from the 30% of the building that would be rented out to local businesses and residents, and assuming a portion of the cost will be covered by outside funding/donation sources, the full cost of the building could be paid off in 5 years.
la
500,000
arketp
Renovate chosen building with flexibility and adaptivity in mind.
Simple construction methods using concrete masonry units are to be implemented to infill the chosen buildings providing lasting and affordable solutions.
Construction will begin with the lower two levels for commercial spaces and job center programs. As the need arises, residential units can begin to infill the upper levels with the construction methods previously discussed.
Begin providing services to aid refugees in developing skills, obtaining jobs, and contributing to the economy
Information Center
Alley Between Nodes
C B
The Marketplace
Business Startup
The Network The Marketplace not only serves as a standalone element, but will also establish the basis for a long term solution. The success of these hubs will spur growth further into the city and will address the issues of “forgotten” space in Amman. As more resources become available, and as refugees begin to establish themselves in the community and workforce, support nodes will be networked further into the city. Again, making use of the city’s abandoned buildings, these nodes will house supportive services to the development hubs in the form of startup spaces, employment information/aid, additional housing, workshops, etc.
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These nodes will allow refugees the opportunity to better integrate themselves into new parts of the city, as well as provide an additional point of contact for others. Again, as more resources become available and the need remains, additional hubs will be established throughout the city with the same ability to form a new piece of the network. Ultimately this network of development hubs and support nodes will integrate organically into the fabric of the city allowing for increased opportunities of collaboration between refugees and native citizens.
As the refugees become more independent and as resources become more available, new nodes will be renovated to extend the reach of the Marketplace and to the city.
These smaller nodes will contain business start-up space, employment information centers, and housing.
A As the network grows, new Marketplaces will be constructed to service the growing network throughout the city.
When the network develops, a transit system can be developed to service the network.
Service Node
This network of Marketplaces and support nodes will bring economic stability throughout the city through the integration of refugees into the local workforce.
The adaptive reuse of abandoned buildings not only provides spaces for the marketplaces to flourish but gives valuable infrastructure back to the city for future use long after the refugee crises ends.
Operational/Business Plan One of the main barriers to refugee integration into the Amman community is refugees’ inability to join the labor market. Our proposal will make the labor market more accessible to refugees through a network of connections between employers and individuals seeking work. Despite our target audience being the refugee population, our proposal will also provide something that will give back to the city and its citizens. Amman, Jordan was a growing city and was in a period of growth and development before the 2008 recession. When the economy crashed many projects halted mid construction. These buildings are seen as a blight on the community and a money pit for an owner or investor. But many of these buildings have perfectly intact structural systems and are ready to be filled in. Our proposal works under the assumption that these properties can be obtained and renovated for a fraction of the cost of new construction. These buildings will be transformed into something that will economically, socially, and culturally give back to the existing communities. With vacant buildings being abundant, we have the opportunity to adapt buildings of various sizes in various locations in the city to suit the scale and programmatic requirements of the project phases. Additionally, the ability to implement our network in any space speaks to the ability to organically integrate the refugee community into the host city. This reuse of buildings provides a sustainable solution to new construction in a country where resources are already strained. Although the primary goal is stated to be an economic one, the social impact would also be immense. First, it would immediately replace the negative effects, such as crime and drug use which have become synonymous with select abandoned buildings, with the positive impacts from job training, business growth, and economic development. Second, placing the refugee community in a situation where they can prove themselves as being able to contribute to the host community economy, the local residents can begin to see them more as equals. Third, by allowing this network to grow organically through the city as funding becomes available will prevent the grouping of refugees in one singular location within the city. This will make it easier for refugees to integrate into the city long term, as well as make the existing neighborhoods more accepting of their situation if they are evenly spread throughout Amman. Our system has the potential to have lasting effects but, to have lasting effects, the construction must be completed for the long term. The potential critical risk to our proposal is that the existing infrastructure, which we aim to rehabilitate, has been neglected for a prolonged period time and would require significant structural reinforcement. This would undoubtedly make the cost of retrofitting a 5-6 story building (Initial marketplace) less practical. That being said, higher up front construction costs needed to complete the rehab of these existing structures should not be avoided as these will ultimately lead to fully functioning buildings that will survive for the next 50 years and can be repurposed to house new programmatic functions in the future. Our project is phased into multiple parts beginning with the marketplace. It was determined that the cost (3) to fully rehabilitate a building of the appropriate scale (4-6 stories, 30,000sf) would cost ~$25 sf. (1) putting the total initial cost at roughly $700,000. based on our programmatic uses, by taking into account the immediate revenue stream from the 30% of the building that would be rented out to local businesses and residents, and assuming a portion of the cost will be covered by outside funding/donation sources (4), the full cost of the building could be paid off in 5 years (2).
Reference 4 List of Potential Partners/Funding Opportunities: ● The Grand Bargain Initiative- https://www.agendaforhumanity.org/initiatives/3861 ● UNHCR NRC- http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/ ● ACTED- www.acted.org/ ● FCA- https://www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi/en ● IRD Jordan- https://blumont.org/program/community-based-support-zaatari-refugee-camp/ ● NHF- http://www.nooralhusseinfoundation.org/ ● UNOPS- https://www.unops.org/english/Services/infrastructure/Pages/default.aspx ● UR- http://www.urban-refugees.org/
Reference 1
*Referenced building- 4 story apartment building with basement (Table from reference 3) Adjusted table below for our proposal of rehabilitating existing abandoned buildings with the following assumptions taken into consideration1. Cost of purchasing land (the property in our scenario) will be negligible due to the city wanting to turn these abandoned buildings back into economically and socially active spaces in the city. 2. Designs and plan will be provided as a Pro-Bono service by a non-profit, design, or development agency 3. Infrastructure will be negligible since the abandoned buildings will already have the systems in place 4. Structure will be 30% of the cost marked above as many of the buildings are mostly complete structures. 5. Finishing works will be 65% of the cost marked above in relation to keeping the spaces in the building as flexible and adaptable as possible. This means minimal fixed walls, cheap/durable materials. Entry
Total Cost (JOD)
Cost of Purchasing the Property
0
Designs and plans
0
Infrastructure Works
0
Structure Works
36,750.00
Electromechanical Works
96,250.00
Finishing Works
113,750
Site Supervision & Management
30,772.88
General & Administrative Expenses
14,962.50
Licenses, Permits, and Others
11,469.85
Reserves
11,469.85
Total
315,425.08
315,425.08 (JOD) = 446,143.79 (USD) Total sf of referenced project = 18,836.84 Cost psf (USD) = $23.69
Reference 2 Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Initial cost
$710,700
Funding $355,350 Support (50% of initial cost) Revenue from 30% of the building rented to existing businesses/res idents
$6,900.58
$7,577.89
$8,955.68
Subsidized living for Refugees
$50,000
$50,000
$25,000
(Rent) Revenue from Refugee occupants (20 units)
$10,000
$10,000
Revenue from Refugee Businesses Remaining Balance
$288,449.42
Reference 3 Begins on next page ------------->
$10,333.48
$10,333.48
$35,000
$60,000
$60,000
$1,000
$2,500
$3,400
$3,500
$219,871.53
$148,415.85
$73,682.37
151.11