Emergency Refugee Shelter

"Design can provide a sense of permanency in a temporary environment by simultaneously addressing requirements for privacy and fostering community engagement".

I define agency as the ability to access. For my Program, I tried to pick up on the ongoing issue of refugee resettlement. President Obama recently declared that he would be allowing 10,000 refugees in the United States. So I decided to make a sanctuary for those who are temporarily displaced. A networked refugee camp where all nationalities are dissolved in.

While thinking of the concept I tried to keep in mind what would be most important for the refugees, which would be the sense of permanency in a temporary situation. I also thought it was important to create a system that would be flexible for use, and to create a sense of community. I was inspired by 90 degree furniture.

So the system I tried to create, is easily packaged and shipped. It is made from fiberglass reinforced gypsum which makes it extremely light weight, while not compromising its structural stability.

It is created in such a way, that it is easily built with two people under an hour without using and electrical hardware. I achieved this using 2 Panels and a slotting system. After a lot of deliberation, I created a system that could be combined to create a community space.

The System has a bed and a storage space, The bed can also be converted into a chair. To enforce permanency, I tried to pay attention to privacy, not only for the inhabitants, but also their goods.

When fully operational, the module starts behaving like a house with an incorporated roof. It was designed in such a way that a number of permutation in terms of arrangement are possible, to accommodate individuals to a large family.