A Place to Stand

Abstract

From being gripped by the cycle of wars, oppression, and deadly conflicts to the escalation of natural disasters due to environmental hazards such as the rise of pollution, deforestation and depletion of natural assets in a rapidly changing, calamity-prone world, we see many parts of the world, especially developing countries suffer from the turmoil of these consequences. The emergence of refugees is at large, with UNHCR declaring the total number of the global refugee crisis exceeds the 100 million mark. This number means 1.2% of the global population has been forced to leave their homes. This has led to the separation of families and living an everyday life causing undeniable severe mental and emotional growth underdevelopment that has statistically shown as an increasing problem worldwide. This thesis will analyse the three stages of a refugee: pre-migration, migration, and post-migration, where the latter is investigated further, seeing how both post-war effects individuals, families, and communities and how architecture can extend further as a response to the road to recovery. Over decades, we have seen architecture applied to these situations as temporary designs but it has been stopped short of digging deeper into the potential long-term effects of living. Relationships, identities, environments, homes, and personal development of individuals and families have severed abruptly after forced migration, creating a rift in the person’s connection with their sense of belonging, including their understanding of reconnecting with the place and community they have been relocated to after being exposed in camps for years if not, generations. Many uprooted children, suffer during and after their transition to new places after relocating, especially with the inability to adapt to their surroundings or rebuild their lives. While a large proportion of these refugees are made up of children and are incredibly vulnerable to powerful grief in response to personal bereavement and loss of cultural identity, it is still crucial to regard the entire refugee community as a single social group experiencing collective grief. One of the implications that generally comes into place is how camps that have been built are only mere structures for transient living. It is, however, understandable, considering the circumstances of many lives in need of the basics (shelter, sanitation and warmth) to survive daily is crucial and a priority. And, while in an emergency crisis, we see many refugees only being provided with the necessities, the path that allows them to be integrated back into society needs to be addressed after. How are they welcomed back into the general public after facing all the struggles? Can architecture address the needs of the displaced and disenfranchised as the worlds of relief and development are divorced from the worlds of architecture and design? When does architecture come into play where generated spaces transform the current ephemeral lives into more structured and stable ones? And whether it be man-made or natural causes that have affected the once disciplined lives of people, can built architecture be more than spaces that provide warmth and shelter, but can give optimism to the wellbeing of refugees and nourishment for the soul?