A Human-Centered Shelter Design for People on the Move in the Al-Sahel Region

Hind Al-Shoubaki (), Dimitris Psychogyios, Matthias Drilling, Yioryos Chatziefthymiou, Tatiani Fragkou, André Marinho Costa and Aris Tsangrassoulis ()
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Hind Al-Shoubaki: Institute Social Planning, Organizational Change, and Urban Development ISOS, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
Dimitris Psychogyios: Department of Architecture, The University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
Matthias Drilling: Institute Social Planning, Organizational Change, and Urban Development ISOS, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland
Yioryos Chatziefthymiou: Department of Architecture, The University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
Tatiani Fragkou: Department of Architecture, The University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece
André Marinho Costa: Department of Social Studies, The University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
Aris Tsangrassoulis: Department of Architecture, The University of Thessaly, 38221 Volos, Greece

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-25

Abstract: This article addresses the development of a human-centered shelter design tailored to meet the specific needs of refugees in the Al-Sahel Region. It focuses on five essential aspects of humanitarian-centered design. The goal is to create a livable unit that accommodates the three distinct phases of an emergency, transitional, and durable situation. We have adopted a non-linear design approach to develop the refugee shelter unit. We engage in discussions with team experts following each data collection phase. The conceptual design of the shelter unit is intended to align with the refugee settlement’s natural growth while maintaining a degree of control over its evolution. We have outlined a spatial configuration for a residential unit designed for three to six individuals and various patio options. Additionally, we have devised plans for an education and healthcare facility, all designed with the same structure to bring a more organized approach to the organic growth of the camp. The design proposal adopts a process-oriented approach, incorporating refugees indirectly in the design and construction of their shelters. While we do not assert that the framework of a ‘refugee camp’ can be sustainable, our goal is to show that its planning, in the absence of alternatives, should adhere to sustainability criteria.

Keywords: refugee camps; human-centered design (HCD); shelter; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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