Community Empowerment

Author & Designer: Raoul Dobrileit, Paul Mürl
Date: November 2021

The Kutupalong refugee camp in the Cox‘s Bazaar district of Bangladesh is the largest of its kind, with 730,000 refugees. Due to the rapid growth within a few weeks, the helpers have problems to make the living conditions as humane as possible. The design is intended to allow quick, uncomplicated construction from cheap, prefabricated imported as well as local materials. Diverse plug-in connections ensure modularity in both horizontal and vertical directions, while the overall concept provides the basis for individual furnishing, privacy, security and self-sufficiency. The multiple and diverse usable structure, ensures that the modules are also suitable for the construction of public facilities. All in all, the design provides an answer to a variety of problems and serves as a temporary yet durable shelter.

Green zones
Public and private green areas, for protection against erosion and for self-sufficiency, are planned.

_{Public and private green areas, for protection against erosion and for self-sufficiency, are planned.}

_{The accruing water masses are led through the gardens via the monopitch
roofs and led into rainwater retention basins via drainages.}

_{Each individual module is founded on screw foundations and thus the interiors are protected from rising damp.}

_{Screw foundation}

_{Each module is supported on screw foundations to provide stability on the slope, as well as sufficient distance from the ground. This lifts the building off the ground, makes it less damp and allows the water masses in the event of a flood to drain away or seep away more easily}

_{Wooden nodes
nodes Serve modularity, as they can not be installed incorrectly, as well as act as a connector between the foundation, structure and roof}

_{Cardboard tubes}

_{A very inexpensive, stable and locally producible lightweight construction. The tubes can be easily imported, respectively delivered and are easy to install}

_{Facade panel}

_{The panels are made of bamboo and can beroduced locally by the people who have fled. They provide them privacy, protection and modularity, while giving people the opportunity to earn money on the side.}

_Nodes

_{The plastic nodes are 3D printed and are used to connect the cardboard tubes of the roof structure, as well as the installation of the rails for the foil}

_Rails

_{The rails placed on the node
enable the modularity of the roof. If a second module is added, the outer foils can be removed and the other roof foils can be
attached in a watertight manner}

_{Roof construction with inserted rail for threading the foil}

_{Wooden node with plugged roof construction and suspended facade panels}

_{Wooden nodes with plugged glue bindings serve as a support for the base plates, plugged cardboard supporting structure and screwed foundations underneath}

Author & Designer: Lena Schenkel, Sarah Killa 
Date: November 2021

70 million people around the world are on the run. After traumatic experiences, they lack trust, security and a sense of belonging. What should a place look like where such people can be welcomed? Re-socialize them and integrate them into society?

What are the problems? Where do solutions need to be found?

The largest refugee camp in the world is in Bangladesh, Kutupalong. There, heavy monsoon rains and lack of space form a main problem and put the refugees in turmoil. The majority of refugees in Kutupalong belong to the Rohingya. After years of experiencing discrimination, persecution and violence, they seek refuge and flee as a last resort.
Our mission is to accommodate them in the best possible conditions.

A plug-in system made of local bamboo canes on stilts should provide the solution. Local materials
and quick construction are just a few of the many advantages the design brings. The plug-in system
can be put together by the refugees themselves and built according to their needs. We want to let
them decide how they live.

“Living according to the motto: Be your own architect. Be sustainable. Be innovative.”

 The grid is composed of 3 x 3 meter units and is based on the minimum requirement of 9 square meters for living. Depending on the size of the household, families can assemble up to two-story modules. By doing it themselves, they should have a greater sense of belonging and be kept busy to better cope with their traumas.

Modules can be created differently depending on their function. For example, Child Care or Woman Safe Places can be laid out in a U-shape to create a sense of safety.

Author & Designer: Jochen Kimmer & Maximilian Schirmer
Date: November 2021

For more than four years, Rukban, a camp near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders, has housed thousands of displaced Syrians in mud brick homes and makeshift tents, many constructed by the camp residents themselves. At its peak, the camp had some 60,000 people. Many have since left the camp out of desperation.

Moreover, the people there have to deal with enormous climatic conditions, such as heat, and due to the lack of infrastructure, there is no possibility to stay in the shade. In general, public social life is not possible due to the lack of infrastructure in the form of shelters and buildings. Children and young people in particular lack a place to meet, a place to come together.

“GET TOGETHER” could become such a place. Due to the simple construction, the residents can build their own meeting place. The use of these rooms is very variable due to the generous dimensions. For example, rooms and spaces could be created for teaching or childcare.

“Strong are the people who help others without asking anything back.”