Tag: refugees | ArchDaily

On International Migrants Day: A Look at Architectural Responses to Displacement

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:30:00 +0000

December 18 marks the United Nations' International Migrants Day, which aims to highlight the need for safer, fairer, and more inclusive migration systems. Proclaimed on December 4, 2000, the day seeks to recognize the multiple dimensions of migration beyond its economic and humanitarian aspects. According to the UN, mounting evidence indicates that international migration is beneficial for both countries of origin and destination. In this sense, International Migrants Day offers an opportunity to spotlight the value of the possibility to migrate and the contributions of millions of migrants worldwide to the cities and cultures in which they are integrated.

Nigerian Architect Blossom Eromosele Designs Refugee Shelter Inspired by Traditional African Huts

Antonia Piñeiro — Wed, 21 May 2025 04:30:00 +0000

Nigerian-born architect Blossom Eromosele has developed AllSpace, a modular housing design inspired by traditional African architecture. The design was created as part of the Swarovski Foundation's fourth edition of the Creatives for Our Future global mentorship and grant program, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships. Among the six selected projects, AllSpace seeks to respond to the current Nigerian refugee crisis with a low-cost, solar-powered housing solution for camps.

MVRDV Transforms Shipping Containers into Sports and Community Hubs for Refugees

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:30:00 +0000

MVRDV has partnered with KLABU, a social enterprise based in Amsterdam, to design a modular, multi-functional clubhouse aimed at supporting refugees. This collaboration, which began in 2022, is founded on the belief that sports can play a pivotal role in helping individuals rebuild their lives, fostering joy, pride, and hope. KLABU's initiative involves constructing clubhouses within refugee camps, settlements, and urban areas, where they serve as community hubs offering access to sports equipment, activities, and connectivity through Wi-Fi and TV broadcasts.

“Our Projects Lead to Discoveries”: In Conversation with Oleg Drozdov

Vladimir Belogolovsky — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 03:30:00 +0000

Earlier this year the unprovoked barbaric Russian invasion of neighboring independent Ukraine forced millions of people to flee their cities and the country in search of safety. I talked to one of Ukraine’s top architects, Oleg Drozdov, who was forced to relocate his practice and architecture school he co-founded in Kharkiv, to Lviv, 1,000 kilometers to the west, next to the Polish border. His staff and professors — many of them assume both roles — resumed their work just weeks after the war broke out.

Drozdov & Partners is Transforming Schools into Temporary Shelters for Internally Displaced People in Ukraine

Dima Stouhi — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 06:30:00 +0000

One of the most urgent problems faced by Ukrainians today is the unsettled situation faced by displaced citizens, along with the challenge of returning to the cities they were forced to abandon earlier this year. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has shared that efforts to rebuild Ukraine will require ‘colossal investments’, and as leaders gather to work out ‘Marshall plan’ to rebuild the country, local architects have already begun developing emergency housing, healthcare, and educational facilities in cities further away from the Russian border.

One Hundred Days of War in Ukraine: UNSECO Verifies Damage to 139 Sites

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 05:30:00 +0000

Friday, June 3, marks 100 days of war in Ukraine. One of the many devastating effects has been de destruction of urban and rural environments. Ukraine’s cultural and architectural heritage is under threat. As of 30 May, UNESCO has verified damage to 139 sites affected by the ongoing hostilities. The list includes 62 religious sites, 12 museums, 26 historic buildings, 17 buildings dedicated to cultural activities, 15 museums, and seven libraries. According to UNESCO, the most affected buildings included in the list are in Kyiv. Still, damages are also found in the regions of Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Lugansk, and Sumy. This represents a preliminary damage assessment for cultural properties done by cross-checking the reported incidents with multiple credible sources. The published data will be regularly updated.

Shigeru Ban and VAN Install Paper Partition Systems in Emergency Shelters for Ukrainian Refugees

Andreea Cutieru — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 05:30:00 +0000

The war in Ukraine continues, and the number of refugees has risen to 5million, according to the U.N. Renowned for his involvement in humanitarian aid, Shigeru Ban and the Voluntary Architects' Network have been deploying a paper partition system (PPS) for emergency shelters in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, designed to provide some privacy to the Ukrainian refugees. Since early March, PPS has been installed in Poland, Slovakia, France, and Ukraine by Shigeru Ban Architects and VAN, collaborating with local architects and volunteer students.

Shigeru Ban Architects and Philippe Monteil Design Refugee Shelters in Kenya with the Support of UN-Habitat

Andreea Cutieru — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 05:30:00 +0000

Since 2017, UN-Habitat, together with Shigeru Ban Architects, Philippe Monteil and the NGO Voluntary Architects' Network, developed several shelter typologies for a pilot neighborhood in Kalobeyei Settlement in Kenya. The Turkana Houses are meant to house South Sudanese and other refugees living in Northern Kenya who could not return to their original villages due to endless civil wars and conflicts. Unlike typical refugee shelters, these structures were meant to provide a home for long periods of displacement and the four typologies developed are informed by the extensive experience of Shigeru Ban Architects with disaster relief projects and the local building techniques of local people.

On the Ongoing Hostilities: Architectural Institutions Rally in Support of Ukraine

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 07:30:00 +0000

On the 24th of February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis and armed conflict in this century, so far, this war has mobilized people across the world in order to exert pressure on authorities and put a stop to the armed hostilities. Individuals, as well as institutions in the architectural field, have taken part in these acts of solidarity, issuing statements, condemning actions, and even halting their work in Russia. From the UIA to MVRDV to Russian Institutions such as Strelka, the architecture world is denouncing the acts of violence and supporting an immediate cease of fire.

A Refugee Crisis Unfolding: War on Ukraine Triggers a Humanitarian Emergency

Andreea Cutieru — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Last week, the unthinkable happened, and war has returned to Europe. As of yesterday, 520,000 people have left Ukraine in the span of only five days, triggering a rapidly-growing refugee emergency and what is considered the largest exodus of people in Europe since the Balkan wars. Unless there is an immediate end to hostilities, as many as 4 million Ukrainians are expected to leave the country in the coming days and weeks, according to the UN. Military violence and indiscriminate bombardments upon residential areas and civil facilities like hospitals and kindergartens further escalate the humanitarian crisis.

Hospitality and the Housing Crisis: Reclaiming Abandoned Architecture

Matthew Maganga — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 07:30:00 +0000

All over the globe, countries are facing a housing crisis. United Nations statistics put the number of people who live in sub-standard housing at 1.6 billion, and 100 million of the world’s population are without a home. As conflicts and climate change forces refugees to move to new countries, and as housing prices around the world continue to rise, cities are having to grapple more and more with how to provide safe and affordable housing for their residents.

A Climate Conversation: The Role of Architecture in Shaping a Sustainable African Future

Matthew Maganga — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 07:30:00 +0000

When we think of migration, we think of movement. We think of the movement of people simply looking for greener pastures – a better life for themselves. But we also think of war, of conflict, of an unstable situation in a specific place forcing the hand of a location’s residents to seek safety elsewhere. Historically and into present day, war has been the reason for the increased presence of refugees. Instability in places such as Syria, Iraq, or the Central African Republic have caused millions to flee their homes. Lurking amongst this migration due to conflict, however, is the migration of people at mercy of the changing environmental conditions of the Earth – climate migration.

Closing Film - Shelter Without Shelter (World Premiere)

Rene Submissions — Thu, 27 May 2021 17:17:00 +0000

The Architecture Film Festival London, in its 2021 edition, addresses a variety of topics related to contemporary architecture. In particular, the role of housing—from the history of housing estates to the current global housing crisis—is a prominent theme.

In line with this theme, conversations will culminate with the festival’s closing film, the world premiere of Shelter Without Shelter (2019) by Mark E Breeze and Tom Scott-Smith. After Shelter Without Shelter (2019) screening on Sunday, 27 June, a Q&A filmmaker Mark E Breeze will take place.

Shelter Without Shelter explores the hopes and challenges involved in providing temporary housing for refugees. Filmed

Beyond Refugee Housing: 5 Examples of Social Infrastructure for Displaced People

Suneet Zishan Langar — Tue, 05 May 2020 07:35:00 +0000

Throughout human history, the movement of populations–in search of food, shelter, or better economic opportunities–has been the norm rather than the exception. Today, however, the world is witnessing unprecedented levels of displacement. The United Nations reports that 68.5 million people are currently displaced from their homes; this includes nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of eighteen. With conflicts raging on in countries like Syria and Myanmar, and climate change set to lead to increased sea levels and crop failures, the crisis is increasingly being recognised as one of the foundational challenges of the twenty-first century.

Open Ideas Competition: Mosul Postwar Camp

Rene Submissions — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 11:25:00 +0000

ARCHITECTURE AFTER TERRORISM
Architecture has found a strange and unexpected enemy in ISIS, which has destroyed and looted countless religious buildings, monuments, archaeological sites and works of art from different cultures and religions, most of them considered World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

REFUGEES AFTER WAR
The continued fighting in Mosul (Iraq’s second largest city) since ISIS chose its Al-Nuri Grand Mosque to declare the Islamic Caliphate in 2014 has led to many of its inhabitants to leave their homes in search of more secure places. This dramatic situation has been greatly aggravated by the fighting that the Iraqi army has waged in

Shigeru Ban to Design Up to 20,000 New Homes for Refugees in Kenya

Patrick Lynch — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Pritzker Prize winning architect Shigeru Ban has signed an agreement with UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency tasked with guiding sustainable development, to design up to 20,000 new homes for refugees in Kenya’s Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement. Currently home to more than 37,000 refugees, the settlement is quickly outgrowing its original capacity of 45,000 – over 17,000 have arrived this year alone, with numbers expected to continue to increase.

7 Architectural Solutions for Asylum Seekers Shown by the Finnish Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale

Isabella Baranyk — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 09:30:00 +0000

The 2016 Venice Biennale may have officially closed in November, but many of its constituent parts continue to have a life beyond the confines of Venice. From Border to Home, the exhibit hosted by the Finnish Pavilion, showcased the results of an international architecture competition between October and November of 2015 that called for residential solutions for asylum seekers that offer both short-term shelter for refugees and long-term impact on the surrounding community. Three winners and four honorable mentions were featured in the exhibition, accompanied by a blog that offered sustained dialogue on the topic from architects around the world. On March 21st, Finland's contribution to the Biennale will finally be concluded with a review of the Biennale's themes and a seminar on the pavilion, hosted in Helsinki. Read on to find out more about the winners and four mentions from the competition that were featured in Finland's From Border to Home pavilion.

With the Jarahieh Refugee School, CatalyticAction Demonstrates the True Potential Of Temporary Structures

Ariana Zilliacus — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 09:30:00 +0000

The 2015 Milan Expo required the input of more than 145 countries and 50 international organizations resulting in over 70 temporary pavilions; a combined effort totaling more than €13 billion. Norman Foster’s rippling pavilion for the United Arab Emirates ended up at €60 million. The massive slab of concrete, laid out over the previously green agricultural land to act as the Expo’s foundation cost a whopping €224 million. Even Vietnam’s “low cost” pavilion came in at $2.09 million.