EMERGENCY SHELTER

A HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL VOCABULARY

Majid MD Ashikul
Noor Safwat Zarin
 Who is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of
persecution, war, or violence.
Causes:
War, ethnic tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing
their countries.
What is refugee shelters?
Refugee shelters are structures ranging from the most temporary tent
accommodation through transitional shelter to building permanent houses and
settlements and include the most basic kind of ad hoc structure.
What is UNHCR doing to help the Rohingya refugees?
UNHCR is leading the emergency response in the two camps, Kutupalong and
Nayapara, where they providing life-saving assistance and protection to the
Rohingya refugees, in close collaboration with partners and authorities.
They are providing emergency shelter in many forms and wherever available,
ranging from plastic sheeting to temporary bamboo sheds to common buildings,
such as schools, being used as temporary shelters.
Source: google search, UNHCR
Source: UNHCR
Background:
Who are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya are Muslims native to the northern Arakan region of Burma, which borders
Bangladesh.
The Rohingya language is known as Rohingyalish and is linguistically similar to the Chittagonian
language spoken in the southernmost area of Bangladesh bordering Burma.
By 1947, British ruler divided the region into three countries Pakistan(west & east), India and
Burma(Myanmar).
When Burma declared independence in 1948, most Rohingya officials were replaced with
Buddhist Arakanis who began to institute policies that many of the Muslim group considered
unfair. Since that time, ethnic tensions have divided the two groups of people.
By May 1978, more than 200,000 Rohingya had fled to Bangladesh: this, the Burmese authorities
claimed, signified the Rohingya's illegal status in Burma.
From Arakan to Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992, when more than 250,000 Rohingya refugees fled
forced labor, rape and religious persecution at the hands of the Burmese army.
480,000 Rohingya refugees estimated to have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017.
The two existing refugee camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara, established in the 1990s. Total
Rohingya living in Bangladesh is 900,000 till the date and still coming.

Source: google search

 Some quantified norms for site planning1,2
The possibilities in regard to site planning depend largely on which of
Area available per person 30 m2
the two refugee situations described will be encountered:
Shelter space per person 3.5 m 2

1. In most cases refugees have already settled on a site and Number of people per water point 250

planners may well be faced with chaotic conditions. The Number of people per latrine 20
immediate priority must be to improve or reorganize the existing
Distance to water-point 15 m
site, and in rare instances it may even be advisable to move the (max.)

refugee population to another site. Distance to latrine 30 m

Distance between water-point and latrine 100 m

2. The ideal but far less frequently encountered situation is that
Firebreaks 75 m
where site planning can be carried out before the arrival of (every 300 m)
refugees on a new site. The most appropriate site layout may then Distance between two shelters 2m
be worked out in advance and in accordance with guidelines. (min.)

Source: UNHCR
Two emergency standards:
At the beginning of an emergency, the aim should be to provide sufficient material to the refugees to allow them
to construct their own shelter while meeting at least the minimum standards for floor space as follows:
1. Minimum 3.5m2 covered living space per person in tropical or warm climates, excluding cooking facilities or
kitchen (it is assumed that cooking will take place outside). Minimum height of 2m at the highest point.
2. Minimum 4.5m2 to 5.5m2 covered living space per person in cold climates, including kitchen facilities as
more time will be spent inside the shelter (cooking, eating, and livelihoods). 2m ceilings to reduce the heated
space.

The following should be considered:

Structural stability (to withstand snow- and wind-loads)
Wind protection of walls, roofs, doors and windows
Protected and heated kitchens and sanitary facilities
Provision for heating.

Source: UNHCR
Design Considerations:
When considering emergency, temporary, housing the following revolve around the
success of such shelter and relief efforts:
1. cost (how much per shelter? cost of resources? cost of living?)
2. availability (are necessary resources available? are they available under pressure/time?
who will provide them?)
3. transport time (how long to require necessary materials?)
4. setup time (how long does it take to set up? how many people does it require? what if
pieces are missing?)
5. quality (what is it made of? does it protect from the environment?)
6. durability (how long is it meant to last? can it easily be damaged, if so can it be fixed?)
7. size (number of persons per room. kitchen? wash space? sleep space?)
8. security (does the house have a lock? are there windows? is it surrounded by other
emergency shelters? can belongings be left safely?)
9. weather proof (protection from environmental conditions, extreme heat, extreme
cold, winds, rains)
10. design / look (color? aesthetics? is it culturally sensitive? religious space? is it near
nature?)
11. privacy (separate rooms? locks on doors?)
12. noise
13. cleanliness
14. distance to work/ school/ religious services/ washroom.
Source: wikipedia
 Emergency shelters should be temporary, but they need long-lasting engineering
Sandbag Shelter Prototypes (SuperAdobe) by Iranian Architect Nader Khalili:
Nader Khalili (b. 1937, Iran) trained as an architect in Iran, Turkey and the United
States. From 1970 to 1975, he practiced architecture in Iran, and has since dedicated
himself to research into building with earth.
He has received awards from organizations such as the California chapter of the
American Institute of Architects, for Excellence in Technology; the United Nations
and HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development), for Shelter for the
Homeless; and the American Society of Civil Engineers (Aerospace Division), for his
work in lunar-base-building technology.
The sandbags can be filled and layed by one person.
This is an example of a small house (34 sq. m.) with five rooms formed by a dome with
four large apses.
During the summer months, the temperature inside Sandbag Shelters was on average
18C cooler and in the winter up to 18C warmer than in shelters built with cement
blocks at the same site.
The materials are sand bags and barbed wire. Also wooden framed window and
door/pipes were also used as windows.
Hexayurt in Haiti:
Hexayurt with plywood by Vinay Gupta:
A hexayurt is a shelter designed for refugees and other people with
a small housing budget. It's also for "recreational refugees" like
Black Rock City residents, if built with rigid insulation.
Vinay Gupta invented the basic shape for classic hexayurts and a
number of variations, and placed it in the Public Domain.
The Hexayurt can be made from about $300 of materials from
Home Depot, plus about $100-150 of mail-ordered tape (or a new
method using vinyl, discussed later). Depending on the construction
technique, it takes about 8 hours to prepare at home and 0.5-4
hours of assembly at any destination.
At five dollars per plywood sheet, $100 will cover the cost of the
basic building materials. Painted, a plywood Hexayurt should last
up to three years, and Gupta says its sturdy enough to survive the
Haitian rainy season, and much worse.
Good Chance Theatre at Calais refugee camp:
Two British playwrights founded Good Chance Theatre as a way to
provide a space within the camp where people who fled war-torn and
poverty-stricken countries can come together.
The metal geodesic dome structure covered with polystyrene textile
provides a space where people can attend writing workshops, music,
dance and acting lessons.
A team of 200 people, many of whom were refugees, erected the
dome-shaped temporary theatre in the French capital's Porte
dAubervilliers neighborhood.
The dome is already being used for classes, such as carpentry, and will
have an artistic programme running from Tuesday to Saturday each
week.
Comparison among the case studies:
Project name: Superadobe Hexayurt Good chance
theatre

Building time 8hours 4hours 16hours

Costing 400USD 150USD 800USD

Skills needed Medium Low High

No. of labour 4 2 15

Durability 7-9yrs 2-3yrs 5-6yrs

Availability of Highly Moderately Rarely

material
A LIVING SHELTER -SOLUTION FOR DISASTER RELIEF
by WY-TO:
WY-TO architects put their expertise to the test to create a shelter
solution for the Asian pacific region, where a staggering 42.9% of
natural disasters occur.
The living shelter is an affordable, collapsible unit thats easy to
ship and can be assembled by small teams without tools.
Its exhibited in Venice architecture biennale 2016.
The shelter is naturally ventilated and doesnt require a level
surface to be built upon.
The shelter is based on the Kampung house, typical house of
southeast asia.
The mobile unit is adapted specifically for tropical climates.
Moreover all components and system can be easily dismantled and
reused separately in an entire new building on a more durable term.
2.50m
2.84m 1.7m

2.8m
Functions:
Structure:
Facilities:
Supply:
Thank You!