Rohingya refugees – an Islamic ethnic minority facing persecution in Asia – have struggled with vulnerabilities in terms of basic shelter, health, nutrition and emotional well-being for a long time. Sadly, one of the largest and most populous refugee camps in Bangladesh ended up becoming the temporary home of almost a million people, including many teenagers and children.
In an attempt to support families, architect
Rizvi Hassan , together with the UN, Bangladesh Govt, BRAC & Unicef and other organizations, has created a new community center focused on women and girls. The space aims to be a place that goes beyond mere survival, offering a kind of safe place where they can learn, create, share, and report situations of violence,
Social architecture
Bamboo makes up the main structure and straw was applied with canvas on the roof. Since these are untreated raw materials, they will need to be renewed from time to time. The materials used are very basic and were chosen because they were available nearby. It was taken into account that, as the site is in an area subject to cyclones, it was necessary to avoid inputs that could be dangerous during the cyclone.
Interestingly, the Center is very close to the habitat of Asian elephants, so you can often see elephants coming down from the hills in the background. This ended up influencing the architecture, which was designed so as not to disturb the animals, if “ camouflaging” in the landscape.
An internal courtyard connects the surrounding rooms into a central space. The interior contrasts with the tones of the bamboo and gains a lively atmosphere thanks to the colors of the paintings by the community's residents.
