Refugee-led socio-spatial organization in Al Baqa’a camp, Jordan

Abstract

The increase in refugee numbers is an increasingly important concern globally. Many countries in different regions have been accommodating refugees by providing temporary shelters made from ineffective and inadequate materials to provide thermal comfort for refugees. However, the shelters provided are often inadequate solutions for shelter and neglect the social and cultural diversity of the refugees. Socio-cultural norms, practices and values are rarely considered in the design of shelters and this has an adverse impact on how refugees live in these spaces. Using insights from the Al Baqa’a refugee camp in Jordan as a case study, this paper uses a mixed-method approach to explore how the challenges of inadequate shelter has consequently led refugees to self-organize and create new socio-cultural spaces to adapt to the place. The findings suggest that historically, Al Baqa’a camp has reorganized by users due to social needs and climate challenges. When the camp was created in 1967, the inadequacy of the housing and infrastructure to provide comfort influenced refugees to self-organize and create adaptive spaces of comfort. However, over the decades, these spaces have evolved into spaces of enterprise, belonging and memory of their homeland. Therefore, this paper argues that refugee shelter design should have an integrated consideration of the climatic elements and the social and cultural aspects of refugees. The paper concludes with lessons learned drawn from the evidence to act as guideline for the consideration of official humanitarian organizations in other camps and local communities.

An Innovative Concept for 3D Sand-Printed Sustainable Refugee Shelters in a Sandy Desert in a Hot and Dry Climate

“…New planning proposals mainly emphasize the introduction of social and service spaces into shelters, and improving their aesthetics [23]. In refugee camps, living conditions are also driven by opportunities for development in the social sphere (e.g., through access to public spaces, schools, and sports facilities) [25] (p. 18, 212).…”

“…However, after several years of protests organized by the refugees, the camp management became more flexible and open to the changing needs of the residents [24] (p. 6,19). Gradually, while maintaining safety conditions, residents were allowed to develop the camp into an informal city [25] (p. 16). Currently, the planned, geometric layout of tents Figure 2, and eventually caravans, is being blurred by numerous improvised extensions (e.g., attached trailers) [26] (p. 19, 166) Figure 4.…”

“…The lack of diversity in shelters, especially in terms of size, is a significant issue as it does not allow for providing adequate space proportional to family size. The lack of privacy and social norms imposed by culture and religion exacerbate the problems of Syrian refugees [25,25].…”

“…The main guidelines for planning a refugee camp are included in Tables 1 and 2 [42]. The requirement and specifications of the Ph.D. thesis "Developing User-Informed Specifications for Refugee Shelters in Hot and dry Climates: A study of the Al Za'atari Camp in Jordan" from 2017 by Rania Fayez Abu Ramadan were also used during the design work [25].…”

Shape grammars and self-built refugee communities: The transformation from tent shelter to customized structure in Irbid Camp

“…Some researchers, like Oesch, 13 have described the types of dwellings and plot sizes that contributed to the establishment of Al-Hussein Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, shedding light on the camp's informal, invisible urban planning. Similarly, Aburamadan 14 presents a case study of Al-Zaatari camp in Jordan, arguing that refugee camps can evolve into enduring organizations of everyday life to challenge the perception of camps as temporary solutions. In addition, the research emphasizes the importance of better spatial and architectural design to enhance this potential.…”