ARC3020Y F
Instructor(s): Marina Tabassum | marinatabassumarchitect@gmail.com & Saarinen Balagen | saarinenb@gmail.com
Meeting Section: L0110
Tuesday, 9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm

No one leaves home unless

Home is the mouth of a shark.

You only run for the border

When you see the whole city running as well

Your neighbours running faster than you . . . .

You only leave home

When home won’t let you stay.

No one leaves home unless home chases you

Fire under feet. . .

You have to understand

That no one puts their children in a boat

Unless the water is safer than the land. . .

-Extracted from Conversation about Home by Warsan Shire

Mass displacement of people is posing as a major challenge in the 21^st century. Forced migration due to war and genocide have displaced large number of people internally within the countries and cross border as refugees and asylum seekers. The trend of displacement is also happening due to extreme climatic and geographic conditions induced by climate crisis. The studio will look into these various forms of displacements that are affecting millions of people around the world and increasing.

Voluntary migration is a natural phenomenon observed among all species of the animal world including humans. The history of movement and migration of human goes back thousands of years. The studio will begin with the basic query ‘why people move’ a research on voluntary and forceful migration of people all over the world from historical context to present day.

According to UNHCR, 89.3 million people are facing various forms of displacement. Among them 27.1 million people are refugees and 4.6 million people are asylum seekers. According to IDMC, 59 million people are internally displaced within their country, who are termed as invisible citizens. What are the differences in rights of internally displaced population, cross-border asylum seekers and or refugees? 

Displacement of people is a transitional state undefined by a period of time. Displacement is associated with physical, mental, emotional exhaustion and trauma.  It is also associated with lack of hope, basic rights and dignity. Can architecture be a process of healing? How can architecture contribute to the dignity of people in transition?

‘Architect as an agent of change’ is a contemporary phenomenon visible in many parts of the world. This shift in Architecture thinking allows architects to reach out to vulnerable population of the world with knowledge and expertise to address the basic human conditions and rights using architecture as a tool.

How do we address the aspects of permanent versus temporary in architecture?  Does material play a role?  How can architecture contribute to a society in transition to a new ecological paradigm?

Through these various queries the studio will focus on various materials and construction technics that allow architecture to produce meaningful spaces in a temporary context. 

Bangladesh is housing 1 million Rohingya community who are a minority Muslim population from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. They have fled the atrocities of genocide and ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar Army. Rohingyas are termed as stateless as Myanmar have denied them the rights of citizenship. The camps in Kutupalong, Ukhiya houses 600,000 people in 13 square kilometers area making it the largest concentration of displaced people in the world. 

In the Spring 2023, (January 2023 tentatively) the studio will visit the Refugee Camps in Bangladesh. The studio will gain a firsthand experience of visiting shelters of refugees. In addition to visiting the camps they will also meet with architects who are involved in various projects in the camps such as Women Friendly Centers, Women led Community Centers, Disability Friendly Centers, Safe Space for Children. They will also interact will local host communities who have also experienced displacement due to the exodus of refugees from Myanmar. Marina Tabassum Architects have built several projects in and outside the camps. The studio will visit the Aggregation Centers for the host communities in Teknaf. This trip will enhance their understanding of the issues of displacement but will not be instrumental in the formulation of the final thesis project.  

For a Course Outline Draft, please click here