April 19, 2023
Graduate student recognized design analyses of Syrian refugee camps
“People were saying, ‘We don't know what will happen next. We're currently in a camp, and it's like an open jail. We don't know the future, but there's no future in this camp,'” — Dima Abu-AridahUnlike spaces designed for long-term living, the design of refugee camps ignores several key considerations, according to Abu-Aridah. For example, no thought is given to separate spaces for genders within a family unit, or providing parents with their own space. In Zaatari, the only criteria considered when giving shelters to refugees is household size. So, a household of five members receives a prefabricated unit of 15 square meters, Abu-Aridah said. Abu-Aridah's research observes how refugees have been working to cope within these confines, while also thinking of ways to avoid these problems initially through more considerate designs. “I'm exploring the patterns of [refugees] trying their best to reconstruct their lives back home, and then trying to create some kind of design system based on their experiences to help create future camps that are based on people's social, cultural and physical needs,” she said. As Abu-Aridah continues to analyze the data she's gathered, she said she hopes one of her study's contributions is to develop a generative socio-spatial design tool that can help create human-centered modular refugee settlements and transitional shelter designs. Abu-Aridah said she's focused on developing this tool for long-term use, rather than specific design ideas with this research. “This tool can respond to human physical, spatial and social needs, especially in temporary or protracted situations,” she said. Although Abu-Aridah's research for her doctoral dissertation has been mainly in relation to Syrian refugee camps, she previously conducted research on camps that are housing Palestinian refugees for her master's thesis, which she completed at German Jordanian University. “Dima has had a compassionate approach to the refugees,” Rebecca Henn, associate professor of architecture at Penn State and Abu-Aridah's dissertation adviser said. “Her aim is to acknowledge the humanness of refugees that are conceptualized as temporary residents but, in fact, spend decades in these places.” Henn noted the timeliness of Abu-Aridah's work, saying it's important to think about how refugee camps hold a significant worldwide population — “from those fleeing Ukraine to those who must flee due to an environmental disaster.” Abu-Aridah said she's benefited greatly from the support of Henn and her research committee, as well as Penn State as a whole. The university had to work with the Jordanian government and the UNHCR to make it possible for her to access Zaatari to conduct research. Also noting the ongoing need for design attention in overlooked places, Abu-Aridah said she plans to continue pursuing design projects with strong human interest after she receives her doctorate in summer 2024. “[Refugee camps are] an issue, like other humanitarian issues, that I really care about,” she said. “And shelter and habitat are a major part of any kind of humanitarian setting.” Abu-Aridah, who is a researcher in the Stuckeman Center for Design Computing, is planning to graduate with her doctorate in architecture from Penn State in May 2024. For more news from the Stuckeman School, follow us on Twitter @StuckemanNews.
Schools and Departments:
Department of Architecture, Stuckeman School
Unit Research:
A&A Sustainability
Architecture Clusters:
Sustainability (SUS)