The Temporary Future for Refugee

PERMANENCE = TEMPORARY ?

This thesis aims to redefine the original definition of temporary architecture and permanent architecture. With the constantly changing of national structures and problem of global warming, resulting in wars, natural disasters, bombing and so on, permanent architecture massive as in city scale can become temporary, Earthquake and tsunami in Japan 2011 and bombing in Shanghai 2015 for instance. These factual issues blur the original definition of temporary and permanent architecture. Regarding to this assumption, taking the Syrian Civil Crisis 2015 as an objective, I would like to investigate method such as plug-in architecture or modular system, the idea of metabolism in order to provide basic utility and “temporary” living complex for the asylum seekers in Germany. Ideally, it should contain the potential of temporary structure that can be easily constructed and deconstructed, and at the same time, contain the potential to expand or transform into a permanent architecture by choosing suitable structural system and use of material.

The discourse of refugee space or shelter was poor and squalid in the early age. Basic need or utility for the refugees were not the first priority but mobility. The idea of temporary future was then raised and discussed. The form of community is based on collective basic utility of each human being which generates social space, social spatiality. On top of that, the frequent change in discourse of nature and structure further reinforced the idea of temporary future. In recent decade, one of the academics approach would be materiality. One of the innovative materials is the paper tube as building material, which is invented by Shigeru Ban. The use of material advocates the concept of sustainable architecture, reusable, recyclable, inexpensive and mobile. With the constantly changing of nature and national or social structure, the idea of temporary can become permanent due to the importance to the society; at the same time, in reverse, even massive as a city scale, permanent can also become temporary. This thesis will investigate method such as plug-in architecture or modular system, the idea of metabolism in order to provide basic utilities to accommodate the asylum seekers in Germany.

Temporary architecture is designed for s specific purpose for a specific period of time; therefore, there is no specific site for such case. Simultaneously, suggesting a high level of flexibility and mobility, which it is applicable in universal.

Berlin, Germany

In my thesis, I would like to take the Syrian refugees as the objective. Regarding to this current situation, Berlin will be the test ground for this project. Large number of Syrian refugee is accepted and thousands are diverted to Berlin. As the capital city of Germany and listed as the seventh most populous area in European Union, I would like to investigate all the possibilities and look for a suitable solution. Specific site will be selected after a series of research and analysis in order to provide a simple but flexible living complex for the asylum seekers.

In the research stage, I would like to start by studying several similar case studies in urban scale globally. Understanding the most crucial concerns and requirements of a rapid increase in population for a country. In addition, start to investigate and map out existing refugee shelters or housings, study the social influence in regards. At the same time, start to study and analyse the current condition and effect of Syrian refugee crisis to Germany. In the next stage, identify the basic needs for the refugee, shared facilities, courtyards to form small communities for instance, in order to generate a programmatic strategy for a simple living complex. After that, precedent studies in architectural scale are required. Development of design will be driven mainly by programmatic strategy together with the intervention of circulation system, structural strategy and materiality.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Theory reference:

– NIEUWENHUYS, Constant, “New Babylon – A Nomadic City”, written for the exhibition catalogue published by the Haags Gemeetenmuseum at Hague, 1974.

– KOOLHAAS & OBRIST,Project Japan: Metabolism Talks…,Consortium Book Sales & Dist, 2011

Technical reference:

– Shigeru Ban, Humanitarian Architecture, Distributed Art Publishers, 2014 – Operative Design: A Catalog of Spatial Verbs, 2012

Project reference:

– New Babylon by Constant Nieuwenhuys

– Nakagin Capsule Tower by Kenzo Tange Japan, 1972

– Paper Log House by Shigeru Ban, 1995