Disciplines
Architectural History and Criticism | Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis | Historic Preservation and Conservation | Other Architecture
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Every day, thousands of people are forced to flee their homes escaping war, disaster, and instability. What begins as a temporary refuge often becomes a lifetime condition. In Ethiopia, over 4.6 million refugees live within this state of protracted displacement, with more than one-fourth arriving from Sudan after the 2023 conflict. Most remain in remote, rural camps along border regions far from the educational, economic, and social opportunities of the city. These spatial and social divides reinforce dependency, limit access to livelihood, and erode personal dignity. Yet proximity to urban infrastructure could offer a pathway toward belonging, participation, and long-term resilience.This thesis asks: How can refugee settlements be re-envisioned as adaptive, biophilic, and semi-permanent communities that promote healing, education, and livelihood? Centered in Akaki–Kality, a transitional district on the southern edge of Addis Ababa,Ethiopia the project proposes a new model for urban-accessible refugee living. Through biophilic design principles, it reframes the refugee camp as a living system composed of adaptive housing clusters, wellness and learning centers, and shaded courtyards that connect people through ecology and community. Using precedent analysis and qualitative research, the study investigates how architecture can merge environmental systems, material adaptability, and human-centered design to create places of belonging rather than containment. Ultimately, this project envisions displacement not as isolation, but as integration where architecture becomes a catalyst for ecological restoration, social empowerment, and collective healing. It positions design as a bridge between humanitarian relief and long-term urban development, transforming the refugee camp from a symbol of crisis into a framework for regeneration.
Keywords: refugee architecture, adaptive design community integration, urban accessibility, displacement, biophilic design
*Portions of this abstract were developed with the assistance of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, which was used solely to outline and organize the structure of the text. All final content, revisions, and ideas were written, verified, and approved by the author.*
Use of AI Disclaimer
yes
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CACM – Architecture
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Robin Pottock
Included in
Architectural History and Criticism Commons, Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis Commons, Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons, Other Architecture Commons
Adaptive Refuge: Reimagining Biophilic Settlements for Sudanese Refugees in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Every day, thousands of people are forced to flee their homes escaping war, disaster, and instability. What begins as a temporary refuge often becomes a lifetime condition. In Ethiopia, over 4.6 million refugees live within this state of protracted displacement, with more than one-fourth arriving from Sudan after the 2023 conflict. Most remain in remote, rural camps along border regions far from the educational, economic, and social opportunities of the city. These spatial and social divides reinforce dependency, limit access to livelihood, and erode personal dignity. Yet proximity to urban infrastructure could offer a pathway toward belonging, participation, and long-term resilience.This thesis asks: How can refugee settlements be re-envisioned as adaptive, biophilic, and semi-permanent communities that promote healing, education, and livelihood? Centered in Akaki–Kality, a transitional district on the southern edge of Addis Ababa,Ethiopia the project proposes a new model for urban-accessible refugee living. Through biophilic design principles, it reframes the refugee camp as a living system composed of adaptive housing clusters, wellness and learning centers, and shaded courtyards that connect people through ecology and community. Using precedent analysis and qualitative research, the study investigates how architecture can merge environmental systems, material adaptability, and human-centered design to create places of belonging rather than containment. Ultimately, this project envisions displacement not as isolation, but as integration where architecture becomes a catalyst for ecological restoration, social empowerment, and collective healing. It positions design as a bridge between humanitarian relief and long-term urban development, transforming the refugee camp from a symbol of crisis into a framework for regeneration.
Keywords: refugee architecture, adaptive design community integration, urban accessibility, displacement, biophilic design
*Portions of this abstract were developed with the assistance of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, which was used solely to outline and organize the structure of the text. All final content, revisions, and ideas were written, verified, and approved by the author.*