Bilkent College college students have accomplished a group middle for Syrian refugees in Hatay, Turkey, in collaboration with their professor Chen-Yu Chiu and his structure agency Studio Cho.
Known as the Taiwan-Reyhanli Heart for World Residents, the hub is constructed from 400 concrete blocks reused from the Turkey-Syria border partitions, making the construction each earthquake and bomb resistant.
It’s open to refugees affected by the 13-year Syrian civil warfare, in addition to residents affected by the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, with the intention of encouraging integration and easing tensions between these two communities.
“It was a hopeless place and I noticed folks affected by all types of difficulties,” stated Chiu, who can be the middle's director.
“We knew we may fail, however we determined to strive as soon as and do our greatest,” he advised Dezeen.
“We reused the concrete border partitions,” he continued. “On this context, army partitions have change into humanitarian partitions – partitions to not divide folks, however to unite them: partitions for shelter, not for borders.”
The Taiwan-Reyhanli Heart for World Residents consists of 52 standardized models going through Mecca and designed for numerous makes use of, together with sanctuary, play, worship and work area.
The concrete block partitions are topped by catenary roofs product of corrugated metal sheets, that are among the many particulars that take inspiration from conventional Islamic structure, such because the vaults of the Nice Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo.
In response to Chiu, the Taiwan-Reyhanli Heart for International Residents was developed in three phases.
Within the first stage, the workforce assembled the reclaimed concrete blocks on website and topped them with metallic roofs, taken from close by industrial buildings to hurry up building and scale back on-site labor.
“Mass manufacturing, prefabrication and website meeting had been the three pillars of our design and building strategy, guaranteeing the steadiness, aesthetics and effectivity of the embankment and roof constructions,” stated Chiu.
Within the second and third phases, the workforce constructed and developed the remainder of the positioning in collaboration with the displaced communities, offering them with on-site employment alternatives. This was a continuation of earlier collaborations with finish customers throughout the design course of.
“In the course of the programming and design course of – spanning three years – we engaged closely with each the Turkish and Syrian communities to search out widespread floor,” defined Chiu.
“This collaboration has enabled the middle to serve everybody and enhance the mixing and inclusion of society on website.”
Along with internet hosting refugees, the middle affords instructional applications, cultural occasions and employment alternatives.
“Below our administration, the middle supplies a variety of instructional actions for practically 2,000 kids and supplies employment alternatives for practically 500 ladies,” Chiu defined.
“As well as, the middle hosts a wide range of occasions to help displaced and deprived group teams.”
The Taiwan-Reyhanli Heart for International Residents is among the many tasks shortlisted within the Civic Challenge class of this yr's Dezeen Awards.
Different group facilities not too long ago featured on Dezeen embody Atelier Oï's Gong Music Heart in Cambodia and the Luanda Waterpoints undertaking in Angola by Portuguese studio Paulo Moreira Architectures.
Picture courtesy of Taiwan-Reyhanli Heart for World Residents.