Prefab Design, (Bangladesh)
Updated: May 19, 2025
In this project, I acted as an independent architectural and design consultant to develop a prefabricated shelter solution for the Cox’s Bazar Refugee Camp in Bangladesh—the largest refugee camp in the world, home to over 650,000 displaced Rohingya people fleeing violence in Myanmar. The camp is defined by extreme constraints. Bangladesh law prohibits permanent structures, despite the camp’s protracted existence now exceeding several years. The site presents additional environmental challenges: steep, unstable terrain, severe wet seasons that caused initial valley settlements to flood, and subsequent terracing of the hillsides which later collapsed due to poor stabilization. Moreover, the camp faces ongoing fire risks due to the prevalence of shelters built from highly flammable, locally available bamboo. In response, this design proposed a prefabricated system utilising lightweight steel components manufactured in New Zealand. The system is designed for rapid assembly using basic tools and minimal instruction, ensuring accessibility for non-specialist builders within the camp. The modular steel frame is intended to be clad in found or locally sourced materials, supporting adaptability while reducing reliance on combustible materials. The design provides a safer, more durable, and context-appropriate shelter option within the constraints of temporary status and local law.
