Dissertation Project: Hot spot or community?

HOT SPOTS OR COMMUNITIES?

From the Refugee Camp to Community Village: Case Study Lesvos, Greece 1

POLITECNICO DI MILANO, PIACENZA CAMPUS MASTER IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF MULTI-SCALE PROJECT

PROF: LLUIS VIVES 2

EVI KLIMOU AMMAR YASSER MANSOUR

“We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us�

Winston Churchill

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Abstract The housing of refugees is one of the most urgent issues facing Europe as increasing flows of people from the Middle East, North and Central African conflict areas arrive at the EU’s borders. Not since the Second World War has Europe witnessed such vast flows of migrants. Accommodating such flows of people in both temporary and permanent housing is a major challenge in the EU. With many countries under pressure to provide social and affordable housing for their own populations and varying national measures and perspectives on how to provide adequate housing for refugees, the European response is to date somewhat fragmented.

According to the UNHCR official figures in 2014 there were a total of 19.5 million refugees globally. This equates to a global refugee population just greater than the Netherlands! 51% of global refugees are aged under 18 years old and primarily originate from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia.

By June 2015 and according to The European Commission, 213.200 asylum applications were submitted within the EU. This is an 85% increase compared to the same period in 2014, a record year in its own right with 626,000 asylum applications. There is little doubt that 2015 will trump the numbers from 2014 and recent expectations.

Greece is facing an unprecedented refugee emergency with new record arrival numbers, whilst the congestion on the islands further increased.

The reception infrastructure, services and registration procedures are falling far short of needs. On all main entry points, substandard conditions result in serious hygiene, health and protection risks.

Major congestion of the islands – The increasing backlog in registration and the lack of availability of ferry tickets leads to major congestion of most islands receiving refugees and migrants, particularly on Lesvos, Kos, Chios, Samos and Leros.

Average daily arrivals almost doubled from 1,600 in July to 2,900 in August. Lesvos has received the highest number of arrivals, almost half of the total in Greece, 96,000 in 2015 (as of 28 August) with 1,500 average arrivals per day. Over the last days of August, at least 12,000 refugees and migrants have been present on the island.

In this context, the project explores the question of refugee accomodation.

It further explores means for the creation of a refugee community with a view to offering a design for such community. Features of this community reach beyond mere survival to include productivity and sustainability understood as neccessary requirements for discent living coditions. To this end, we employ modular design units which give flexibility for future expansion as well as easy and economical construction techniques. We design a Masterplan according to real population data that responds to the needs of the refugees for survival, education, culture while offering them opportunities for employment, an essential requirement for creation of a sense of common belonging.

Migrants (Economic): Persons who leave their countries of origin purely for economic reasons not in any way related to the refugee definition, or in order to seek material improvements in their livelihood. Economic migrants do not fall within the criteria for refugee status and are therefore not entitled to benefit from international protection as refugees.

Refugee: A person fleeing armed conflict or persecution. There were 19.5 million of them worldwide at the end of 2014. Their situation is often so perilous and intolerable that they cross national borders to seek safety in nearby countries, and thus become internationally recognized as “refugees” with access to assistance from States, UNHCR, and other organizations.

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Contents

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Description of the Refugee Crisis

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Description of the Hot-Spots

The case of Lesvos

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Theory and Inspirations

Site Strategy

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Masterplan

Architecture

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Construction Technique

Sunstainability

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Conclusion

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1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFUGEE CRISIS

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The Refugee Crisis in Europe International migration is part of a transational revolution that is shaping societies and politics around the globe. The old distinction between migrant-sending and migrant-receiving states is being faiding. Most countries experience both emigration and immigration (although one or another ofter predominates), while some countries have taken on an important role as transit zones for migrants.

Southern European states like Greece, Italy and Spain, which for a long time were zones of emigration, have become immigration areas. In addition Central and Eastern European Countries such as Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic, are becoming immigration lands. The Middle East and North Africa is affected by complex population movements. Some countries like Turkey, Jordan and Morocco, are major sources of migrant labour. In recent years, Afganistan has been a major source of refugees, as Iran and Pakistan.

According to the UNHCR official figures in 2014 there were a total of 19.5 million refugees globally. This equates to a global refugee population just greater than the Netherlands! 51% of global refugees are aged under 18 years old and primarily originate from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Turkey, Pakistan and Lebanon host the most refugees of all countries, with Lebanon hosting 232 refugees per 1000 population (in comparison Sweden hosts 15 per 1000 population). 86% of the world’s refugees remain in their local regions, staying in neighboring countries of the country they have fled.

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By June 2015 and according to The European Commission, 213.200 asylum applications were submitted within the EU. This is an 85% increase compared to the same period in 2014, a record year in its own right with 626,000 asylum applications. There is little doubt that 2015 will trump the numbers from 2014 and recent expectations.

The Crisis in Greece Greece is facing an unprecedented refugee emergency with new record arrival numbers, whilst the congestion on the islands further increased.

The reception infrastructure, services and registration procedures are falling far short of needs. On all main entry points, substandard conditions result in serious hygiene, health and protection risks. + Sea arrivals to Greece reduced to an average of 13,500 per week in January, from 22,500 in December. Numbers fluctuate from 0-5,000 per day. Service provision becomes inadequate when high numbers of migrants arrive and when onward transport to the mainland is disrupted causing temporary build ups to occur. Similar issues occur at Idomeni, where there are recurrent border closures.

Major congestion of the islands – The increasing backlog in registration and the lack of availability of ferry tickets leads to major congestion of most islands receiving refugees and migrants, particularly on Lesvos, Kos, Chios, Samos and Leros. Average daily arrivals almost doubled from 1,600 in July to 2,900 in August. Lesvos has received the highest number of arrivals, almost half of the total in Greece, 96,000 in 2015 (as of 28 August) with 1,500 average arrivals per day. Over the last days of August, at least 12,000 refugees and migrants have been present on the island.

+ The conditions migrants find in Greece are still mostly inadequate, whilst conditions further along the route have improved. + Selective entry procedures continue to prevent some non-Syrian, Iraqi and Afghans (non-SIAs) and those not indicating Austria or Germany as their destination from transiting through the Balkan countries. Smuggling along the route appears to be increasing. + Winter weather, coupled with insufficient lifesaving equipment, has resulted in increased fatalities at sea.

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2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HOT SPOTS

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The “hotspots”

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As it is depicted on the map, in Greece there are four main refugee camps, but there are also more hotspots, serving for the registration of the refugees and not for their accommodation.

Idomeni

The camps are located on the limits of the country, the east coast and on the borders in north Greece. There is also a camp on the port of Athens, where is the basic assembly point of the refugees. It is worth mentioning that all the camps are far away from the cities.

Kilkis

Kara Tepe

Pireus

“Refugees in Europe are living in conditions comparable to Nazi concentration camps”, a senior Greek politician has said.

The Greek interior minister, Panagiotis Kouroublis was visiting the Idomeni camp on Greece’s border with Macedonia. Despite being planned for just 2,500 people, the camp hosts around 12,000 refugees - many from Syria and Iraq - in wet, cold and muddy conditions.

“I do not hesitate to say that this is a modern-day Dachau, a result of the logic of closed borders,” said Mr Kouroublis.

“Whoever comes here takes several blows to the stomach.”

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The “hotspots” Typologies Idomeni “Living conditions are rough, food is often inadequate and thousands of children, many of them Syrians who fled the war, are missing out on their schooling. “

“When we got to the sheds, the place was full of hundreds of camping tents. There was no space between them and only a couple of corridors left for moving about. There are about 1500 people in this camp. Those inside the sheds are among the luckier ones, since a few hundred refugees are stuck across some train tracks, pitching their tents under a highway overpass.”

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Kilkis

Pireus Kara Tepe in Lesvos, is one of the biggest hot spots in Greece, hosting more that 600 refugees.

Syrians nationalities are sent to Kara Tepe, where they register with Greek authorities, have their fingerprints recorded, and after waiting one to two days, they receive transit papers allowing them to remain in Greece for up to six months. Other nationalities remain at the hospital in Moria, where the same process usually takes about a week.

“Mothers with small babies are being forced to sleep on the ground in make-shift tents, children and breastfeeding women are suffering from dehydration due to water shortages in some camps, and tensions are increasing as basic services, such as toilets and showers, are stretched.�

Kara Tepe

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3.

THE CASE OF LESVOS

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Lesvos Greece The most prominent landing beaches, on Lesvos’ northern shore, lie adjacent to an eight-mile, largely unpaved road that links the small towns of Molyvos and Skala Sikamineas.

Lesvos Cities Network

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Lesvos Roads Network

Agricultural Production The most significant agricultural product is the olive, in percentage almost 60%. The processing of the olives into olive oil, is the basic factor for the economical development of the island.

Lesvo’s economic development based on agriculture and food processing created a landscape with terraces and stonewalls, which is nowadays considered ‘traditional’. After some major political, economic and technological developments had reduced the competitiveness of Lesvos’s economy, population declined and landscape characteristics were degraded.

Despite the reduction of the productivity the last years, there is great potential for the further cultivation of the abandoned land.

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Urban Morphology

Topography

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Ravines

Urban Morphology

Mitilini

Most of the traditional greek villages, were created by the inhabitants by a spontaneous and without planning way.

Moria

That’s why, as it is depicted on the diagrams, the urban fabric is organic, expanded through the main roads.

The main caracteristic is the dens buildings, no more than two floors, and the inner courtyarts, that creating the sense of community.

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4.

INSPIRATIONS

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Inspiration Projects

Architects: Urko Sanchez Location: Tadjoura, Djibouti Project Year: 2014 Type: Humanitarian Client: SOS The Children, INTERNATIONAL

A - It is a medina for children – A safe environment, with no cars, where the narrow streets and squares become places to play B - It is a medina with plenty of open spaces – Public and private spaces are clearly defined. And in the private, the inside and outside areas melt, allowing residents to maintain certain outdoors living.

C - It is a medina with lots of vegetation – Where the inhabitants are encouraged to take care of their plants and benefit from the result 26

From the architect. Djibouti is located in the Horn of Africa, which suffers from persistent droughts and severe scarcities. We were approached by SOS Kinderdorf to design a residential compound of 15 houses where to run their family-strengthening programmes.

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Inspiration Projects

Architects: José Tomás Franco Location: Jordan Project Year: 2015 Type: Humanitarian Client: Children Refugee Camp

Using the ground “beneath your feet,” the Pilosio Building Peace organization, along with architects Pouya Khazaeli and Cameron Sinclair, have developed RE:BUILD, an incredible constructive system for building safe and comfortable structures in refugee camps. The system allows for the construction of temporary buildings of high quality through the use of wall panels formed with scaffolding and grids, which are then assembled and filled with gravel, sand or earth, creating well insulated interiors at a low cost.

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he contribution of them, also women, in assembling these very simple, quick and intuitive structures will ensure they once again feel in charge of their own destiny and future. The use of sand, the best natural insulator par excellence, a typical feature of the Syrian culture, will make the constructions economical.

The project has devised a basic framework for schools in refugee camps that combines natural elements like sand, typical items and accessories for construction like scaffolding tubes and, above all, the labour of the refugees themselves.

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5.

CONCEPT

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Strategy

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NATURAL MODULE

FORMING THE GRID

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The main road, connecting the site with the main villages of the east cost of lesvos, works as a barier for the intervation. Is a significant element as it is the main connection to bigger and more organised communities and is our intention to communicate and interact.

The topography was another element that form the block of intervation. It is about the first topographic curve after the see, wich creats a nice view to the see side, but at the same time is as far from the coast as the legislation pointing out.

INTERGRATING NATURE WITH GRID

MAIN VOIDS-URBAN CENTRALITIES SOCIAL SPACES AND FACILITIES

The enhance of community sense, is the key point in order to develop and evolve our project. Public spaces with social uses and character is esensial to achieve that goal. As it is more common in greek islands, the main social space of interaction is the central square, which is located in the center of the shetlement.

The second central social space, is attached to the main road, functioning as a commercial square.

The project will include social facilities to serve the needs of the refugees, like hospital, restaurant, information center and offices as well as a control tower to monitoring the see and the shetlement.

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INNER VOIDS SYSTEM OF COURTYARDS

NETWORK OF CONNECTED VOIDS

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Our intention is to creat an organic urban tissue, which will give the flexibility for futer intervations and expansions, according to the needs. The organisation of the units and the open spaces with the grid, provides the organisation following the standards of the shetlements and at the same time the complexity of urban villages.

Last but not least, is the system of courtyards, which gives the essense of the organic tissue of the urban villages. The courtyards are a part of the culture and the mentality of mediteranean communities, serving for the air circulation and social reasons.

VOIDS CLASIFICATION

TRADITION

MODIFICATION

CIRCULATION

FLOOR ELEVATED

A grid of solids and voids consisted of a central courtyards together with a serioes of voids hollowed out from upper floor used as balconies creats a plesant flow of open spaces with different levels of opacity and allows airflow throuhj the building.

MAIN VOIDS IN-BETWEEN VOIDS

SECONDARY VOIDS SUSPENDED VOIDS

DIFFERENT SCALE VOIDS COMPOSITION

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6.

Masterplan

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Project Data

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Stacking Principal (Compact Fabric)

Units Typologies

Units Placed to Form Inner Courtyard

Units Stucked together, forming structural hull arround the courtyard

By following the modul, several combined forms, forming a composition block with inner connected courtyaards and passages

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Composition of the Master Plan FIRST FLOOR/OVERLAPING UNITS

GROUND FLOOR/PUBLIC SPACES 42

GREEN SPACES AND GREEN ROOFS

COMPOSITION

Master Plan

Transition architecture between the ancient traditional Islamic urban pattern and modular compact urban fabric creating voids as common spaces and courtyards where private and public spaces interact but do not overlap, connected together to enhance social interaction and intimacy, interaction with your neighbors can play a crucial role as a therapy ¬¬¬in reconstructing the broken social fabric.

The proposal is a extensional flexible system and the resulting urban pattern works though the housing typology.

Flexibility reached with balanced modules giving a particular user’s needs for future extension.

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Master Plan Aerial View

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Architecture

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Ground Floor Plan

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First Floor Plan

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Sections

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Typologies

Single Family

Single Family

Collective (Single men)

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Single Family

Single Family

Single Family

Collective (Single women)

Collective (Single men)

Detailed Plans and Section

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8.

Construction Technique

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Construction Technique

Unit Composition Steel Frame+Mesh+Gravel

Fabric Composistion according to the module

Flexible for expansion, sepatrated structural system

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Unit Compisition

The idea is to use directly the earth “beneath your feet� as the material of construction. Here it happens simply by filling in between the provided frameworks for the walls by earth. The roof panels filled by the earth may also act as flower panels to produce groceries. This simple method corresponds to the local climate as well as providing a natural life cycle that prevents the earth from pollution

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9.

Sunstainability

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Domestic Water Irrigation System and Reuse

IRRIGATION OF LOW MENTENANCE VEGETATION WATER STORAGE TANK PERVIOUS PAVEMENT FOR RAIN WATER COLLECTION SOLAR HEATERS WATER TREATMENT DRAINAGE SYSTEM AGRICULTURAL USE

DRAINAGE SYSTEM DOMESTIC USE

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Rain water collectors and water treatment for domestic use.

Sun heat collectors for the heating of the rain water.

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Landscape Water Irrigation System and Reuse

WATER COLLECTED FROM THE PERVOUS PAVEMENT

AGRICULTURAL FILEDS

WATER STORAGE TANK

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Collection of the rain water using porous pavement and reuse for the self-sustainability of the urban and agricultural landscape.

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10.

Views

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Project Views

View from the courtyard in a typical residential block.

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View from the central square.

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View to the agricultural fields.

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For the implementation of this project, we would like to thank our professor Luis Vives for his guiadance and our families for their support.

A special thanks to Giorgia and her family and Thanasis for their precious help.

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