A Shelter That Grows With Its People
Evaluating Modularity in Refugee Architecture
Grecia Nunez
University of Arkansas
Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design Bachelor of Architecture with Honors
Capstone Prospectus
Title: A Shelter That Grows with Its People: Evaluating Modularity in Refugee Architecture
Author: Grecia Nuñez
Department: Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design
Institution: University of Arkansas
Research Question
In an era increasingly characterized by global conflict and protracted displacement, how can the design of temporary refugee shelters address the growing need for long-term use, balancing short-term emergency relief with sustained community development and individual well-being?
This capstone focuses specifically on modular shelter systems as one possible design strategy for meeting these dual needs. Through a literature-informed framework and comparative case study analysis, I investigate how modularity may enhance adaptability, cultural fit, and long-term viability in protracted refugee contexts.
Introduction: The Shelter Crisis in Protracted Displacement
In 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 110 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide. 1 These people are often victims of war, persecution, natural disasters, or environmental collapse. While global response systems have developed rapid shelter solutions for such emergencies, the unfortunate reality is that many displaced persons remain in limbo for extended periods. 2 The UNHCR defines protracted displacement as lasting five years or more, yet many cases exceed even that benchmark. Refugee camps that were designed to function for a matter of months often become semi-permanent cities in their own right.
In these settings, shelters designed for immediate survival are stretched well beyond their intended use, resulting in degraded living conditions, psychological harm, and a loss of personal and communal identity. 3 My capstone responds to this reality with a clear goal:
“To critically examine how modular refugee shelters currently in use perform in addressing both shortterm emergency needs and long-term human development.”
Rather than create a new shelter prototype in response to this challenge, I propose instead to develop a theoretical framework that can inform subsequent approaches to shelter design. I will establish this
1 UNHCR. "Figures at a Glance." United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2023.
2 UNHCR. 2024. Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2023. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
3 Crisp, Jeff. 2015. Planning for Solutions: UNHCR and the Search for Durable Solutions to the Refugee Problem. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
evaluative framework through the use of literature reviews and then test its applicability using a select case study analysis.
This capstone responds to the urgent need to rethink emergency shelters not just as temporary solutions, but as systems that support long-term stability, dignity, and adaptability. By evaluating three modular refugee shelters, the project seeks to understand how well these structures perform in real-world conditions, especially when displacement becomes a prolonged state. The goal is to identify what works, what can be improved, and what values, such as adaptability, cultural fit, and sustainability, should guide future shelter development. Design is treated here not just as a product, but as a tool for critical analysis and informed improvement.
This is a design research project that integrates qualitative analysis (literature and precedent-based evaluation) with a design-thinking methodology. It is not a creative design proposal but a structured, theory-informed inquiry into existing shelter systems.
Overarching Questions:
1. How can temporary refugee shelters be evaluated in ways that reflect both short-term emergency relief and long-term community development?
2. What role can modular design strategies play in improving the adaptability and longevity of shelters in protracted displacement contexts?
3. How do current modular refugee shelters support or hinder cultural integration, dignity, and resilience?
Background
Historical Context: From Tents to Settlements
Since World War II, emergency shelters have followed a predictable logic: they must be fast to deploy, easy to transport, and cheap to produce. 4 Early examples include military barracks,
4 Vernooy, A. D., J. O. Shanahan, and G. Young. Undergraduate Research in Architecture: A Guide for Students. New York: Routledge, 2021.
canvas tents, and prefabricated wooden huts. These systems were intended to serve populations for weeks or months, until longer-term resettlement or reconstruction could begin. However, the very notion of "temporary" shelter has become increasingly outdated.
One of the clearest examples is the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, established in 1991 to house Somali refugees fleeing civil war. 5 More than 30 years later, Dadaab remains active, housing over 200,000 people. Another is the Mavrovouni camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, where overcrowding, exposure to extreme weather, and lack of infrastructure have plagued displaced families for years. 6 What these examples reveal is a fundamental disconnect between shelter design and lived refugee experience. Displacement has evolved into a long-term condition, yet design solutions have not kept pace.
This mismatch has given rise to a growing body of work focused on long-term refugee infrastructure. Increasingly, architects and humanitarian organizations are experimenting with modularity, sustainability, and cultural sensitivity as core design principles. However, despite isolated innovations, no standardized evaluation framework exists to compare or critique modular refugee shelters holistically. My capstone addresses that gap by developing a structured method of analysis and applying it to three precedent shelters. It seeks not only to evaluate physical form and function, but also to understand the deeper human, cultural, and environmental implications of shelter design.
Shelter Design Precedents
1. The Maiden Tent
The Maiden Tent was developed by the Housing Innovation Collaborative as a flexible, community-driven response to displacement. 7 It employs a lightweight tensile membrane that can expand, contract, and adapt depending on need. It functions not only as private housing but also as a communal space. This design reflects an understanding that community and flexibility are just as important as shelter in times of crisis. The modular system is climate-responsive, and it prioritizes both assembly efficiency and occupant dignity.
5 Amnesty International. "Dadaab: A Refugee Camp in Prolonged Crisis," 2021.
6 Human Rights Watch. "Greece: Asylum Seekers Trapped in Overcrowded Camps," 2020.
7 Housing Innovation Collaborative. "Maiden Tent"
2. Better Shelter (UNHCR + IKEA Foundation)
Arguably the most widely deployed modular shelter, the Better Shelter is a steel-framed structure with rigid polymer panels and solar-powered lighting. 8 Its success lies in its scalability and safety, but critics have noted its poor thermal comfort, lack of modularity beyond the initial form, and weak cultural responsiveness. Still, its logistical innovation and wide global use make it a vital case study for analysis.
3. Weaving a Home (Abeer Seikaly)
This conceptual shelter draws on nomadic traditions and textile engineering to create a breathable, flexible living space. 9 Seikaly’s design proposes a woven exoskeleton that allows air and light to pass through while providing structural support. While not yet massproduced, it represents a compelling vision for how cultural symbolism and climate-responsive design can intersect in refugee architecture. Its ambition lies in its poetic and personal connection to the lived experience of displacement.
Each of these shelters presents unique strengths and limitations. The goal of this capstone is not to choose a "best" shelter but to develop an evaluation system that captures what works, what doesn’t, and what could be improved. This system will be structured around five key dimensions that reflect both practical performance and human dignity.
Approach
This capstone adopts a precedent-based, theory-informed methodology to evaluate how modular refugee shelters perform under the realities of protracted displacement. Rather than offering a new design, it proposes a structured framework for analysis that can be applied across a range of existing and future shelter systems. The project is grounded in design research and informed by architectural theory, humanitarian ethics, and spatial performance evaluation.
- Comparative Precedent Analysis: The foundation of this capstone lies in a rigorous comparative analysis of three precedent shelters. Each case study, The Maiden Tent, Better Shelter, and Weaving a Home, will be dissected through architectural documentation (floor plans, exploded axons, renderings), publicly available construction data, and visual records (photos, videos). Key elements include:
• Understanding structural layout and joinery principles used in each design
8 Better Shelter. "About the Shelter”
9 Abeer Seikaly. "Weaving a Home”
• Determining spatial logic, such as how modular components interconnect
• Evaluating the responsiveness of each system to site conditions and user behavior
This method ensures objectivity, consistency, and reproducibility in findings across each shelter.
- Theories: This capstone builds a theoretical bridge between humanitarian practice and architectural inquiry. The evaluation is directly informed by the following key texts:
• Le Corbusier’s Modulor, grounding spatial evaluation in human-scaled proportion. 10
• Jean Prouvé’s prefabrication principles, guiding analysis on mobility and flat-pack strategies. 11
• Frei Otto’s tensile structures offer insights into lightweight and adaptable spatial solutions. 12
• Kisho Kurokawa’s metabolism theory, emphasizing transformation and flexibility. 13
• Esther Charlesworth’s Humanitarian Architecture provides ethical grounding and evaluation criteria focused on community dignity and inclusion. 14
The heart of this capstone lies in evaluating modular shelters across five dimensions. Each dimension will be analyzed in light of architectural theory to ground observations in a larger disciplinary framework.
A. Modularity & Adaptability
Key Question: Can the shelter change or grow over time?
Theory: Kisho Kurokawa, in his Metabolist writings, proposed that buildings should function like organisms, capable of evolution and adaptation. 15 His capsule-based architecture suggests that modular design is not about uniformity but about transformation. In refugee contexts, adaptability is vital: populations grow, roles change, and shelters must shift with them.
B. Materiality & Sustainability
Key Question: What are the environmental, thermal, and logistical implications of the materials used?
Theory: Frei Otto’s experiments with tensile membranes and lightweight structures demonstrated that architecture can be efficient without being heavy or permanent. 16 Jean Prouvé's prefabricated structures used minimal materials to achieve maximum effect, emphasizing transportability and climate responsiveness. 17 These ideas will help critique how each shelter engages with ecological and climatic conditions.
10 Le Corbusier, The Modulor: A Harmonious Measure to the Human Scale Universally Applicable to Architecture and Mechanics, trans. Peter de Francia and Anna Bostock (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954).
11 Jean Prouvé, Building Better: Structures and Housing, ed. Peter Sulzer (Basel: Birkhäuser Architecture, 2002)
12 Frei Otto, Lightweight Construction: Natural Design, ed. Miriam Engel (Stuttgart: Institut für leichte Flächentragwerke, 1995).
13 Kisho Kurokawa, Metabolism in Architecture (Boulder: Westview Press, 1977).
14 Esther Charlesworth, Humanitarian Architecture: 15 Stories of Architects Working After Disaster (Abingdon: Routledge, 2014).
15 Kisho Kurokawa. Metabolism in Architecture. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1977.
16 Frei Otto. Tensile Structures. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1973.
17 Jean Prouvé. Architect for Better Days. Weil am Rhein: Vitra Design Museum, 2015.
C. Ease of Deployment & Assembly
Key Question: How quickly and easily can the shelter be assembled? Can non-experts build it?
Theory: Le Corbusier’s Modulor system, while best known for its proportional design logic, also inspired generations of designers to think in terms of repeatable units and human-centered scale. 18 Prouvé’s flat-pack designs further emphasized that ease of assembly does not have to compromise design quality. 19 These readings guide an evaluation of not only time and labor costs but also accessibility for displaced populations themselves.
D. Cultural Fit & Community Integration
Key Question: Does the shelter respect cultural and social needs? Does it allow for privacy, gathering, and personalization?
Theory: Esther Charlesworth’s writing on humanitarian architecture insists that design must respond not just to function but to identity, culture, and agency. 20 Shelters are not just structures; they are places of memory, ritual, and community. This lens is critical in evaluating whether a shelter provides dignity, not just safety. The evaluation will explore how each project fosters interaction, protects privacy, and supports the rituals of daily life.
E. Longevity & Evolution Potential
Key Question: Can the shelter transition from temporary to long-term use?
Theory: Kurokawa’s Metabolist theory returns here to emphasize temporal flexibility. A good shelter must not just last but remain useful over time. Charlesworth adds that longevity also means social relevance: a shelter must continue to support life as roles, communities, and environments shift. Longevity, in this context, is not merely structural; it is social, psychological, and cultural.
Each criterion forms a core chapter of the capstone and guides a structured, comparative analysis of the three precedents. In doing so, this project contributes not only to design critique but also to broader conversations in policy, ethics, and disaster response.
- Research Strategies: The overarching strategy for this capstone is a comparative precedent study. It evaluates three case study shelters using a custom-designed matrix organized around five criteria:
• Modularity & Adaptability: This is examined through the lens of Kisho Kurokawa’s Metabolism, where architecture is envisioned as a living organism capable of transformation. 21 Jean Prouvé’s prefabricated elements further reinforce modular thinking.
• Materiality & Sustainability: Frei Otto’s principles of lightweight design and natural structure guide this evaluation, emphasizing minimal material use for maximum spatial efficiency. 22
18 Le Corbusier. The Modulor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1954.
19 Catherine Coley. "Jean Prouvé: The Poetry of Metal." Journal of Design History 12, no. 4 (1999): 339–355.
20 Esther Charlesworth. Humanitarian Architecture: 15 Stories of Architects Working After Disaster. London: Routledge, 2014.
21 Kisho Kurokawa, Metabolism in Architecture (Boulder: Westview Press, 1977).
22 Frei Otto, Lightweight Construction: Natural Design, ed. Miriam Engel (Stuttgart: Institut für leichte Flächentragwerke, 1995).
• Ease of Deployment & Assembly: Le Corbusier’s Modulor serves as a guide to human-scaled proportions and simplicity in assembly, while Prouvé’s flat-pack logic directly informs rapid deployment assessments. 23
• Cultural Fit & Community Integration: Esther Charlesworth’s work on humanitarian ethics is critical here, focusing on dignity, inclusion, and participatory processes. 24
• Longevity & Evolution Potential: Again, Kurokawa’s ideas about dynamic architecture support this investigation into how shelters age and adapt.
These five dimensions serve as both design principles and ethical benchmarks.
- Tactics:
• Conduct a thorough literature review of architectural texts and humanitarian reports.
• Analyze architectural documentation (plans, sections, axonometric views) of the three selected shelters.
• Develop diagrams to study construction logic, joinery, and spatial adaptability.
• Build a comparative evaluation matrix scoring each shelter across the five dimensions.
• Use annotated drawings and overlays to highlight key insights.
- Delimitations: The project is limited to modular shelters that are deployable in semi-long-term contexts (6 months to 5 years). It excludes permanent housing and high-budget urban interventions. Geographically, the analysis centers on Kenya (Kalobeyei Settlement), Lebanon, and Greece—regions where the precedent shelters have been deployed or proposed.
Schedule
This capstone follows a structured 2-year timeline that aligns with my fifth and final year in the B. Arch program and takes into consideration my semester abroad in Rome during Fall '26. The schedule is divided into multiple stages: literature review, theoretical framework development, precedent analysis, visual diagramming, and final writing and presentation. Beginning in Fall '25, I will start refining my research questions and establishing foundational sources. Spring '26 will be focused on deepening the literature review and finalizing case study selections. During the Summer of '26, I plan to continue light remote work, preparing evaluation criteria and diagrams. While abroad in Fall '26, I will remotely analyze precedents and begin drafting theoretical chapters. By Spring 2027, will consolidate all findings into a final manuscript, presentation, and defense.
FALL 2025
• Revisit the capstone topic and finalize the research question
• Begin broad literature review and organize sources
• Identify potential precedent shelters and case study selection criteria
23 Le Corbusier, The Modulor: A Harmonious Measure to the Human Scale Universally Applicable to Architecture and Mechanics, trans. Peter de Francia and Anna Bostock (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954).
24 Esther Charlesworth, Humanitarian Architecture: 15 Stories of Architects Working After Disaster (Abingdon: Routledge, 2014).
SPRING 2026
• Develop annotated bibliography and theoretical framework
• Finalize shelter case studies (Maiden Tent, Better Shelter, Weaving a Home)
• Collect baseline architectural data and site information
SUMMER 2026 (Light Remote Preparation)
• Refine research goals based on faculty input
• Prepare early diagrams and preliminary evaluation criteria
FALL 2026 (Study Abroad Semester – Rome)
August–October 2026
• Conduct remote precedent research and architectural analysis
• Annotate floor plans, sections, and modular components
• Draft framework for five key evaluation dimensions
• Try to visit Greece for further Deep Dive Investigation
November–December 2026
• Begin evaluation of Shelter 1 and 2
• Draft introductory and theoretical chapters
• Produce diagrammatic overlays and construction logic sketches
SPRING 2027
- January 2027
• Complete evaluation of Shelter 3
• Finalize comparative matrix across all case studies
• Write the modularity and sustainability evaluation chapters
- February 2027
• Write chapters on cultural integration, deployment, and longevity
• Refine theoretical commentary and integrate with findings
- March 2027
• Receive faculty feedback on full draft
• Revise content and prepare oral presentation materials
- April 2027
• Final document formatting (Chicago Style) and submission
• Prepare for defense with visual materials and a summary slide deck
- May 2027
• Present and defend the capstone to the Honors Committee
• Submit final documentation to the Honors College and the Fay Jones School
By stretching the capstone across 2 academic years, I am positioning myself to deliver a thoughtful, wellsupported, and methodologically sound study on modular refugee shelters in protracted displacement contexts.
Annotated Bibliography
• Amnesty International. "Dadaab: A Refugee Camp in Prolonged Crisis," 2021. This report documents the ongoing humanitarian crisis at Dadaab, one of the largest and longest-standing refugee camps. It highlights the disconnect between short-term shelter design and long-term displacement, supporting this capstone's argument about the urgent need for adaptable solutions.
• Better Shelter. "About the Shelter.” https://bettershelter.org/product/ The official website for Better Shelter provides details on its structure, design principles, and deployment strategies. It serves as one of the three main case studies and informs the evaluation of modular shelter performance.
• Charlesworth, Esther. Humanitarian Architecture: 15 Stories of Architects Working After Disaster. London: Routledge, 2014. Charlesworth presents real-world examples of architecture in post-disaster settings, emphasizing the ethical responsibilities of design. Her framework for cultural fit and dignity forms a key part of this capstone’s theoretical foundation.
• Coley, Catherine. "Jean Prouvé: The Poetry of Metal." Journal of Design History 12, no. 4 (1999): 339–355. This scholarly article explores the material innovation and prefabrication principles central to Jean Prouvé's work. It provides critical insight into the potential of flat-pack design in refugee shelters.
• Crisp, Jeff. Planning for Solutions: UNHCR and the Search for Durable Solutions to the Refugee Problem. UNHCR, 2015. Crisp offers a historical and institutional context for UNHCR’s efforts in addressing protracted displacement. His work grounds the policy relevance of evaluating long-term shelter design.
• Frei Otto. Lightweight Construction: Natural Design. Edited by Miriam Engel. Stuttgart: Institut für leichte Flächentragwerke, 1995. This text outlines Otto’s experimentation with tensile and lightweight architecture. It supports the capstone’s evaluation of material sustainability and adaptability in modular shelters.
• Frei Otto. Tensile Structures. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1973. A foundational text in lightweight architecture, this book examines structural flexibility. Its relevance lies in providing models for climate-responsive, scalable shelter systems.
• Housing Innovation Collaborative. "Maiden Tent. https://www.housinginnovation.co/maidentent The Maiden Tent project is one of the three shelters studied in this capstone. The source provides details on its community-centered design, modularity, and deployment.
• Human Rights Watch. "Greece: Asylum Seekers Trapped in Overcrowded Camps," 2020. This report details inhumane living conditions in Greek refugee camps. It emphasizes the realworld consequences of poor shelter design, reinforcing the urgency behind this capstone’s inquiry.
• Jean Prouvé. Architect for Better Days. Weil am Rhein: Vitra Design Museum, 2015. This monograph chronicles Prouvé’s career and contributions to prefabricated architecture. It informs the analysis of flat-pack systems and ease of shelter deployment.
• Jean Prouvé. Building Better: Structures and Housing. Edited by Peter Sulzer. Basel: Birkhäuser Architecture, 2002. A comprehensive study of Prouvé’s work in industrialized housing systems, this book offers technical and historical context for evaluating modular design strategies.
• Kisho Kurokawa. Metabolism in Architecture. Boulder: Westview Press, 1977. Kurokawa’s text introduces the Metabolist philosophy of adaptable architecture. His ideas support this capstone’s theoretical lens on modularity and long-term evolution.
• Le Corbusier. The Modulor: A Harmonious Measure to the Human Scale Universally Applicable to Architecture and Mechanics. Translated by Peter de Francia and Anna Bostock. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1954. Le Corbusier’s theory of human-scaled proportion influences the evaluation of assembly, usability, and comfort in shelter design. It informs criteria for accessibility and human dignity.
• Seikaly, Abeer. "Weaving a Home.” https://www.abeerseikaly.com/weaving-a-home This conceptual design represents a culturally sensitive and innovative shelter. Although unbuilt, it is studied for its symbolic, sustainable, and community-integrative approach.
• UNHCR. Figures at a Glance. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2023. https://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html This source provides up-to-date statistics on global displacement. It justifies the relevance of this capstone’s research by highlighting the scale of the refugee crisis.
• UNHCR. Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2023. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2024. https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends A key annual report from UNHCR, this document provides quantitative data on the scope and duration of displacement, framing the urgency of evaluating modular shelters.
• Vernooy, A. D., Shanahan, J. O., and Young, G. Undergraduate Research in Architecture: A Guide for Students. New York: Routledge, 2021. This guidebook outlines research design methods specific to architecture students. It helps shape the methodology of this capstone, especially in precedent analysis and theory integration.
ARDS 315H3 - HON METHODS DESIGN INQUIRY
Grecia Nunez Arano
CAPSTONE PROSPECTUS
SPRING 2025