Hindsight 20/20: Architectural Exploration of Empathy for Refugees in a Design Solution

Abstract

When Albert Einstein said, "A bundle of belonging isn't the only thing a refugee brings to his new country", he must have meant it in the most literal sense because, he was a refugee, Sigmund Freud was a refugee, Madeleine Albright & Henry Kissinger both former U.S Secretaries of States were refugees. The way we treat these names today should help us find the positive in Hindsight and support refugees overcome their trauma and help harness the skills and talents they possess to make the world a better place. This thesis project intents to do just that-Design and Build a facility that is unique in nature yet functional in every aspect of a refugee rehabilitation and development process. Over the years Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) has made North Dakota home to thousands of refugees from around the world, notably Bosnia, Burundi, Bhutan, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and of lately Afghanistan and Ukraine. Like other States that have resettled refugees, the narrative of the local social fabric is slightly changing to reflect cultures from other parts of the world. In Fargo for instance where the largest number of refugees resettled, the racial dynamics is readily visible, and you can hardly walk into a grocery store today and not see a refugee or someone related to a refugee. They speak English with accent or no English at all but, they do possess skills, talents and trades that are either acquired formally or informally in languages other than English. If all these could be harness and used, both refugees and the host community would benefit simultaneously. The question this project seeks to answer therefore is, "How can Architecture as a design profession be used to play the role of a good neighbor who not only welcomes refugees and make them feel safe and at home but, goes a step further and assist refugees establish small businesses within the community even without mastering the language. This thesis research will expose the level of skills and talents that refugees possessed, while creating an opportunity for growth of small business sectors within the refugee community. The "Refugees Center and Small business Incubator" will focus on developing refugee talents and skills, healing trauma, while establishing a sense of purpose, and a run for a second chance at life.