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Architect Samantha Lamisa The Venice Architecture Biennale, a platform for the broadest expression and understanding of architecture as a cultural and political commentary, is curated by Italian educator and architect Carlo Ratti. The theme of the 2025 edition of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale is “Intelligens: Natural.Artificial.Collective.” |
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Keeping the original theme in mind, the installation 'Born in a Camp' by young Bangladeshi architects Rizvi Hasan and Khawaja Fatmi has taken this tradition to an exceptional depth. Not limited to the story of the construction style alone, the project is an aesthetic expression of the reality, cultural identity and architectural expression of refugee camps from a social and political perspective. The young Bangladeshi architects are creating an opportunity to revisit architecture from a specific position, not only with their own position, but also with their sense of responsibility, commitment and sheer humanity, which Born in a Camp also offers to the world.
Born in a Camp is located in the “Collective” room of the Corderie di Arsenale. The exhibition is open to the public from 10 May 2025 to 23 November 2025. |
'Born in a Camp' installation (Image source: Ar. Rizvi Hassan) |
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The source and background of the ideology In 2017, over 700,000 Rohingya individuals escaped from the ethnic cleansing in Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh. The countless untold stories, the destroyed homes, the shattered future and the indestructible desire for an ethnic identity are largely hidden behind the harsh reality of the Rohingya people. Beyond the constant battle with life, their creative thinking and their strong determination to move forward in life despite adverse circumstances are largely unseen by the world.
Participation of Bangladeshi architects in the 19th Venice Architectural Biennale -'Bron in a Camp' installation (Image source: Ar. Rizvi Hassan)
"Born in a Camp is centered around the temporary reality, camp life, and memories. It is a mobile architectural entity, a collection of letters, memoirs, stories, essays and poems, through which refugees share their difficult lives with the outside world. The main idea of the installation is to create a temporary settlement in a place, to exchange memories and thoughts. It settles in a certain place for a while, then moves on to another place—this journey continues. So that people can understand how, even in the face of adverse circumstances, one can stand up again and be strong. How one can move forward even after a difficult experience, and practice creative intelligence until a suitable shelter is found.” |
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The original concept of the project was created by architects Rizvi Hasan and Khwaja Fatmi. Both of them have been working in the refugee camp of Ukhia-Teknaf for more than five years, through a renowned NGO in Bangladesh. Due to their work in the refugee camp, both of them developed friendships with craftsmen of different levels. In some cases, an exchange of ideas and life-style work was created. |
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Image source: Ar. Rizvi Hassan |
According to architects Rizvi Hassan and Khwaja Fatmi, “This installation was created in collaboration with some dedicated Rohingya artisans who still retain their creativity. They are not only artisans, but also thinkers, writers, and philosophers, representing the talent of this community. Each panel of the installation is unique, as they are made and designed by different artisans. Together, these diverse panels create a collective entity that teaches us a profound lesson from the makeshift camps: “Living in impermanence does not mean imperfection.” |
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Design Methodology and Construction The project began with the spontaneous participation of the architectural team and the refugees in the camp. Alice from Zimbabwe, currently a student at Yale University, joined as a junior associate alongside architects Rizvi and Fatmi. Several workshops were organized. In these workshops, everyone, regardless of gender, expressed their desire to present their personal expressions, experiences, future thoughts and stories of uncertainty to the world. Although both Rizvi and Fatmi have mastered the Rohingya language, drawing/sketching/painting was a universal medium to fully understand each other. The participants drew on paper their memories, pain and hope, experiences, in their own way.
In order to give this workshop a complete structure, Architects Rizvi and Fatmi defined three outlines: . This installation would be the vehicle for their storytelling. . It could be portable, since refugees cannot go outside a fixed space, i.e. the camp, so this installation would be the vehicle for their story — for example, a handwritten letter or postcard that people could read, touch, and write a reply to. . Or a story that could be packed in a traveler’s suitcase for travel. After a few days of familiarization with this outline, one of the participants (Jaber), a craftsman, came up with a prototype made of wood. It could successfully fold into a suitcase measuring 43 cm. x 64 cm. x 26 cm. long. This foldable structure later became the basis for the main construction. |
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Architectural Layout and Structural Expression The installation is made up of eight separate units. Each unit has 18 wooden panels or ‘chambers’. That is, a total of 144 panels come together to create a complete composition. Each panel is the size of a postcard and is meticulously crafted by an individual craftsman. As a result, the entire structure becomes a reflection of the multifaceted nature of life. Architecturally, an important aspect of the installation is its linear yet foldable structure. Each unit is arranged as a shoulder-mounted structure - standing on a core structure or spine and extending its structure to the adjacent levels. According to the installation plan, these units can take on different shapes in their interconnection - sometimes like a sculpture, sometimes extending like a road. This structure is both modular and immobile, and at the same time symbolic. Each level (Level 01 to Level 06) has a kind of architectural rhythm in their arrangement, which is a metaphor for the diversity and coexistence within the camp. |
Architect Rizvi Hassan, Architect Khwaja Fatmi & Architect Tarannum Mahmud |
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This construction process is not just a demonstration of technical skill, but also an exercise in human expression. It is a collective effort. Architects Rizvi and Fatmi, both brought up the original construction team and praised them. The participants were - Nurul Amin, Razia Begum, Shafiqul Islam, Md. Jaber, Khairul Amin, Aminullah, Faisal, Hussain, Nurul Islam, Noor Alam, Ali Zahar and many others. They are not just craftsmen; they are both keeper of memories and imaginative commentators who embody a philosophy. |
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Architect Rizvi Hassan, Architect Khwaja Fatmi, Architect Tarannum Mahmud & Architect Samantha Lamisa, representer of 'Sthapattya O Nirman' |
Letters, Dialogue and Response
The installation is surrounded by numerous letters - handwritten by people from the refugee community themselves, which visitors can read and respond to. In order to establish mutual communication, those letters will be returned to the refugee camps. This installation by architects Rizvi Hassan and Khawaja Fatmi is not just about the Rohingya people; it represents every refugee, rejected and affected person in the world - whose existence bears witness to the failure of today's global governance. |
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Expression of Aesthetics, Resistance and Identity The ‘Born in a Camp’ project presents architecture not only as a technology for building architecture, but also as a cultural, political and human existence. It creates an opportunity to showcase the strength and creativity of people born into adversity, like the Rohingya people, to the world. Architecture can be a field of human practice, not just limited to building infrastructure, where memory, respect and possibility - everything finds a place. Architecture can become a field of introspective dialogue between history and the future. The ‘Born in a Camp’ project is such a voice - where respect is spoken even in the midst of living in a hostile environment, where the roots of existence can be found even in temporary residence, or a box of stories can be taken out into the world.
Participation of Bangladeshi architects in the 19th Venice Architectural Biennale ('Bron in a Camp' installation) |
