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Project Name: In-Between: T-Shelters for Urban Disaster Victims Student’s Name: Sakib Nasir Khan Project Site: Dhupkhola Field, Gendaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh Project Year: 2024 Supervisors’ Names: Dr. Asma Naz, Nayna Tabassum Head of the Department Name: Prof. Dr. S M Najmul Imam University: Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Award: Winner of ARCASIA Thesis of the Year 2024 |
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Dhaka became the capital of the Mughal eastern province of Bengal 400 years ago. Today, it is a mega-city with a rich cultural heritage preserved in some parts of Dhaka known as the Old Dhaka. However, due to its geographical location and unplanned urbanization, Dhaka ranks among the top 20 earthquake-prone cities in the world. Most of Old Dhaka is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and fire due to poor infrastructure, overcrowding, and non-compliance with building codes. Numerous structures in Old Dhaka may become uninhabitable following a large-scale catastrophe, necessitating urgent disaster relief (DR) sheltering for affected families. RAJUK has suggested emergency sheltering for such disaster victims inside undamaged public school buildings and in the government's parks or playgrounds without providing detailed guidelines for DR sheltering in Dhaka. |
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This project aims to address this critical gap and develop an efficient T-sheltering (both temporary and transitional sheltering) system as a post-disaster crisis response within an urban open space (Dhupkhola field) for up to two years with essential facilities. In this case, the residents of Sutrapur and Gendaria Thana have been chosen. The system can be replicated in other public parks or playgrounds. Funded by the government and humanitarian organizations, the design ensures the field is prepared to shelter people when necessary and can resume its original functions afterward. It also includes therapeutic social spaces to aid recovery, setting a precedent for future similar initiatives. |
Design Considerations |
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Design Consideration: A mixed-methods approach was used to develop the design proposal, involving field surveys, interviews with experts, and questionnaire surveys. The background study reviewed scholarly papers on urban disaster management, shelters, and Old Dhaka's vulnerabilities. Observations and site visits identified a vulnerable area, and interviews with nearly 100 individuals provided insights into local living patterns and disaster preparedness. The Dhupkhola field was chosen as a suitable shelter site. |
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Relevant case studies and international humanitarian standards, including the UNHCR Emergency Handbook, Sphere Handbook, and Bangladesh Shelter Cluster Guidelines, were analyzed to develop a design sensitive to local needs while aligning with global practices. |
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The proposed modular shelters offer a transformative solution for disaster relief in Old Dhaka, focusing on rapid deployment in urban open spaces. The project also promotes community resilience and recovery by identifying needs and constraints, developing adaptable shelter prototypes, and using locally available materials while considering climatic factors. The design integrates Old Dhaka's unique socio-cultural norms and intangible heritage to ensure the community's swift recovery. Features include soft-paved paths around clusters and a hierarchy of shared social spaces connected by walkways, inspired by Sutrapur's existing lanes and interaction zones to preserve the community's strong emphasis on social interaction, vital to their recovery process. Balancing international shelter standards with the requirement to accommodate the predicted number of affected within the 4-acre Dhupkhola field is a key challenge. Nevertheless, the community's adaptive habits and resilience offer a promising foundation for recovery. |
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The site is designed to always be prepared for emergencies, including ramps for emergency vehicles that are restricted during normal days (Pre-disaster Phase). After a major disaster, "Emergency Phase 1" begins by installing a temporary medical unit and dividing the site into blocks with marked 3ft X 3ft grids, followed by a central 15 ft-wide road constructed from ready-made concrete blocks. The existing concrete way on the four sides of the field will be connected with a concrete-block emergency vehicular road, which will carry shelter materials during installation and an ambulance if needed. These roads divide the site into four blocks. The sizes of the blocks may vary based on the central gathering field where the temporary multipurpose hall will later be installed with GI pipes and tarpaulins. The temporary multipurpose hall can be converted to any shape within a few hours, according to its needs. Each block will have an internal courtyard surrounded by spaces for kitchens to be built later.
After 2-3 days, the planned settlement area will be marked for installation in "Emergency Phase 2." Lavatories will be installed in the designated locations.
In "Emergency Phase 3," the available spots on the field will be used for temporary shelters (tents). When all the materials for transitional shelters are gathered, the volunteers and authorities will start assembling the designed shelters. Additional facilities such as a kitchen, office, cluster storage, bin, and rainwater harvesting system will be incorporated as residents move into transitional shelters within a day. |
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Design Brief: The clustering system meets most of SPHERE's and UNHCR's health, sanitation, WASH facilities, and shelter standards, making it suitable for densely populated disaster-affected areas. In Dhupkhola, only seasonal vegetables, potted plants, shrubs, etc., will be permitted in designated locations such as the introvert courtyard or beside the pedestrian soft-pave. The master plan exhibits a hierarchy of community spaces. The ROWAK (porch), acting as the foyer, will function as the smallest gathering space of a shelter, leading to the introverted courtyards of a single shelter of 5 units, the smallest green space. Then, it is connected to the common green space surrounded by the kitchens of 2 or 4 clusters. These areas are designed for children to play under parents' (especially mothers') supervision. A generative design algorithm is used with the shelter standards as parameters to generate multiple clustering arrangement options with two major types of shelters. It prioritizes daylight, cross ventilation, and semi-private courtyards for each shelter, with minimum circulation to service areas (kitchen, toilet). Flexible and efficient use of interior space is emphasized, focusing on privacy and security, and the shelters' facades are designed with sliding window panels to minimize the space required for window operation. |
Exploded Axonometric View of a Single Unit |
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The shelters utilize modular, lightweight, cost-effective materials readily available in the local market, such as schedule 80 industrial-grade uPVC pipe structures, Jutin (jute composite corrugated sheet), a bamboo mat facade, and a fiber cement-board floor. The base structure under the floor can be made of GI pipe scaffolding for variable live loads. Most materials can be reused or recycled. |
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It is a process rather than a product. While tailored to its specific site, the research methodology can be adapted globally, making this project a potential model for enhancing resilience in similar urban contexts. By addressing all the challenges with sensitivity to functional needs and local dynamics, this project offers hope to affected communities. It will inspire similar disaster relief initiatives worldwide, demonstrating a scalable and context-sensitive approach to urban disaster sheltering. |
Sectional Perspective |
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Jury Comments: "The need for such designs, the in-depth research backing the design, the design process that covered so many dimensions, the amount of work and details, and the drawings: all together, the project presentation was a complete package. Although hypothetical, the project is very relevant to Dhaka's context and can be replicated even in other places. The resale value of the materials used in this design will be much higher than my assumed 50%. Relevant stakeholders need to be approached to take such initiatives." |
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Kitchen and Block's Central Courtyard during Construction and Assembly Phase |
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Perspective View of one half cluster towards another |
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| Contributor: Ar. Faiza Fairooz |
