Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh, 2019
Kutupalong is the world’s largest refugee camp, inhabited mostly by Rohingya refugees that fled from ethnic and religious persecution in neighbouring Myanmar.
Supported by humanitarian organisations, this community centre was designed to relieve tension between Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi host community, which has been sharing its resources for over two years. The aim of the project was to build a sharing platform that encourages connections between the communities and provides psycho-social support, training, case management, and knowledge sharing.
Local craftsmen and users of both communities were engaged in the design and implementation processes. Together they created patterns and painted the centre, and after construction curated a garden of trees and plants that are used for many of the centre’s ceremonies and daily activities. This sharing process has fostered greater tolerance, mutual knowledge and a sense of belonging.