The world is amidst the largest refugee crisis since WWII, with over 65 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. This presents an array of challenges to both asylum seekers and host countries. From August through October, for example, nearly 3,000 South Sudanese refugees per day fled to Uganda, stretching the capacity of resettlement organizations to provide food, healthcare, education, and other services. Housing remains an especially difficult challenge. Nevertheless, the resettlement process in Uganda, which does not rely on a “camp-based” strategy, is seen as a global model. This course, therefore, seeks to learn from the Ugandan refugee resettlement model, including how land is acquired, how settlements are planned, how civic buildings and infrastructure are built, and, most particularly, how homes are designed and constructed. The greatest emphasis will be on analyzing existing spatial and structural prototypes and exploring alternatives. Work in the course will contribute directly to ongoing research and technical support in Uganda.

Image credit: UNHCR/F. Noy, “Matiop’s First Days as a Refugee in Uganda,” CC BY-NC 2.0