This project studied the landscape and culture of Afghanistan, particularly that of the Wardack Province, to enable a sensitive design of new settlements for refugees returning from Pakistan after having fled their homeland during the war. Each settlement has a variety of housing and a civic center consisting of a mosque, a health center, a primary school, and a marketplace. A sense of community among people is important at any time, but it is essential for refugees returning back home. The goal of this proposal was to create settlements in which the driving force was this sense of community. Large town or city centers and more smaller, intimate neighborhood public spaces play a large role in the layout of the settlements, creating connections between those who live there. This encouragement of communication and interaction can be seen at all levels of the project (wider settlement, town center, neighborhood layout, housing typologies, and specific buildings such as the primary school).
Completed at Roger Williams University.
The location of the proposed new settlement (and subsequent livelihood needs) was determined by a thorough analysis of the topography and characteristics of the province of Afghanistan in which we were working. Our group determined that a new development which made connections and stimulated agriculture in the fertile valley and livestock rearing in the more rocky upper mountain terrain would promote independence and sustainability for the returning refugees
On a macro scale, the settlement was laid out with agricultural fields and farmsteads along the river in the lower valley, the settlement itself sitting on a gentle hill just above, and the livestock ranges with homes or daytime shelters for the shepherds in the steeper hills above
The developed settlement saw a variety of housing typologies and layouts. All centered around a civic town center, the housing ranges in arrangement and density. The densest at the top of the settlement are laid out around a common courtyard, creating private, semi-private, and semi-public spaces. The medium density are laid out in accordance with the prevailing topography, creating gently sloping streets as well as semi-private yards for gardening, washing, and cooking. The least dense housing is situated closest to the wide spanses of agriculture, and have the most land associated with them. This allows for those most inclined to farm to pursue their livelihoods
The civic center of the town is largely comprised of four major building, a primary school, a health care center, a market, and a mosque. The market was situated at the lower point for easy access to the farmsteads, while the mosque was situated at the highest and oriented towards Mecca. Along with these four buildings, open spaces for congregation and meeting were provided, along with trees to give shade and comfort in the hot and arid climate
Modular and sensitive to the issues of privacy important to the communities in Afghanistan, our housing typologies reflected the flexibility needed for returning refugees (single family, multiple family, and live/work-shop units), and the speed in which said units may need to be constructed (in keeping with the module, the units are proposed to be constructed out of SIP panels, both allowing quickness of construction, and the ability of the panels to be stacked in standard trucks for shipping and lifted without the use of heavy machinery). Other local materials, such as clay brick to construct the permeable courtyard and roof terrace walls, are also utilized.
While the settlement layout and the housing typologies were designed as a group, each member individually took on the design of a key civic building. My contribution was the primary school. Major considerations of this design were separation of boys and girls (still a sensitive issue in rural Afghanistan), natural lighting and ventilation, a balance of interior and exterior teaching and play spaces, a connection with nature, and a secure building in which the children would feel safe. Additionally, the school is laid out in the settlement's center so the main entrance and the pergola throughway are highly visible and inviting, deepening the connection of the school to the rest of the community.
The model of the primary school, with its indoor/outdoors spaces, connecting pergola, and design for natural ventilation.
A mock-up of a single family housing type, showing the range of private and semi-private spaces, provided both indoors and out.
