Shape grammars and self-built refugee communities: The transformation from tent shelter to customized structure in Irbid Camp

Abstract

This paper presents research on design challenges in protracted refugee camps, where “temporary” shelters undergo informal transformations, becoming long-term homes and establishing communities. We develop a shape grammar to investigate this phenomenon, focusing on the evolution of refugee housing units in the Irbid Camp in Jordan from the emergency to the transitional and permanent phases. Our parametric shape grammar analyzes and describes the physical characteristics of these units, revealing their dynamic nature. The corpus of the grammar includes 10 diverse housing units that provide a range of insights and opportunities for refugee housing design and planning. The grammar builds a foundation for developing design solutions that mediate transformations and address long-term implications for sustainable and adaptive environments to anticipate self-build processes and better support evolving resident needs in housing layouts.