DIANE
RHYU
TAYLOR

Working within the complexities of a dual humanitarian and environmental crisis, the Resilient Landscapes program was created to bring community engagement and environmental stewardship to the built response of the Rohingya refugee crisis. The pioneering program advocated for and built a series of architectural projects addressing environmental, social, and spatial challenges through multi-sector collaborative design research and implementation -- while most importantly, centering Rohingya voices. 

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The Resilient Landscapes team facilitated co-creation processes with women’s groups in both the camps and host communities. The Women-Led Community Center (WLCC) had been destroyed in a massive fire in 2019. To rebuild, we learned from Rohingya women who were users and administrators of the previous center. The women shared their needs and aspirations for the space, emphasizing the importance of air circulation, natural light, privacy, gathering spaces, areas for children to play, and a garden. 

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Recognizing the significance of memory in the rebuilding process, and in order for the women’s shared requirements and experiences to be integrated into the design, the community workshops incorporated exercises for remembering. A central garden, rare in the extreme density of the camps, embodies the results of the collaborative process. It serves not only as a place of  connection, but also supports ground water recharge and provides shade against the extreme heat. Perhaps most importantly, the center and its garden offer spaces where each participant might see themselves reflected.