There are an estimated 26.4 million refugees and a further 45.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world today. Around half of all refugees are under the age of 18. The number of people being forced from their homes or countries has surged and is higher than it has ever been. If the current trend continues, one in every hundred of us will soon be a refugee. For many, conflict and natural disasters have ravaged all opportunities for a better future. Children are forcibly displaced, and educational facilities are routinely damaged or destroyed, in turn stripping any access to education. Children need a safe and appropriate place to learn so that their blighted lives can be improved. Yet, worldwide, alongside missing textbooks and school supplies, a lack of classrooms and fit-for-purpose facilities presents a key barrier to learning.
Flexible Learning Structures for Low-resource Environments
In 2015 the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, one of the largest global institutions in development and education, and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) partnered to combat this growing global crisis, by transforming how temporary learning spaces are conceived and constructed so that they can cater for out-of-school children. As part of the EAA Foundation’s work to provide the world’s most marginalised children with access to education, the EAA Foundation and ZHA collaborated to provide a safe, multipurpose and sustainable space for forcibly displaced children and their families. Thus, the first ZHA-EAA tent was created.
The tent can function as a learning space and offer the flexibility to become a community hub or a medical shelter. Its modular and flexible configurations make it adaptable to various needs and circumstances on the ground. Moreover, the ZHA-EAA tents can be adapted as shelters or temporary housing for refugees and IDPs, responding to the complex challenges of conflict, insecurity and crisis. The tent is already serving as an innovative solution to accommodate out-of-school children. Three ZHA-EAA tents are currently being used as schools for hundreds of displaced children in refugee camps across Pakistan, Syria and Turkey.
The ZHA-EAA tents are constructed using PVC fabric and aluminium, which offer numerous benefits, providing strength, flexibility and structural stability. This combination results in a durable construction that can withstand harsh environmental conditions. The materials are chosen for their ease of repair, allowing for simple on-site fixes if needed; they are also easily recyclable, reaffirming the tents’ sustainability. The durability and maintainability of the tents extend their lifespan far beyond that of typical temporary shelters.
Sustainability is a core aspect of the ZHA-EAA tents’ design. These tents are designed to be easily transported and reused, making them a practical solution for various humanitarian needs. The materials resist environmental wear and tear, ensuring longevity in challenging conditions. Furthermore, the tents’ modular design allows them to be redeployed as needed. For instance, once displaced communities return home, these tents can be used as housing or as makeshift workshops to support reconstruction efforts following natural disasters or political conflicts. The tents can be assembled using local labour, facilitating their deployment and reuse. This flexibility enhances their sustainability and ensures they provide long-term support to communities in need, adapting to changing circumstances and requirements.
Katara Village in Syria
The inauguration of the Katara Village in Qabasin, north-east of Al Bab in northern Syria, marks a significant milestone in humanitarian and developmental efforts in areas affected by displacement and conflict. This initiative – developed by the EAA Foundation, in collaboration with Qatar Red Crescent Society, and designed by ZHA – underscores the foundation’s commitment to providing education and shelter for vulnerable populations worldwide.
Katara Village, offering displaced families a decent life beyond the constraints of refugee camps, embodies innovation and hope. Constructed to meet the highest humanitarian and environmental standards, the village features educational, health and services facilities, offering a sustainable and inclusive environment for individuals striving to rebuild their lives amid conflict and displacement.
With four school units and a meticulously designed 175-square-metre facility, the village provides a modern learning environment tailored to the needs of displaced children. Developed in collaboration with ZHA, this educational space not only facilitates traditional learning but also serves as a flexible hub for diverse educational and community activities. Equipped with essential educational resources and designed to foster a safe, engaging and stimulating atmosphere, the classrooms symbolise resilience and underscore the transformative power of education in rebuilding lives.
Crucial aspects of the design were modularity and flexibility, enabling the tents to be deployed in anywhere, regardless of climate. To meet this requirement, the design team utilised low-emissivity PVC fabric with multifoil insulation for both the outer and inner membranes. This material selection ensures heat retention during winter and reflection in summer, making the structures comfortable in diverse temperatures.
The cavity between the fabric layers reduces solar gain, further improving thermal performance. PVC was chosen for its strength, its resistance to harsh environmental conditions, its lightweight quality and its cost-effectiveness. The material allows for simple on-site repairs if damaged, and it is resistant to rodents and insects, ensuring durability and longevity.
The structure not only offers a safe and adaptable space but also addresses the specific needs of various climates and locations. This design approach ensures that the ZHA-EAA tents can be used effectively in a wide range of contexts, providing essential resources for communities worldwide.
The design features an anticlastic fabric membrane, enhancing both structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. An innovative modular Meccano style assembly further ensures practicality and versatility. This approach allows for quick assembly and customisation, enabling the tents to meet immediate needs suitably. Additionally, several modular bays can be combined to create larger or smaller spaces based on specific requirements, providing a flexible solution tailored to diverse situations.
ZHA-EAA tents are currently being used as schools for hundreds of displaced children in Syria, Pakistan and Turkey.
‘At Education Above All Foundation, we believe in education as a catalyst for change and sustainable development. Katara Village exemplifies this belief, providing children and youth in need with an opportunity to learn and grow in safe and stimulating environments’, says Mohammed Al Kubaisi, EAA Foundation CEO.
The village comprises 30 ZHA-EAA tents, each protected with a unique fire-resistant, weather-insulating coating. The EAA Foundation’s pioneering approach to the education of refugee and displaced children in northern Syria is a blueprint for decent transitional housing for the increasing number of displaced people worldwide.Designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, these structures prioritise durability and portability, ensuring resilience in the face of adverse weather conditions and allowing for easy dismantling and reassembly.
Innovative Features
The ZHA-EAA tents stand out from standard shelters in several key ways. They offer unique features – advanced thermal perforamce, modularity, durability, sustainability and innovative design elements – that enhance their functionality and suitability for displaced populations.
One of the standout features of the ZHA-EAA tents is their superior thermal performance. This design ensures that heat is retained in the winter and reflected in the summer, providing a comfortable environment in various climates.
The tents’ modular design allows for quick assembly, dismantling and reconfiguration. This flexibility enables them to be adapted to different needs and environments. Multiple modular bays can be combined to create larger or smaller spaces as required, making the tents versatile for various applications, from classrooms to medical clinics.
Constructed using PVC fabric and aluminium, the ZHA-EAA tents are built to last. The materials were chosen for their strength, resistance to harsh environmental conditions, lightweight properties and cost-effectiveness. This durability ensures the tents withstand challenging conditions while remaining easy to repair with simple on-site fixes. Their robust construction extends their lifespan far beyond that of typical temporary shelters.
Sustainability is at the heart of the ZHA-EAA tents’ design. The materials used are resistant to environmental wear and tear, ensuring longevity. The tents are designed to be easily transported and reused, making them a practical and eco-friendly solution for various humanitarian needs. Additionally, the tents can be redeployed as needed, supporting reconstruction efforts when displaced communities return home. The use of recyclable materials further enhances their sustainability profile.
The ZHA-EAA tents incorporate several innovative design elements, such as the anticlastic fabric membrane, which adds structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. The modular Meccano style assembly ensures practicality and versatility, allowing quick customisation to meet immediate needs. This innovative approach provides a robust, functional and visually pleasing solution.
Overall, the ZHA-EAA tents offer a comprehensive, flexible and sustainable solution for displaced populations. They address the shortcomings of standard shelters and provide long-term benefits to communities in need.
