A competition exploration of refuge as architecture, a space where safety and serenity take form

Site: Utrecht, Netherlands

Jan 2022

Individual work

Winner of the Shifting Horizons competition, this design envisions a new typology of refugee housing, one that goes beyond shelter to create opportunities for integration, independence, and community. The concept draws inspiration from Piet Mondrian’s Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, reinterpreting its sense of balance and modular composition to organize 100 residential units (each approximately 527 ft²) across two levels (GF + 1).

The master plan strategically positions shared functions, including a market, public park, greenhouse, and parking areas, along the site’s urban edges to encourage daily interaction between refugees and local residents. This spatial organization supports both social inclusion and economic participation, allowing residents to earn income through greenhouse cultivation while supplying essential needs locally.