Saleema Siddiqui
Thesis Title:
KHWENDO KOR (Sister’s Home)
Project Title:
Placemaking for Afghan Refugee Women, by capturing the essence of a Hujra.
Location:
Afghan Basti, Taiser Town, Karachi.
User Group:
Afghan Refugee Women
Humans constantly experience the inescapable urge to be somewhere- phenomenological approach to place-making crystallizes this nature of human experiences and consciousness indicating the notion of place. Pakistan’s Afghan Refugee camps, after 43 years have transformed into informal settlements, with their own ecosystems. In the case of Karachi’s Afghan Basti, the ungoverned eco-systems; strongly govern the lives of its resident women. With no place to seek refuge in the refugee camp, they feel placeless. My thesis explores place-making by creating an opportunity and learning center for women, that helps reestablish inter-community bonds, while simultaneously giving them agency to reshape their lives.
Saleema Siddiqui
Architecture
Thesis Title:
KHWENDO KOR (Sister’s Home)
Project Title:
Placemaking for Afghan Refugee Women, by capturing the essence of a Hujra.
Location:
Afghan Basti, Taiser Town, Karachi.
User Group:
Afghan Refugee Women
Humans constantly experience the inescapable urge to be somewhere- phenomenological approach to place-making crystallizes this nature of human experiences and consciousness indicating the notion of place. Pakistan’s Afghan Refugee camps, after 43 years have transformed into informal settlements, with their own ecosystems. In the case of Karachi’s Afghan Basti, the ungoverned eco-systems; strongly govern the lives of its resident women. With no place to seek refuge in the refugee camp, they feel placeless. My thesis explores place-making by creating an opportunity and learning center for women, that helps reestablish inter-community bonds, while simultaneously giving them agency to reshape their lives.
Infograph- The refugees’ longing to belong and striving to question the status quo to attain something beyond survival.
Site Selection
Program
Site Appraisal
Design Strategies
A softened wall, contrasting the harsh straight lines of the basti welcomes the women, it curves into a naan shop that's by the women for the women. The other end flares to become a portal that juts out and reveals itself as the women are approaching from the market, inviting them in. The form raised on columns pushed back makes the form appear like it's floating, waiting for the women to transcend into their safe haven. There are specially designed brise soleil, with softened geometry and integrated planters, these allow for maximum wind intake while their spacing is relative to the level of privacy needed.
The larger portal guides towards a smaller one as the women walk through the dance of light amongst arches that curve to create a visual buffer from the outside. They feel comfortable enough to take off their burqa, while continuing to walk towards the framed view of the trees.
Plan - The primary artery is covered by an arched walkway, with a water stream continuously running along it. It connects all open spaces, and dining and carpet making functions. The close loop circulation increases the opportunity of chance encounters.
Perspective Section- The three introverted open spaces are physically and visually inter-connected. The terraces of the vegetable patch can act as supplementary seating steps for the theater. The open spaces on holidays and functions can be activated and utilized for festivities by providing space for hosting a large number of women.
Theater- Taking from the Hujra it serves as a place to learn, to teach and to entertain.
Right off the entrance is the locker room and the counselor's office. The counselor’s office is connected with a meditative court that offers privacy amongst dense vegetation and filtered natural light.
Section A-A’. The dining hall is connected to the play area to allow easy movement of children between the two spaces. Section B-B’. The sunken courtyard acts as a spillover space for the women working in the embroidery and weaving hall.
The communal dining baithak provides seating around a tree and on the floor.
The plinth raises up the way the cliff adjoining the site does. The top most level provides the women a view of the Eid Gah. For the first time instead of being surveilled they have the opportunity to keep the men under surveillance.
The embroidery and textile hall is a flexible open space that can evolve according to the need of the hour. With foldable doors that can open up to fully connect to the outdoors, whilst simultaneously framing the the work thats taking place on the inside.
