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Portland State University student Nada Maani sees architects playing a role in addressing a humanitarian crisis.

This notion inspired Maani’s final thesis project before she graduated this month with a master’s degree in architecture. She explored architectural interventions to make Syrian refugee camps in Jordan more child-friendly.

鈥淚 kind of saw that architecture can add to that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s not just humanitarian aid; architects can add to the solution. I would argue that there is a need for architects in these situations.鈥�

The subject of Syrian refugee camps resonated personally with Maani, who is originally from Amman, Jordan.

鈥淚 feel there should be a different way of dealing with refugee camps,鈥� she said. 鈥淭ransforming those camps into livable cities, that’s my ultimate goal.鈥�

The project also tied into Maani’s desire to pursue a career in public interest design, where architects offer their services to serve the common good.

鈥淚 knew I wanted to design to engage the community,鈥� she said.

This fall, Maani, 23, will be among four PSU School of Architecture graduates who earn a certificate in public interest design. The students will be the first ones to receive the certificate since the university’s Center for Public Interest Design established the program earlier this year. Maani’s passion for architecture as a means to improve communities makes her ideally-suited for a career in public interest design, said B.D. Wortham-Galvin, a PSU assistant architecture professor and faculty fellow with the Center for Public Interest Design.

鈥淎rchitecture is not about buildings, but about people 鈥� and that’s what her thesis is about,鈥� Wortham-Galvin said. 鈥淪he is very much inspired by the architects who have alternative practice. She certainly represents this next generation who are taking this new approach to architecture.鈥�

Camp visits inspire designs

To prepare for her thesis project, Maani knew she’d have to see firsthand the living conditions in the Jordanian camps housing thousands of refugees fleeing a civil war in Syria. While in Jordan visiting her family, Maani arranged two visits to a Syrian refugee camp with the help of friends working for nongovernmental organizations.

She studied how the nearly 85,000 Syrians living in the Zaatari refugee camp near the Jordan-Syria border had already transformed the shipping container-like housing units delivered there by the United Nations. This included arranging the prefabricated structures around a central courtyard as is typical of housing in Syria, and adding canopies and other modifications to create a commercial district with approximately 3,000 shops 鈥� similar to the bazaars that are commonplace in the country.

鈥淭hey transform them into restaurants and businesses,鈥� Maani said. 鈥淚t was really inspirational to see the Syrians’ resilience.鈥�

Maani wasn’t allowed to take photographs on her visits. Instead she relied on a sketchbook.

鈥淎s soon as I left the camp I had my journal and I would write everything I saw and I would draw everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s called my 鈥榬efuge diaries.’ 鈥�

Using these observations from her visits to the camp, Maani created designs to enhance the existing housing and commercial areas using materials readily available in the camp. She focused those improvements on serving children, who make up about half of the camp’s residents.

鈥淩eally the essence of my project is to create spaces for children 鈥� and primarily female children because they are the most at risk,鈥� Maani said.

In her research, she learned that only about half of the camp’s residents younger than 18 attend school; the others stay home because their parents are afraid for their safety.

鈥淭hey call the children 鈥榯he lost generation,’ 鈥� she said.

With the prevalence of prostitution, rape and drug dealing in the camp, the parents of young girls are especially wary, Maani said.

鈥淭hey don’t want their daughter on the street,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s coming from a place of love.鈥�

In her thesis project, Maani designed modifications to the camp’s existing structures to create interior spaces for children to play with adjoining areas where their mothers can congregate.

鈥淚t creates a public realm that doesn’t exist yet,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he idea is to create a separate ground level, and that space is for the women and children 鈥� The key to getting children to use the space is getting their mothers to go there.鈥�

Maani placed those spaces near the public shopping areas in a way that was inspired by the traditional layout of Syrian cities. To separate the spaces, her designs use screens, a common feature in Syrian architecture that provides a sense of privacy but also views to the outside.

鈥淚 was trying to learn from the language in Syria,鈥� Maani said. 鈥淭here is that in-between space between the public and private. That’s a very significant space, especially for children.鈥�

Her experience growing up in Jordan and familiarity with Syria from travels there helped inform her design decisions.

鈥淪yrian and Jordanian culture are quite similar,鈥� Maani said. 鈥淚 was trying to keep in mind the lessons I learned by studying the physical architecture in Syria.鈥�

Interest in border regions

This summer, Maani will serve as an intern for La Jolla, Calif-based architect . The three-month internship will satisfy the fieldwork requirement to earn a public interest design certificate from PSU.

Cruz is known for his design work to improve the living conditions along the U.S.-Mexican border between the cities of San Diego and Tijuana. Maani said working for him will tie into her own interests in border regions and her thesis project exploring the Syrian refugee crisis and the impacts on neighboring Jordan.

鈥淚’m very interested in margins of countries and the political tension that exists there,鈥� she said.

Maani said she hopes to make work enhancing refugee camps and other marginalized communities a major part of her career in architecture. She credits the PSU architecture school’s emphasis on public interest design for inspiring this goal.

鈥淚 think now that it’s being incorporated into the education it will transform the profession more,鈥� Maani said.

Wortham-Galvin said Maani represents a major shift among students graduating from architecture school seeking to build careers in public interest design.

鈥淪he is one of those people leading architectural practice in a different direction,鈥� Wortham-Galvin said. 鈥淚 would not be surprised if in 10 years we’re talking about her significant contribution to the field.鈥�