This book explores the themes of design and fragility and the nascent field of ‘humanitarian architecture’, analysing thirteen case studies of design responses to displacement, conflict and disaster.

With the number of displaced people around the world today totalling almost 100 million, the demand is now urgent for architects to respond to the design and planning challenges of rebuilding cities and landscapes destroyed by civil conflict, (un)natural disasters and poverty. Over the past decade, architects have demonstrated growing capacity in working with vulnerable communities globally, helping strengthen their resilience through designing and delivering low-cost housing, health and education projects for people who typically do not have access to design. Design for Fragility investigates this emerging cohort of architects, landscape architects and urban planners, exploring case studies of designers working in vulnerable geographic sites and communities across Africa, Asia, The Middle East, Australia and the USA. Examples include an SOS Children’s Village in Djibouti, Anandaloy in Bangladesh, Cobargo Santo House in Australia, and Gahinga Batwa Village in Uganda.

The book will be a practical and inspiring resource for architects, landscape architects, design educators, humanitarian and development aid agencies that are involved, or seeking to be part, of future disaster mitigation and reconstruction strategies and projects, globally.