Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement

Shigeru Ban will design 20,000 shelters for a Kenyan refugee settlement.

After visiting the Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement in Kenya, Pritzker Prize–winning architect Shigeru Ban has signed an agreement with UN-HABITAT to design up to 20,000 new shelters for the site’s incoming refugees.

Shigeru Ban will design 20,000 shelters for a Kenyan refugee settlement. Seen here: Shigeru Ban emergency shelter designed for the UNHCR. Courtesy Forgemind ArchiMedia/Flickr

Ban has previously completed similar projects in Nepal, Turkey, Rwanda, and Italy to house displaced populations, demonstrating a skill for creating high-durability, low-cost shelters using eco-friendly building materials such as cardboard, wood, and recycled containers.