Making Home. Zuhause in der Fremde gestalten

2017 – 2019 / 2 Years / Master Thesis / Köln International School of Design

After six months of Design research on the informal spatial appropriation strategies of a socio-politically suppressed Malian community in a migrant housing facility in Paris, I established a dialogue with four refugees searching for a new centre of life after their arrival in Germany. Within a series of participatory workshops in Köln, we attempted to compare and contrast their current housing and living situation with their past conditions in the home country they have left. What are the spaces to unfold oneself, which areas are open for creative freedom, and what are the limitations of these new homes of a rather functional architecture? Under my supervision and with the support of architect Heribert Weegen, the four men visualized their memories, aspirations and ideas over the course of five weeks. Subsequently, we looked at the possibilities of leaving the architectural restraints of their new homes behind. Are there any opportunities to design these new spaces according to individual needs and aspirations, memories and models? Our research was exhibited in a multi-perspective exhibition consisting of drawings, models, stories and design narratives at PASSAGEN 2019.

This Master Thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Carolin Höfler (Design Theory and Research) and Prof. Philipp Heidkamp (Interface / Interaction Design) and was supported by the research cluster Real-Time City, ArtAsyl e.V. and JACK IN THE BOX e.V.

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