Designing For Dignity

Bangladesh faces acute climate vulnerability, with rising sea levels, intensified cyclones, and accelerating riverbank erosion, displacing millions from coastal areas and into central urban areas like the city of Dhaka. As the city struggles to absorb this influx, informal settlements such as Korail have become critical arrival points: dense, self-built environments formed through necessity rather than formal planning. Although these settlements reveal extraordinary resilience, they also expose residents to unsafe, overcrowded living conditions that erode dignity and long-term stability. Designing for Dignity investigates how architectural design can support climate-displaced communities by developing modular systems tailored to the spatial and material realities of Korail. Positioned between humanitarian aid and permanent urban housing, the system aims to restore safety, agency, and dignity for displaced residents, offering a model for resilient and inclusive urban integration.