Mobile School for Burmese Refugees | in situ studio

Burma is responsible for more refugees and migrants than any other country, and Burmese refugees living in Thailand are limited to leasing property. At any moment, Thai landlords can break their leases with these refugees, forcing them to leave the land and the structures they have built. To combat this reality, Building Trust International sponsored a competition for the design of a mobile school that can be relocated at a landlord's whim. 

Our design is made of a series of collapsable frames that can be easily demounted and rearranged to accommodate a change of location or growth in a community. The school can be erected in one day in a collaborative effort, with twelve people assembling the frames and small groups cutting and weaving bamboo on site. The school provides a center for the community and claims territory for sustaining the community's future.