Project description by regional jury

Combining the surplus of the global textile industry with the limited means of refugee camps, T-Serai (Textile System for Experimental Research in Artistic Impact) introduces a “cultural technology” to strengthen the ethnographic and environmental resilience of displaced populations. The project deploys participatory design and upcycled textiles for the creation of modular tapestries that serve as refugee shelters for displaced Syrians in Jordan. Inspired by cultural traditions of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, the tapestries can provide a better insulation of temporary settlements, preserve cultural memory and add aesthetic qualities to the refugees’ daily reality. Recycled jeans layered over emergency blankets can be used for mobile storage, or to set up colorful tents for social gatherings.

The project also aims to foster cross-cultural collaborations through the involvement of students from the USA, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates. In so doing, the multidirectional knowledge exchange between participants of different generations and backgrounds becomes the opportunity for self-expression, self-determination, and advancement of pluralism. The project draws its strength in blending two contradictory conditions of our society: the culture of abundance – partly represented by the textile industry responsible for more than 80 billion m2 of surplus garments every year – and the lack of livelihood of displaced people fleeing from conflict and disasters.

Regional jury appraisal

The Holcim Awards jury Middle East Africa found the way the project creates an “out of the box” humanitarian innovation from these two critical social, political and environmental issues to be highly commendable. The jury also appreciated the project’s support towards cultural resilience of displaced communities through the promotion of cooperative-based practices. Introducing cross-generational knowledge exchange, T-Serai acts as a bastion against the loss of the living culture, while offering opportunities for cultural expression, education and vocational training of refugees. All in all, the project outlines a culturally sensitive, socially inclusive, and environmentally conscious approach to humanitarian design.

Global jury appraisal

The proposal draws attention to the issue of refugee displacement by showing the difference that human-centered design interventions can make on the life of people who are forced to spend years in harsh, often dehumanizing camps. In this sense, the reuse of textile waste was considered as a true act of resilience, self-expression and self-determination. The colorful pieces of tapestry inject new life in refugee camps and at the same time revive the culture and the tradition of displaced communities. The jury found this project a “cultural technology” able to bring a creative and positive sustainable message that can be potentially extended to the building sector at large.