According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 4.8 million Syrians have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq since the Syrian Civil War began five years ago. More than half are under the age of 18. The average stay of refugees is 17 years—an entire childhood.

What is the place for childhood in the midst of survival? What roles can public space, design—and designers—play in the face of such overwhelming challenges?

For the past three weeks, Boston area designers have been working in collaboration with architects in Beirut to develop ideas for a schoolyard and community gathering space in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. The project will be constructed this summer. The initiative is a collaboration of design professionals and students in Beirut and Boston, in partnership with the Karam Foundation and SAWA for Development and Aid.

Please join a reception to thank designers and donors, spotlight the design ideas, and reflect on the ways in which public space plays a role in community resiliency.

RSVP

For more information, visit the BSA Syria Initiative.