Investigating interconnections between social considerations and architectural design parameters in post-disaster shelters

Abstract

• Shelter size strongly affects safety, health, and personal privacy outcomes. • Local material use enhances cultural acceptance and user ownership. • Spatial layout shapes safety perceptions, dignity, and cultural fit. • Comfort features enhance health and emotional resilience through ventilation and light. • Participatory design ensures socially responsive and accepted shelter solutions. Natural disasters increasingly displace communities worldwide, yet post-disaster shelters often prioritize rapid deployment and cost-efficiency over social well-being. Although existing studies have examined design and social factors separately, few have systematically explored how these domains intersect in shaping user experience and community recovery. This research addresses that gap by investigating the interconnections between key design parameters, shelter size, materials, spatial layout, comfort, and social outcomes including safety, privacy, health, cultural appropriateness, and community participation. Using a structured literature review and qualitative thematic analysis of 84 publications in NVivo, the study identifies consistent patterns that demonstrate how physical design decisions directly influence social well-being. Shelter size was pivotal, as overcrowding undermined privacy, dignity, and health; material choices affected safety and cultural acceptance; layout determined psychological comfort and participation; and environmental comfort supported resilience and emotional stability. By integrating dispersed evidence across disciplines, this research advances current understanding of post-disaster shelter design as both a technical and social process. The findings emphasize that participatory, context-sensitive, and culturally informed design strategies are essential to achieving shelters that support not only immediate protection but also long-term social recovery and dignity.

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