Elpida Home

Elpida Home is a non-profit project that aims to transform an old factory into a warm, welcoming home for the refugees in Thessaloniki, Greece.

My role as a volunteer was to conduct research in refugee camps and to work in teams to design modular furniture and a playground to improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees.

Took on various roles in Art, Furniture Design, Carpentry, Research and Documentation.

DESIGN RESEARCH

Conducted design research in nearby camps to identify the real needs of people who have overcome extremely challenging journeys and are waiting for asylum in Europe. This research was essential for designers to have a deep understanding of the current issues and to come up with effective solutions that help improve the lives of refugees. Syrian and Kurdish people shared their stories with me over tea in their tents. These findings helped the Elpida Home team to design a warm, welcoming environment for the refugees to live in.

MAIN INSIGHTS

Kids want to have an area dedicated just to themselves so that they can play freely.

They give us tickets for food distribution and if we lose this small piece of paper we can't get food.

We miss our home, we have nothing to do here: no jobs, no hobbies... nothing!

A nurse comes in once a week, but we have no chance of treatment in an emergency.

Zeynep is a Kurdish-Syrian refugee staying in a camp in Northern Greece. She is just one of the many people who was forced to flee from their homes.

DESIGNING SOLUTIONS

Our team worked very passionately on turning the old factory into a safe, clean and welcoming living environment for people, rather than simply giving one tent per family under cold, unsanitary conditions. We understood the struggles these people lived through. So we designed a place that provided them with joy, comfort, and activities such as yoga classes, English lessons, sports, and psychological support. The place they live in had to be much more than just a tent.

I took part in teams that designed the playground, modular furniture, as well as taking on additional tasks such as preparing videos for fundraising.