Forced immigrants and placemaking: how the interior design of refugee homes impacts their smooth integration in host community

Abstract

This study investigated whether placemaking techniques were present in the interior design of homes occupied by refugees who moved to Oklahoma City after evacuating from Afghanistan in August of 2021, after the democratic government fell to Taliban forces and the United States Military was recalled from the region. The data collection process consisted of semi-structured interviews being conducted at the participants’ homes, after which a brief tour of the home was provided by the household heads. Additionally, each household head was asked to share photographs of their native home in Afghanistan during the interview, so that a comparison between how the interior design of those homes influenced the design decisions made for their new Oklahoma City homes can be conducted. A cultural liaison was commissioned to translate during the interviews, so that any language-related barriers could be eliminated from all sides. The identified placemaking methods and needs addressed by the participants demonstrated a clear and strong presence of a collective sense of identity among Afghan people. As a highly communal culture deeply rooted in religion and tradition, many aspects of the standardized housing units common for United States residential construction needed adaptation in order to accommodate the newcomers’ needs. Rather than approaching interior design from an esthetic perspective, the collected data suggests that the Afghan home design style is primarily focused on functionality despite overflowing with rich colors, elaborate patterns, hand-carved furniture, and dynamic textures – all pointing to an aesthetic focus. Due to the strong sense of unity and pride in the country and its heritage, each visited home paid homage to their homeland through an array of placemaking interventions, as detailed out in this dissertation.