Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated urban areas globally. Due to environmental,
social, political, demographic and economic migration drivers still half a million individuals
are migrating to the urban areas annually. In this research the combination of seasonal
adaptable housing, affordable housing and high-density housing are investigated to reduce
impoverished people from moving to other areas. This research is conducted on the Surma
Riverbank, because while certain hazard-prone regions receive considerable assistance
from the government, erosion-prone areas, such as riverbanks, are often neglected.
Furthermore, the impoverished population living on the riverbanks of Bangladesh faces
significant challenges due land loss caused by erosion, which has left many without secure
housing.
This research aims to investigate the question: “How can environmentally driven migration
be reduced by implementing a high-density and seasonal-adaptable housing design for the
impoverished Hindu and Muslim communities living on the erosion-prone Surma riverbank
in Sylhet?” The methodologies, fieldwork and case studies are used to address this issue and
implemented in an Architectural Design.

This topic derives from my personal interest in the influence of hospital architecture on the health of patients. During my adolescent years, at the age of 17, I underwent diagnosis and treatment for Ewing Sarcoma at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (WKZ) in Utrecht. Throughout this period, my hospital stays were frequently in shared patient rooms within the WKZ. After finishing my treatment at the WKZ, I started going to the Prinses Maxima Centre (PMC) next to the WKZ for check-ups. There were a lot of notable differences between the WKZ and the PMC.
The primary distinction between the PMC and the WKZ was the reduced presence of patients in transit within public areas of the PMC. This might be, because of the segregation between the public and private spaces within the PMC. Furthermore, the absence of shared patient rooms is notable in the PMC. Every patient has his or her own room with a guest room included. It is interesting to investigate the influence of the patient room on the wellbeing of the patient, because a private patient room may have a different effect on children than on adults. Children undergoing illness may experience interruptions in the development of their social skills. While interactions with other sick children could potentially aid in coping with their condition, the provision of private rooms offers advantages in terms of promoting rest, hygiene, and privacy for these young patients.