Case Study: UNHCR achieves faster, cost-effective transitional shelters with Graphisoft Archicad

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - Customer Case Study

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched a test project in Syria to create temporary transitional shelters using earth-bag construction, but needed a way to communicate and refine a simple, unfamiliar building concept and manage work with largely unskilled labor. Graphisoft’s Archicad was used by architect Anas Aljbain to design the shelters and present the project clearly from the early stages.

Graphisoft helped enable visual design feedback and 3D documentation, making it easier to demonstrate the final look and construction details of the shelters. The solution supported faster build planning and clearer communication for workers; a 44 m² shelter could be completed in about two weeks by seven unskilled laborers, or in four days by six skilled laborers without finishes, while the broader design aimed to reduce housing and WASH infrastructure costs.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)