Bring Light to Gaza. An exploration of solar and ecologically-sensitive light programs for the Deir al-Balah refugee camp

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IN

DEGREE PROJECT ARCHITECTURE,

SECOND CYCLE, 15 CREDITS ,

STOCKHOLM SWEDEN 2020

Bring Light to Gaza

An exploration of solar and ecologically-sensitive

light programs for the Deir al-Balah refugee camp

ABIGAIL BENOUAICH

KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

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TRITA TRITA-ABE-MBT-20151

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How the brain works

How the body moves

How the site conditions mood

How the realm conveys the rules

How context shapes experience

How fears multiply and disappear

How the fireflies survive

Dr. Linnaea Tillett, Ph.D. [24]

Acknowledgements

In the face of the Covid-19 global pandemic, we are now seeing two environmental crises

merge and blur, and ‘the concept of environmental dignity has the freshest of applications’[24].

Looking with horror at events in Gaza, where the blockade with Israel has led to forced

mar-ginalisation, strained resources, violence, suffering and humiliation.

This thesis is dedicated to Gaza’s two million people whom are fighting for their lives—across

borders—looking for safe shelter but ending in camps without dignity and with no choice but

to adapt. ‘Yet life and culture in the camps exists, and should be understood, beyond suffering

and marginalisation’[13].

I would like to thank the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), solar energy

com-panies LittleSun and SunBox, Norwegian Architect Liv Framgard, Israeli Lighting Designer

Hanan Peretz, and American Artist Liana Finck for their invaluable contribution to this project.

[13] Petti, Alessandro (2019) ‘Permanent Temporariness’ Art and Theory Publishing

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KTH Royal Institute of Technology Course Code - AF270X II Degree Project

Architectural Lighting Design, KTH School of Architecture May 2020

Author: Abigail Benouaich

Title of thesis: Bring light to Gaza. An exploration of solar and ecologically-sensitive lighting programs for the Deir al-Balah refugee camp

Project-based track: Humans, Space and Light Supervsior: Rodrigo Muro

Contents.

1.0 Abstract 9

2.0 Introduction 11

2.1 Bring light to Gaza 11

2.2 Project Overview 13

3.0 Background. A solar approach to lighting 15

3.1 Why is access to solar energy and light so important? 17

3.2 The potential of bringing solar energy to off-grid communities 17

3.3 Why does Gaza need solar lighting? 19

3.4 Lighting as ‘identity generator’ for urban revitalisation 21

4.0 Site Analysis 23

4.1 Deir al-Balah (DEB) Camp Overview 23

4.1.1 Evolution of the urban fabric 26

4.1.2 Overcrowding in Gaza 27

4.1.3 Site characteristics and people’s needs 29

4.1.4 Street network and limited accessibility 30

4.1.5 Open space deficit 30 4.2 Sun path studies and day night duration 33

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5.0 Methodology 37

5.1 Participatory Planning Phase Approach 38 5.1.1 Quantitative analysis of Focus Groups by the UNRWA 40 5.1.2 Prioritized needs list for the lighting masterplan based on quantitative analysis of Focus Groups 41 5.1.3 Synthesis of results 43 5.2 Thematic Workshops 44 5.2.1 Qualitative analysis of Focus Groups by the UNRWA 44 5.2.2 Psychosocial impact of light based on qualitative analysis 46 5.2.3 Psychosocial impact of darkness based on qualitative analysis 49 5.3 Focused-Interview results 50 5.3.1 Focused interview with Mason Huffine (Director of Africa Business and Sales for LittleSun) 50 5.3.2 Focused interview with Ammar Nada (Chairman of Advisory board for SunBox) 51 5.4 CIE Standards for street lighting in developing countries 53

6.0 Discussion 54

6.1 Integrated diagnosis - creating a lighting identity for the camp 54 6.2 Lighting to enhance the urban nocturnal experience 55

7.0 Design tool - Humans + Space + Light 57

7.1 Design tool and approach to analyse prioritzed public areas 58 7.2 Design tool application for selected priority area - Widen streets 60 7.3 A three-step design process 62 7.3.1 Analysis 64 7.3.2 Concept 68 7.3.3 Solution 1 - Interior and Exterior Relationship 70 7.3.4 Solution 2 - Social Nodes and Human-scale Spaces 74 7.3.5 Solution 3 - Public and Private Threshold 78 7.3.6 Solution 4 - Alleyway Circulation and Visibility 82

8.0 Conclusion 87

8.1 A three-phase implementation plan with the UNRWA 88 8.2 What’s light got to do with it? 90 8.3 Thoughts on the design tool findings - Humans + Space + Light 92 8.4 Community participatory design and ‘displays of self’ 93 8.5 Future Impact - How can NGO’s and solar energy providers get involved? 94

9.0 Bibliography 96

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Bring Light to Gaza.

An exploration of solar and

ecologically-sensitive lighting programs for the Deir al-Balah refugee camp.

1.0 Abstract.

‘The refugee camps are “the cities of tomorrow” and the biggest challenge that architects and designers have faced in a generation’[24]. Globally referred to as ‘the world’s largest open-air prison’[33], the refugee crisis in Gaza is part of a growing global emergency. Palestinian refugees who were displaced from their homes during the 1948 war with Israel, were forced to seek shelter in informal refugee camps in Gaza, on plots of land placed at the disposal of the UNRWA. Living under Israeli occupution, the refugees experience poor socioeconomic conditions, living in neglected and marginalised communities, without dignity and Equal Rights. The informal camps are characterised by substandard hous-ing, poor infrastructure, haphazard plannhous-ing, high levels of poverty and lack of space, which pose challenges to any future development.

The motive of this study is to evaluate outdoor lighting conditions in a selected neighbourhood of Gaza’s smallest refugee camp - Deir al-Balah - using commu-nity-driven qualitative and quantitative approaches. The end result will be a se-ries of pilot solutions which aim to demonstrate how lighting can help transform

public perception of an impoverished neighbourhood, while still respecting the area’s unique daytime and nighttime culture and behavioural norms. The proj-ect will seek to demonstrate ‘why lighting is becoming an increasingly important consideration for urban renewal experts, and gaining more attention from munic-ipalities and developers of urban projects.’[23]

Keywords

Solar street lighting, light and urban space, light for protection, light for accessi-bility, light and social behaviour, gender equality, clean energy access, equitable social environment, light and darkness, raising awareness, sustainable commu-nities, psychosocial impact, children and refugees, people affected by conflict, poverty eradication, humanitarian aid.

[23] Arup (2016) ‘Night-time design - Pilot installation in Getsemani, Cartagena, Columbia’

[24] Tillett, Linnaea ‘What’s light got to do with it? Thoughts on Dignity, Mood and Magical Thinking’

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2.0 Introduction.

In Gaza, daily blackouts have lasted for over eleven years. Until recently, Palestin-ian families have received only four hours of power each day. Since Israel’s with-drawal from the region in 2005, the political discourse around the Right of Return has forced refugees to live in terrible conditions and darkness. “The fear was that any transformation of the camps will bring about an integration of the refugee community with the local environment and thus any improvements to Gaza’s infrastructure and housing was seen as a direct erosion of the Right of Return”. [1] Can bringing light to Gaza transcend this boundary of temporality and restore hope to this impoverished community?

With recent solar lighting ideas emerging to help solve Gaza’s energy shortage by solar energy companies such as SunBox and LittleSun, I plan to develop a solar urban lighting project for Gaza’s smallest refugee camp - Deir al-Balah (DEB) - to help improve security at night for residents and provide the commu-nity with opportunities to socialise in public common areas. In response to an

‘Improvement Plan’ conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in 2017, which identifies DEB camp’s limited access to electricity and street lighting, I’d like to explore how a solar and ecologically-sensitive lighting programs can improve Gazan’s daily lives, by bringing clean, reliable and afford-able energy access.

Through a process of community-driven design, the main objective of the study will be to evaluate outdoor lighting in prioritised public areas of DEB and use qualitative and quantitative approaches to propose an urban lighting masterplan that ensures social, economic and environmental sustainability. Designed for and with its residents, DEB’s lighting strategy should protect privacy, and simulta-neously regenerate public life according to Gazan’s cultural practices; making families feel visually protected in their own private spaces but also adding quality to the street environment.

[1] Alessandro Petti “A Century of Camps: Refugee knowledge and Forms of Sovereignty Beyond the Nation-State” http://www.decolonizing.ps/site/video-lectures/ (accessed March 18th, 2020)

2.1 Bring light to Gaza

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2.2 Project Overview

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS

State of the camp and residents

DEB FOCUS GROUPS

Community-defined needs

GIS generated maps based on collected information

DATA ANALYSIS

SITE ANALYSIS

Challenges and opportunities

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

Community urban and lighting preferences

CONSULTATION

Community collaboration and Focus Group input

INTEGRATED DIAGNOSIS

Definition of urban lighting problems and development of solutions responding to the

camp and community needs

Design tool - Humans + Space + Light - and approach to analyse selected priority areas

LIGHTING DESIGN TOOL

Proposed lighting program for selected priority area

CONCEPT DESIGNS

Implementation model and future impact

FUTURE APPLICATION INTERVIEWS

Interviews with Gaza’s solar energy providers

This project is driven primarily by the residents of the DEB camp, with assistance from local cultural organisations and solar energy providers. To ensure the result-ing lightresult-ing design recommendations successfully respond to the community’s unique needs and priorities, the study includes a rigorous, stakeholder engage-ment process conducted by the UNRWA in their 2017 ‘Improveengage-ment Plan’ [5].

The UNRWA thematic workshops addressed in chapter 5.0, worked in concert with community members and other key stakeholders, helped to uncover local’s mental maps, and chart usage patterns within the DEB camp—particularly in public areas that experienced heavy pedestrian traffic or were under-utilised at night. Such situational analysis oriented my design thinking ‘to identify culturally and aesthetically-appropriate lighting interventions to enhance community con-nection and provide a healthier, more welcoming and inspiring environment.’[23]

The qualitative and quantitative methodology applied in this project combines the lighting needs identified from the UNRWA’s community thematic work-shops, with social research interviews from solar energy providers LittleSun and SunBox, regarding the existing night-time lighting conditions of the camp. After synthesising the research findings, I devised an initial approach to reimagining Gaza at night.

[5] Shamiya, Suha and Framgard, Liv (2017) ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan: Improving a refugee camp for and with its residents’ [23] Arup (2016) ‘Night-time design - Pilot installation in Getsemani, Cartagena, Columbia’

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3.0 Background. A solar approach to lighting

“Access to clean light and energy are key to human existence. Today there are 1.1 billion people worldwide living without access to the electrical grid, meaning their basic needs are not being met. Without access to these vital resources, the structure of entire communities is affected. Education levels drop, as children cannot study after sunset. Working hours are limited to daytime and income is reduced” [2]. Up until now, the mindset has been that the electrical grid is nec-essary to provide industrial growth and enable countries to develop and create jobs. However, the costs and length of time of mobilising such infrastructure in developing countries and off-grid areas is becoming extremely unsustainable.

3.1 Why is access to solar energy and light

so

important?

A solar energy revolution is now occurring in off-grid regions across the Middle East and Africa, to bring clean, reliable, solar energy to refugee communities. Three key events have occurred simultaneously over the past ten years to opti-mise solar energy use in off-grid areas. “Firstly, the cost of solar energy produc-tion has reduced by 95% over the past thirty years. Secondly, the introducproduc-tion of higher-efficiency LED lighting technology has reduced in cost by 85% during the last five years. And thirdly, the smart-phone revolution enables de-centralised customers that can make smaller, scheduled payments for affordable solar lighting appliances” [3]. “Solar is now on track to becoming the cheapest form of sustainable energy within the next few years, making it also the most economi-cally accessible form of energy for everyone”[2].

3.2 The potential of bringing solar energy to

off-grid

communities

[2] LittleSun “why is access to light and energy so important?” https://littlesun.com/about/ (accessed April 4th, 2020)

[3] Amar Inamdar “The thrilling potential for off-grid solar enegry” https://www.ted.com/talks/amar_inamdar_the_thrilling_potential_for_off_grid_solar_energy (accessed April 4th, 2020)

Fig 3. Solar energy access sketch depicting the mobilisation of solar energy access in off-grid communities. Artwork by the author, integrating derivative sketch by LittleSun https://littlesun.com/about/

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18 19 “Under Israel’s occupation of Palestinian electricity networks, Gaza’s population

and economy suffer immensely from a chronic electricity crisis, directly imped-ing economic growth and long-term development” [4] 11 years of blockade on Gaza has resulted in widespread powercuts and rolling blackouts. 2 million peo-ple are affected by electricity shortages and are forced to use kerosene lamps and candles, which can result in toxic and dangerous accidents. “With depleting energy resources, Gaza faces a pressing and unanswered need for renewable and sustainable energy.” [4]

“Solar energy could relieve some of the obstacles imposed by the occupation. Gaza’s plentiful sun make it highly conducive for harnessing solar energy, and reduces Gaza’s dependence on Israeli energy imports.” [4]

3.3 Why does Gaza need solar lighting?

[4] WhoProfits (2017) ’Greenwashing the Occupation: The Solar Energy Industry and the Israeli Occupation’

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3.4 Lighting as ‘identity generator’ for

urban

revitalisation

[7] Diana Pham, “Olafur Eliasson Combines Art and Solar Technology to Shed Light On the 1.6 Billion People Who Live Without Electricity” https://inhabitat.com/olafur-eliasson-combines-art-and-solar-technol-ogy-to-shed-light-on-the-1-6-billion-people-who-live-without-electricity/little-sun-2/ (accessed April 8th, 2020)

[12] Daria Casciani “Urban Darkness” https://dariacasciani.net/2011/12/27/urban-darkness-turning-off-light-for-more-animated-and-human-scale-strategies-of-lighting/ (accessed April 4th, 2020) [23] Arup (2016) ‘Night-time design - Pilot installation in Getsemani, Cartagena, Columbia’

‘Light has the power to change the way we perceive a place—to make it safer, more attractive, and more inviting. This is particularly true in “gentrifying” neighbour-hoods where people from dramatically different walks of life converge.The cul-tural and socio-economic diversity of emerging neighbourhoods can make them exciting creative hubs, but revitalisation efforts can sometimes be hampered by lingering concerns over safety, especially at night. In cases like this, well-designed public lighting is crucial to promoting a sense of connection and well-being.’[23]

There are some practitioners who are starting to think ‘we need more dark in or-der to appreciate the light.’[12] Studies conducted by Linnaea Tillett help to high-light the important role night-time high-lighting can play in urban revitalisation. Tillett’s approach is based on social exploration and real people observation in order to generate more human-centric lighting strategies. Rather than producing more light, she focuses her efforts on ‘exploring reflective materials as a much more ho-listic approach to lighting, giving our eyes a chance to return to much more natural light.’[12] An example of this approach is the intersection of New Lots and Schenk

avenues in East New York; an impoverished and high-crime neighbourhood. Based on social studies and environmental psychology applied to the residents, the proj-ect proposes ‘painting in white the underside of the elevated subway track in or-der to turning it from urban threat to urban threshold.’[12] In addition to material reflectorisation, the project reintroduces portable lanterns; personal and movable lighting that can serve lighting as and when you need it by ‘carrying your own light’.

Elsewhere in developing counties, ‘lighting is not using the wide grid of energy: people are using solar powered portable lanterns that provide lighting plus a sense of ownership and safety. These systems are simple, low cost and effective, giving the right amount of light to people that are completely isolated by the grid and ex-perience the real darkness after the sunset.’[12] These devices can assure that ‘im-poverished individuals gain access to lighting that is affordable, reliable, and above all, safe’[7] and also promote a new way of thinking about energy consumption and how we can harness light in a much more efficient and natural manner.

Fig 5. Lighting as ‘identity generator’ in refugee camps sketch depicting community participation in operational street lanterns design. Derivative artwork by Liana finck, text narrative adapted by the author

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4.0 Site analysis.

“The Gaza strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and the overcrowding of refugee camps poses a significant concern. In this context, high levels of poverty, haphazard planning and lack of space are main challenges to any future development of the camps.”[5] DEB camp was established in 1948 and covers 174,200 m2 with over 21,000 registered refugees, 40% of whom are children under 15. Poor accessibility and substandard housing are the result of unstructured planning and the lack of space for recreation, green areas and pub-lic facilities further exacerbate the existing social problems. DEB is the smallest of the eight Palestinian refugee camps and it is, therefore, ideal for comprehen-sive, community-led planning.

An improvement plan was previously conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in DEB in 2017, “due to the unique social and physical conditions in the camp, which will also provide valuable lessons for implement-ing the approach in the rest of Gaza.”[5] A recognition of the camp community needs and opportunities identified in the UN’s Improvement Plan, has led to the development of this pilot project for ecologically-sensitive lighting solutions that can facilitate improved quality of life in DEB.

4.1 Deir al-Balah (DEB) camp overview

Gaza.

Tel Aviv 92km Jerusalem 97km Beer Sheva 38km

Israel

Jordan

Egypt

Mediterranean Sea

[5] Shamiya, Suha and Framgard, Liv (2017) ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan: Improving a refugee camp for and with its residents’

Fig 6. Location map for Gaza graphic by the author

Fig 7. Deir al-Balah camp refugees graphic from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement

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DEB camp location

Fig 8. DEB camp location map indicating the location of Gaza’s eight refugee camps, of which DEB is the smallest. Graphic by the author.

Deir al-Balah camp

Gaza City

Rafah

Fig 9. DEB camp structure today Deir al-Balah camp and the surrounding areas. Graphic from the UNRWA 2016 https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban

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26 27 Between late 1947 and the first half of 1949, more than 41,000 refugees fled or

were expelled from the hostilities of the war following the establishment of Is-rael. 2000 refugees arrived at DEB in 1948, the location of the camp was chosen for its good topographic position and proximity, on open land, to existing villages.

In 1948, the refugees’ first shelters were made from plastic sheets and palm leaves before tents were distributed, arranged in lines over an area of about 70 Dunham’s. Between 1950 and 1970, the initial housing was replaced by mud structures built using clay from the sea and materials brought from Egypt.

Subsequently, from 1970 until 1990, as families wished to extend their homes and open space areas, new rooms were added, expanding beyond their initial, designated space. This expansion resulted in the considerable decrease of space between buildings with roads becoming narrow lanes.

From 1990 until the present day, as the population grew, the camp continued to expand horizontally but as economic conditions improved, families further in-creased their living space by building upwards, constructing multi-storey buildings.

4.1.1 Evolution of the urban fabric

Stage 1 : 1948

Stage 2 : 1960-1970

Stage 3 : 1970-1990

Stage 4 : 1990-present

The population of Gaza is growing rapidly and is concentrated in urban areas. “The latest figure from PCBS refers to almost 1.9 million inhabitants, giving a population density of 5200 capita/km2” [6]. One of the consequences of this growth in population is the pressure on land in all sectors. Over-crowding has re-sulted in, amongst other things, a loss of control over and a dis-connection from natural resources, of which land is primary in the Gaza Strip.

4.1.2 Overpopulation in Gaza

[6] PCBS 2016 “Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics” http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/post.aspx?lang=en&ItemID=1823 (accessed April 8th, 2020)

Fig 10 (above). DEB camp evolution of the urban fabric Sketches by the author, based on data from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’ https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban

(accessed March 13th, 2020)

Fig 11 (right). DEB camp current over-densification Sketch by the author, based on narrative from Just Vision’s Gaza production ‘Naila and the Uprising’ (2017) https://www.justvision.org/nailaandtheuprising/about

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Age

distribution

Employment

rates

Poverty

status

38% <15 years 31% 15-29 years 17% 30-44 years 48% Unemployed 46% Government, UNRWA, NGO’s 6% Private 39%

Not poor Abject poor31% 14% Very poor 14% Special Net 14% 45> years

In DEB, 61% of the residents live in poverty and unemployment rates are equal-ly worrying. The UN’s DEB resident survey showed that unemployment runs at 65% among people with a high school degree or higher, with youth being particu-larly impacted [5]. These figures do not make for an optimistic economic outlook.

The increased population density calls for considerable improvements, the camp has reached a horizontal saturation point on the current land available, the urban fabric is consequently slowly rising vertically. Certain advantages have inadver-tently emerged from the haphazard growth of the urban structure;

• high walkability • spatial optimisation • visual variation

However, the densely positioned buildings creates a series of problems that make life difficult in the camp. These include social, environmental and physical challenges which have become the main focus of this lighting project. “Which qualities are imperative to improving living conditions? How can we quantify these qualitative aspects?” [5].

4.1.3 Site characteristics and people’s needs

Strengths

Advantages of the urban structure

Characteristics:

Opportunities:

• The camp’s location by the sea shore - for recreation and fishing • Presence of CBOs, NGOs, host

government institutions, mosque and local committees

• Good relations between the camp residents

• Accessibility to surrounding areas

Needs

Social, environmental and physical challenges

Characteristics:

Opportunities:

• Re-planning the road network to reduce traffic congestion and improve accessibility and safety in the camp

• Green areas and open spaces are needed throughout the camp • Street lighting needed throughout

the camp

To produce comprehensive, community driven light planning

To integrate social development with urban lighting solutions

Fig 12. Demographic profile of DEB camp 21,000 registered refugees. Graphic by the author, based on data from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’

https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelter-urban (accessed March 13th, 2020)

Fig 13. Table of DEB camp strengths and needs identifying site characteristics and opportunities for community-led light planning. Table by the author based on data from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp

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30 31 Souk Rd is the centre of commercial activity in the camp with narrower streets,

from less than one meter to 2.5m wide, branching off to residential areas. All areas of the camp have poor and dangerous electrical lines and low voltage with narrow alleys providing limited accessibility and poor lighting conditions. Safe way-finding becomes impossible at night, when streets become dangerous with zero-lit roads in some areas, hidden in complete darkness. Improvements to street lighting will have the following positive impacts:

• Increased privacy for residents

• Better accessibility - especially for emergency vehicles • Safer passage for pedestrians

• Improved security for children in the streetscape

The camp’s extremely high built-up density has resulted in few public open spaces with the only available ones being the beach, streets and fenced areas with UNRWA facilities. “Social and recreational activities take place mainly in the streets and alleys, creating bleak public and social scenes as well as hazardous conditions where children play among cars whose drivers can not see them due to lack of street lighting” [5].

4.1.4 Street network and limited accessibility

4.1.5 Open space deficit

16ha

_800m

220m

Camp area Camp dimensions Street network Residential streetblocks Commercial and public buildings Open spaces

Commercial

Commercial - shelter Public institutions Residential - shelter

?

Fig 14 (above). DEB camp urban growth mapping identifying site area, street network hierarchy, landuse and open space types. Graphics by the author based on data from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp

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June 21

Summer Solstice

September 23

Fall Equinox

Winter Solstice

December 22

March 20

Spring Equinox

4.2 Sun path studies and day night duration

Street lighting hours Daylight hours Twilight hours Dark hours June Solstice December Solstice Annual Variation

Equinox (March and September)

[18] Solarbeam https://www.solarbeam.sourceforge.net (accessed April 22nd, 2020)

[27] Weather information for Gaza https://www.gaisma.com/en/location/beer-sheva.html (accessed May 14th, 2020) Due to Gaza’s latitude close to the equator, the solar angle remains high

through-out the year, with a variation from 34.16 at its lowest, to 81.21 at its highest [18]. As such, daylight varies by a small margin from 14 hours in midsummer to 10 hours in late December.

Gaza’s southern location creates a hot semi-arid climate, sometimes character-ised by sharp temperature changes and heatwaves. Summers are very warm with average daytime temperatures of 24–29°C, sometimes reaching up to 34°C. Winters are mild and wet with average temperatures ranging from 10 to 17°C. Spring and autumn are generally warm and mild. The highest temperature ever recorded in Gaza was 46°C; the lowest was -5°C. Despite the dryness, humidity is high throughout the year. Annual precipitation is 300-400 mm, but almost all rain falls between November and February.

Fig 15. Gaza day night duration illustrating daylight, twilight, dark and street lighting hours. Graphic by the author based on data from Solarbeam https://www.solarbeam.sourceforge.net (accessed April 22nd, 2020)

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34 35 Solar lighting ideas have recently emerged to help solve Gaza’s energy shortage

by solar energy companies such as SunBox and LittleSun. Nur al-Amal means ‘Light of Hope’, and that’s how NGO Organisation Rebuilding Alliance refer to LittleSun solar lamps now being delivered to families in Gaza. Since December 2018, 35,600 solar lights have been delivered through the blockade to Palestinian children so they can read and study.

LittleSun, launched in 2012 by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen, have pioneered this change across Gaza by enabling “Impoverished in-dividuals to gain access to lighting that is affordable, reliable, and above all, safe” [7]. “The solar lamp’s design hybridity straddles the gap between an everyday technological product and art object” [7], giving Palestinian refugees a feeling of pride, beauty and ownership. “Eliasson frames this goal in more poetic terms: “Light is social, light is life, that is the beauty of it” [8].

4.3 SunBox and LittleSun lighting projects

Solar energy provider SunBox, have also spearheaded Gaza’s solar lighting revolution. The company recently launched a pilot solar street lighting strate-gy for a 700m x 25m street in central Gaza. The initiative came after residents complained about children’s safety playing amongst vehicles, and the severe injuries fisherman were incurring after falling in potholes in the unlit streets during the early hours of the morning. With a crowd-funded budget of $5000, SunBox’s project is now benefiting around 2000 people with streets lights pow-ered through a central solar system, as well as creating 210 working hours for 12 engineers and three young unemployed Gazans.“For people it is more than a solar system- it is equal to life, dignity and most of all humanity”[9].

[7] Diana Pham, “Olafur Eliasson Combines Art and Solar Technology to Shed Light On the 1.6 Billion People Who Live Without Electricity” https://inhabitat.com/olafur-eliasson-combines-art-and-solar-technol-ogy-to-shed-light-on-the-1-6-billion-people-who-live-without-electricity/little-sun-2/ (accessed April 8th, 2020)

[8] Ebbesen, Toke Riis (2017) ‘LittleSun An indicative framework for the analysis of art and design objects’ MIT Press

[9] SunBox Solar Streetlighting Project https://www.facebook.com/SunBoxPs/posts/496478761002323:0 (accessed April 8th, 2020)

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5.0 Methodology.

With involvement from the camp community, the participatory planning phase of this project aims to integrate the findings from a series of Focus Group work-shops conducted by the UNRWA with the DEB camp residents in 2017 as part of an ‘Improvement Plan’ for Gaza [5]. The findings from this quantitative and qualitative analysis will inform the lighting masterplan which aims to address through lighting rehabilitation, “key issues in the social and physical environ-ment, and will cover the socio-economic and physical aspects regarding open spaces, land use, current state of the infrastructure, demographics, sources of income, and key resources and vulnerabilities of the community”[5].

5.1 Participatory Planning Phase Approach

The main goal of the participatory process was to “involve the camp commu-nity in the decision-making process of shaping their surroundings as capable partners and rightful owners of any development scheme in their camp”[5]. The UNRWA Focus Group workshops aimed to identify the key prioritised needs of the camp from a community perspective. “Particular focus was given to mar-ginalised groups who are otherwise excluded from such influence in public deci-sion-making, such as elders, housewives, children and youths”[5]. The 28 focus group meetings, involving 245 community participants, identified 10 prioritised needs, from which I have selected the top five lighting-related needs for further design evaluation.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS

State of the camp and residents

DEB FOCUS GROUPS

Community-defined needs

GIS generated maps based on collected information

DATA ANALYSIS

SITE ANALYSIS

Challenges and opportunities

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

Community urban and lighting preferences

CONSULTATION

Community collaboration and Focus Group input

INTEGRATED DIAGNOSIS

Definition of urban lighting problems and development of solutions responding to the

camp and community needs

Design tool - Humans + Space + Light - and approach to analyse selected priority areas

LIGHTING DESIGN TOOL

Proposed lighting program for selected priority area

CONCEPT DESIGNS

Implementation model and future impact

FUTURE APPLICATION INTERVIEWS

Interviews with Gaza’s solar energy providers

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40 41 “The list of prioritised needs shows the major challenges that refugees face daily

concerning the environmental conditions of the DEB camp and its haphazard urban character”[5]. For the purpose of this project, the top five lighting-related needs were ranked based on the votes counted from the Focus Groups, includ-ing wideninclud-ing streets, restorinclud-ing open spaces, revivinclud-ing the beachfront, improvinclud-ing the Youth Centre and developing Souk Road.

The most pressing need is to widen the streets. Narrow streets effect not only emergency access but poor street lighting and privacy problems. “Poor maintenance of both urban and rural roads means that bad surfaces and pot-holes, together with poorly signed roadworks, are a common hazard. A wide diversity of vehicles uses the roads including animal-drawn carts, handcarts, bicycles, motorcycles etc. all compete for road space”[10]. Large numbers of chil-dren play in the roadways – outside the central urban areas there are few side-walks - so improving visibility for drivers is critical.

5.1.2 Prioritized needs list for the lighting

masterplan based on quantitative analysis

Focus Groups are considered a primary source in generating the urban lighting masterplan. “Out of the quantitative and qualitative data, a clearer image of the community insights and aspirations are better reflected and documented” [5]. Focus groups were organised according to the following population groups:

1. Housewives (including widows) 2. People with special needs

3. Children between 8 and 12 years old 4. Working men

5. Fishermen 6. Working women 7. Elderly

8. Youths 18 to 25 years old (male) 9. Youths 18 to 25 years old (female)

5.1.1 Quantitative analysis of Focus Groups by

the

UNRWA

“As the number of participants varied from meeting to meeting, the below for-mula was necessary to create a fair evaluation of the priorities”[5].

The structure was a follows:

Stage 1: Brief introduction on camp improvement

Stage 2: A general open discussion

Stage 3: Common priorities for camp improvement were agreed upon

Stage 4: Listed needs were ranked in terms of priority by participants

Stage 5: The final score of each priority was calculated using the formula:

sum of total points x 100

(# of participants x # of needs)

Street lighting improvement is linked to other major needs such as improving commerce along Souk Road. In Gaza, “evening social activity takes place during the hours of darkness. The warm temperatures encourage people to ‘live out-doors’, and the roadways and commercial streets become social meeting places. The distinction between shops and business premises and the public highway is frequently blurred” [10].

Allocating green and recreational spaces and improving the camp beach front were also prioritised since the lack of open space affects everyone in the camp. Expressed needs also extended to providing sufficient lighting for educational ser-vices such as the Youth Centre to enable athletes to train during the evening time.

[5] Shamiya, Suha and Framgard, Liv (2017) ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan: Improving a refugee camp for and with its residents’ [10] CIE Standard 180: 2007, Road Transport Lighting for Developing Countries

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42 43

Improving commercial integrity and the local economy

Lighting the Youth Centre to enable sports teams training

Widen

streets

open spaces

Restore

beachfront

Revive

Improving security and visibility along pedestrian routes

Creating safe, inclusive open spaces for recreation

Lighting the promenade and beachfront seating

Develop

Souk Road

Youth Centre

Improve

The prioritised lighting needs identified from the Focus Group workshops, “oscillate between pragmatic and aesthetic function” [11]—tipping even the most straightforward condition—a narrow street or an open space—into a condition that is open to artistic form. Through engaging and listening to the DEB com-munity about their needs, activities, social ties, and culture, the masterplan can be crafted in dialogue with the values and sensibilities of the camp residents.

Given the unique social and physical conditions of the camp, the masterplan must adopt an “acute sensitivity to the desired emotional texture of the urban space-its affective, social and symbolic dimensions; a friendly, democratic light that knits neglected spaces into the fabric of the community.”[11]. In other words, an understanding of how a space feels is as important as how it looks. Each portion of the camp is site-specific. Night is not experienced the same every-where. Whether along the beachfront, down a narrow alleyway, or along Souk Road, “It is concrete; it is specific; and filled with surfaces, each of which responds differently to every glancing light” [11] The five priority areas selected for this project have their own nighttime culture, norms and that intangible quality - atmosphere - which the lighting proposals should attempt to draw out.

5.1.3 Synthesis of results

Priority

Need

Votes

1 Widen

streets

56 2 Improve

housing

conditions

92

3 Improve water quantity + quality

10 4 Upgrade

sewage

networks 27

5 Improve health centre + services

2 6 Restore

open

spaces

7 7 Revive

beachfront 7

8 Improve

electrical

network

8 9 Improve

Youth

Centre

4

10 Develop

Souk

Road

2

[11] Linnaea Tillet https://www.tillettlighting.com/firm (accessed April 4th, 2020)

Fig 19. Top five prioritised needs from UNRWA workshops (2017) The top lighting-related needs were ranked based on the votes counted from the Focus Groups. “Widen streets”, “Restore open spaces” and

“Revive beachfront” graphics by the author. “Develop Souk Road” and “Improve Youth Centre” graphics by LittleSun https://littlesun.com/about/ (accessed March 18th, 2020)

Fig 20. Table of prioritzed needs idendified from UNRWA workshops (2017) Table by the author, based on quantitative data from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’

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44 45 The qualitative analysis phase of this project integrates the findings from a

se-ries of thematic workshops conducted by the UNRWA with 28 Focus Groups [5], where the five prioritised needs of the camp were separated into themes for dis-cussion. The meetings are a key ingredient in the lighting diagnosis process to “better understand the camp’s needs and analyse the root of the problems and the relationship between them” [5]. The thematic workshops were attended by specialists and stakeholders who helped to broaden the perspective and generate more complex and effective ideas. The workshop findings have facilitated the next step to link up all issues raised in relation to lighting objectives.

In developing the camp’s lighting program, the recurring theme derived from the workshops is that “it is possible to make some improvements even when resources are tightly stretched, and when the ideal from the point of view of in-ternational standards seems unattainable”[10]. The stance taken is that “some-thing is better than no“some-thing” [5] as long as it is done with an understanding of the fundamental impact it will bring to the camp’s social, economic and environ-mental sustainability.

5.2 Thematic Workshops

Camp community priorities

Widen Streets

Light planning objectives

Restore open spaces

Revive beachfront

Improve Youth Centre

Develop Souk Road

Improving access, mobility and walkability

Improving security at night for playing children

Improving visibility for pedestrians and vehicles

Strengthening the urban fabric

Local self-sufficiency

Improving economy and employment rates

Safe, inclusive open space creation

Allocation of recreation and green spaces

Beachfront accessibility and urban lighting furniture

Promoting social activities and nighttime culture

Enhancing youth educational facilities

Self-evidently neither the public authorities nor the vast majority of residents in DEB have “the means to spend much on lighting – which is probably seen as something of a luxury – an optional extra in the basic means of improved urban infrastructure”[12]. Despite this, a critical need that arose from DEB residents in the workshops was “we need land and sky”[5], suggesting that improving light quality can be essential for their comfort and psychological wellbeing.

Therefore, the next step in this project is to better understand the psychosocial impact that robust lighting programs can bring to Gazans, with the goal of reach-ing out to local NGO’s and solar energy providers to incentivise their efforts with infrastructural management and crowdfunding initiatives.

5.2.1 Qualitative analysis of Focus Groups by

the

UNRWA

[5] Shamiya, Suha and Framgard, Liv (2017) ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan: Improving a refugee camp for and with its residents’ [10] CIE Standard 180: 2007, Road Transport Lighting for Developing Countries

[12] Daria Casciani “Urban Darkness (1): Turning off light for human-scale streets” https://dariacasciani.net/2011/12/27/urban-darkness-turning-off-light-for-more-animated-and-human-scale-strategies-of-lighting/ (accessed April 4th, 2020)

Fig 21. UNRWA thematic workshops (2017) Photographs from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’ https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban (accessed April 13th, 2020)

Fig 22. Light planning objectives Identified for the top five prioritized needs, based on qualitative data from the UNRWA thematic workshops ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’ https://issuu.

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46 47 In Gaza, we must recognise that we are operating in a social climate that is

in-creasingly complex, extreme, unpredictable and, at times, destructive. There-fore, “we must look to employ new thinking and techniques to design robust lighting programs that can function in unstable and adverse circumstances”[11] The physical constructs of Gaza embodies the extremes of the human condi-tion, and challenges our conceptions about light, consciousness and darkness. The borders of the city are marked by the concrete wall and by the sea, which paradoxically, divides both the urban, social and psychological space.

“Camps are established with the intention of being demolished. They are meant to have no history and no future; they are meant to be forgotten. The history of refugee camps is constantly being erased, dismissed by states, and even by ref-ugees communities themselves in fear that any acknowledgment of the present undermines their Right of Return.”[13] Thus what appears be fundamental is that, in order for this threat to cease, we must activate lighting solutions as a “temporary medium to capture a temporary state”[12]. Lighting strategies start-ing from chalk, for instance, that could be used again as a reflective material, to capture the shadows that fall in the evening, or as a perfect addition to narrow alleyways that need illumination. “This presents a psychological shift that trans-forms a threatening piece of infrastructure into a warm threshold”[12].

5.2.2 Psychosocial impact of light based on

qualitative

analysis

Fig 23. Palestinian psychology Characterised as complex and paradoxical; based on hope over despair and victimisation. Derivative artwork by Liana finck, text narrative adapted by the author to convey the

Palestinian dialogue of thoughts. https://www.instagram.com/lianafinck/ (accessed April 20th, 2020)

Fig 24. Social influences The blockade in Gaza paradoxically divides the urban, social and psychological space. Artwork by the author, integrating derivative sketches from Suzie Wright’s ‘Port Vell’

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48 49

5.2.3 Psychosocial impact of darkness based on

qualitative

analysis

the levels of lumens of lamp poles but we should amplify what exists by “carry-ing our own light”.[12] In the case of Gaza, the city light“carry-ing tells us another story made of simple different strategies “to avoid the enemies hidden by the dark nights or the missteps on the roadway during the nighttime travel”[12].

Thus what appears be fundamental is that we must activate lighting solutions that respect the need to protect the night sky and the Gazan’s relationship to it. Hence, the approach firstly begins by analysing where—and even if—lighting is needed. Whenever possible, the lighting program should “amplify, reuse and refine what exists. And if light is missing, it should be added in as subtle and efficacious a manner as possible”[12].

[14] Save the Children (2019) ‘A Decade of Distress: The harsh and unchanging reality for children living in the Gaza Strip’ [13] Petti, Alessandro (2019) ‘Permanent Temporariness’ Art and Theory Publishing

In Gaza, the night in the public realm is a “social and a psychological space: it has its terrors, its mysteries, its enchantments” [11] The Gazan’s unconscious re-sponse to war trauma and collapse in belief, creates a new idea of darkness; an emotional, unconscious reaction to extreme environmental triggers - images, shadows - darkness and light amongst them. According to a study by Save the Children “68% of Gaza’s children have difficulties sleeping at night and the big-gest fear for them is the sound of warplanes” [14].

A moment of freedom comes when “sitting around a campfire on the beach singing along to beating drums”[13] overlooking the sea and nocturnal sky. There is a physical light outside and there is an internal light, a spiritual light, that makes the light of man. In a thesis reported by Linnaea Tillet she observes that “in the last century we have dropped a curtain of light over the city altering the night and ourselves. In her view, to light a space it is not necessary to increase

Fig 25. Palestinian emotions Based on the results from the UNRWA qualitative thematic workshops https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban (accessed April 13th, 2020). Derivative artwork by Liana

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50 51

In what ways do you measure the ecological and

social impact of bringing light to Gaza?

Mason Huffine, director of the Africa Business and Sales - focused on devel-oping commercial off-grid lighting markets in Gaza - says that what’s toxic for the atmosphere is no less toxic for the lungs. ‘A small child’s first experience of light should be solar light, not toxic light. This mental association is critical to their psychosocial experience of their environment.’[29] Mason discusses the cross-cutting impact of bringing solar light to Gazan refugees, identified as three key aspects:

Social impact

Owning handheld lamps presents a ‘symbol of hope’ in

conditions of conflict. ‘In the past 5 years, the majority of humanitarian equip-ment delivered to Gazan camps were usually militarised, and so “function” was favoured over “form”. LittleSun has tried to balance an everyday solar product with an art object, giving refugees a feeling of pride, beauty and ownership.’[29]

5.3 Focused-interview results

5.3.2 Interview with Ammar Nada - SunBox

5.3.1 Interview with Mason Huffine - LittleSun

Ecological impact

Working to ‘replace fuel-powered light, which is

dan-gerous, polluting, expensive, and does not offer good lighting conditions’[31] with clean energy, thus reducing the CO2 emissions saved per unit, per year.

Economic impact

Looking to ‘create jobs and generate profit, stimulating

local economies and, thus, strengthening communities from the inside out’[31] Mason explains that ‘by encouraging local autonomy and sustainability in Gazan camps, the solar lighting market ensures that people actually care about their environment enough to materially attend to it.’[29]

How can light drive social change and relieve camp

community problems in Gaza?

Ammar Nada, Chairman of the Advisory Board at SunBox, focused on devel-oping solar street lighting pilot initiatives in Gaza - discusses some of the key societal problems identified by residents regarding nighttime visibility and mo-bility issues. The pilot project was initiated ‘following complaints from the local community of the dangers that were being experienced due to lack of street lighting, including a few cases of sexual harassment, falling over potholes, and disturbance from dogs. Many local fisherman are required to begin work at 4am and were exposed to such dangers during the hours of darkness.’[30]. For Am-mar, the pilot solar system is about more than enhancing street illumination, but can also form a catalyst to drive social change; ‘it is about favouring micro-en-trepreneurial setups that offer income-generating activity for the community. Our aim is to support, empower and collaborate with local community mem-bers, stakeholders and skilled labour.’[30]

[29] Interview with Mason Huffine from LittleSun - Director of Africa Business and Sale (conducted 9th January, 2020) [30] Interview with Ammar Nada from SunBox - Chairman of the Advisory Board (conducted 11th March, 2020)

[31] Little Sun Reveals the Power of Art and Solar https://www.tbd.community/en/a/little-sun-art-and-solar-felix-hallwachs (accessed May 17th, 2010)

Fig 26. Palestinian psychosocial impact of darkness Based on the results from the UNRWA qualitative thematic workshops https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban (accessed April 13th, 2020).

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52 53

5.4 CIE Standards for street lighting in

developing

countries

Responsibility and good lighting is suggested by the recommendation of the CIE 180: 2007, ROAD TRANSPORT LIGHTING FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. ‘The report is concerned with ways of improving night-time visibility, and hence night-time road safety value. The conditions found in the less-industrialized countries vary enormously’ [12], but some of the following have been taken into account for this project in the advice which follows:

1.’ Poor maintenance of both urban and rural roads means that bad surfaces and potholes, together with poorly signed roadworks, are a common hazard.’[10]

2. ‘Many developing countries lie in the tropics, where all evening social activity takes place during the hours of darkness. The warm temperatures encourage people to “live out-doors”, and the roadways in townships and villages alike be-come social meeting places.’ [10]

3. ‘A wide diversity of vehicles uses the roads. Animal drawn carts, animals themselves, handcarts, bicycles, motorcycles etc. all compete for roadspace. Large numbers of pedestrians use the roadways – outside the central urban ar-eas there are few sidewalks.’ [10]

4. ‘In developed countries there is a relatively clear distinction in the road hi-erarchy between through traffic routes and pedestrian/residential areas. These distinctions are more blurred in developing countries, and there are a greater range of road types.’ [10]

Because the “language” of lighting is somewhat specialised in Gaza, modest im-provements to damaged wall surfaces, markings and signs should be dealt with, especially reflectorisation. ‘The easiest way to assure more visibility at low cost is increasing the way markings and signs as the basic and essential part of the road safety toolkit to assure more visibility at night (to see more and to be seen more). The cheapest way of marking the roadway and highlighting key features is to use light-coloured paint, simply because most surfaced roads are dark’ [12]. [12] Daria Casciani “Urban Darkness (1): Turning off light for human-scale streets”

https://dariacasciani.net/2011/12/27/urban-darkness-turning-off-light-for-more-animated-and-human-scale-strategies-of-lighting/ (accessed April 4th, 2020)

[10] CIE Standard 180: 2007, Road Transport Lighting for Developing Countries

Fig 27. Visual perception and field of view Depicting the Gazan’s visual claustrophobia of over-densification and being sandwiched between the borders of the wall and sea. Sketch based on the results from

the UNRWA qualitative thematic workshops https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban (accessed April 13th, 2020). Derivative artwork by Liana finck, with text and graphic narrative adapted by the author to convey the Palestinian dialogue of thoughts https://www.instagram.com/lianafinck/ (accessed April 20th, 2020)

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54 55

6.0 Discussion.

6.1 Integrated diagnosis - creating a lighting

identity for the camp

“The Arabic term ‘al masha’ refers to communal land equally distributed among farmers. Masha could only exist if people decided to cultivate the land togeth-er. The moment they stop cultivating it, they lose its possession. It is posses-sion through a common use.”[13] Therefore, we must ask if it is possible to “reactivate the cultivation of the common” [13] by employing integrated lighting strategies that expand the meaning of cultivation to other human activities that imply the “common taking care of life”[13]. Using light as a catalyst to promote DEB’s cultural practices and restore a sense of pride, ownership and togetherness.

This project has begun with social exploration and real people observation from the DEB camp, to understand the qualitative and quantitative issues that the area faces at night. Rather than the mere application of technological innova-tions, the goal is to develop sensitive, sustainable, integrated lighting solutions to enhance the nocturnal experience of the camp and its communal practices. Ex-tending the usability of the public space from day to night is a key driving force behind the lighting masterplan for the DEB camp. The aspiration is to create a meaningful ‘lighting identity for the camp’; together with the concept and

sche-matic design of open spaces, Souk Road, local streets, the beachfront and the Youth Centre. Each public space will be treated as a challenge and an opportu-nity to “find the poetic in the functional, the elegant in the robust, and simplicity in the technical, grounded in a highly nuanced understanding of the perceptual, affective and symbolic dimensions of light”[11].

“The masterplan will propose ‘families of fixtures’ to reinforce different features of the sub-neighbourhoods”[15], such as Souk Road, and create a coherent and consistent nightscape in the DEB camp. The sparse existing lighting will be re-placed with designs sympathetic to the characteristics of the five priority areas. The lighting program should “amplify, reuse and refine what exists”[12] by work-ing with the materials, textures and reflectance factors of the existwork-ing urban fab-ric, to promote human activities and common use in an organic and flexible way.

Some of the issues raised from the UNRWA workshops and the interview con-ducted with Ammar Nada from SunBox, was that Gaza city was seeking to address disturbances of glare and skyglow with the pilot solar street lighting project, and uncontrolled spill-out of light into the night sky, which could be at-tributed to the use of oversized existing light poles.

As part of the proposed masterplan, the DEB camp could “transition to more human-scale light fixtures to minimise light pollution while connecting the lumi-naries to the urban context”[15]. More sustainable and energy efficient LED light-ing will be used for independent solar powered street lights, creatlight-ing substantial energy savings compared to the current set up, and relieving the pressure on the existing electrical network. “By creating well-lit, safer urban nightscapes, public spaces like streets and squares acquire an even more prominent role in the social and economic life of the local community, particularly in temperate climates, pro-moting commerce and encouraging more diverse social use of the spaces.”[15]

6.2 Lighting to enhance the urban nocturnal

experience

[15] Arup “Kemeralti Lighting Masterplan” https://www.arup.com/projects/kemeralti-lighting-masterplan (accessed April 4th, 2020) [11] Linnaea Tillet https://www.tillettlighting.com/firm (accessed April 4th, 2020)

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56 57

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58 59

7.0 Design tool - Humans + Space + Light.

The community-driven qualitative and quantitative analysis of the DEB camp has informed a new design approach for the five priority areas to enhance the urban nocturnal experience. The approach is based on a thesis reported by Lighting Designer Hanan Peretz, exploring a new design method combining street lighting components - Humans + Space + Light. Applied to this project, the tool takes in to consideration the perceptual capacities of the DEB residents, ‘the qualities of each urban setting, the experiences it transmits and light quali-ties in terms of colours, glare and light distribution’. [16]

The simple-to-use tool informs the analysis of each of the five sites, guiding the process from concept formulation to a coherent lighting solution. The design method is based on the three main components explored in this project so far - Humans + Space + Light - in order to understand how they influence each other to create a better night-time environment in each urban space of the DEB camp;

Humans

The users of the space

Space

The public urban environment

Light

Responsible for human perception and nocturnal experience

For each priority area, the analytical tool connects these three components - Humans + Space + Light -and examines the overlap between them, to inform a holistic lighting program where each component is expressed in high accor-dance with the others. Following a complete and clear analysis derived from this tool, a simple, coherent lighting concept can be produced for each priority area, grounded in their unique perceptual, spatial and symbolic dimensions.

7.1 Design tool and approach to analyse

prioritized public areas

Light

Humans

Space

Humans + Space

Space + Light

Light

Humans + Light

Humans

Identity Locality Daily routines

Circulation and accessibility Flexible use

Perceptual impact Community participation

Location

History and future developments Accessibility

Built/open spaces

Dimensions and proportions Functions

Spatial form Borders

Alleyways and fenestration

Spatial optimization Spatial distribution Solar installations Appearance and effect Ambiant luminescence Focal Glow Play of Brilliants Sustainability Functionality Beautification Level of lightness Spatial distribution Daylight qualities Shadows Reflections Glare Colour of light Colours and textures Contrast

Visual approaches Visual variation Skyline visibility High walkability Safety and security Interference by glare Adaptation light-dark Wayfinding Culture Social influences Emotions Psychology Visual perception Visual field of view Environmental triggers

[16] Peretz, Hanan (2010) ‘Street Lighting = Space + Humans + Light’ KTH Masters Thesis, Sweden Fig 28. Humans + Space + Light design tool Approach to analyse the five priority areas and guide the design process. The tool is based on a thesis by Lighting Designer Hanan Peretz, however the qualitites

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60 61

7.2 Design tool application for selected

priority area -

Widen streets

In conjunction with the UNRWA Improvement Plan urban and architectural modifications, I shall now demonstrate the application of the lighting design tool - Humans + Space + Light - to a selected priority area - Widen Streets - identified as the most pressing need within the camp. The tool can be applied at the scale of a street, of a neighbourhood, or the entire DEB camp, as described in more detail in chapter 8.1.

A single neighbourhood - Al Hazanat - has been selected from the DEB camp for the design tool application. The neighbourhood’s diversity of road types and narrow alleyways, which have lead to poor street lighting conditions and privacy problems, make it ideal for comprehensive, evidence-based planning.

Neighbourhood Vehicular Pedestrian

Fig 29. UNRWA Improvement Plan (2017) Illustrating proposed urban and architectural modifications. The plan forms the basis of the lighting masterplan for the selected neighbourhood - Al Hazanat.

Graphics from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’ https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban (accessed May 3rd, 2020)

Al Hazanat

Neighbourhood

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62 63

Humans

Space

Light

Analysis

Solution 1 - Interior and exterior relationship

Solution 2 - Social nodes and human-scale spaces

Solution 3 - Public and private threshold

Concept

Humans + Space

Space + Light

Humans + Light

Solution

Solution 4 - Alleyway circulation and visibility

Fig 30 (next page). Widen Streets - Analysis Table analysing the site using the three components (“Humans”, “Space”, “Light”) in order to sysnthesise the research findings. For the “Emotions”, “Psychology”,

“Social influences” and “Visual Perception” sketches are derivative artwork by Liana finck, with some text and graphic narrative adapted by the author https://www.instagram.com/lianafinck/ (accessed April 20th, 2020). For “Glare” and “Colours and Textures” images from Flickr Creative Commons https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons (accessed May 24th, 2020). The remaining images are based on data from the ‘UNRWA Deir al-Balah Camp Improvement Plan’ https://issuu.com/nrcnorcapcampshelterurban (accessed May 3rd, 2020).

A three-step methodology will be applied to the selected priority area - Widen Streets - to demonstrate the full capacity of the design tool, with the intention that the same methodology can be applied to all five priority areas of DEB :

Analysis

The first step analyses the site by looking at the three components

separately (“Humans”, “Space”, “Light”) in order to synthesise the research find-ings and shape a mental-map of the situation.

Concept

The second step interprets the analysis in to an integrated

diag-nosis of the site, in which the key DEB community problems are identified and evidence-based solutions are formulated as initial lighting concepts.

Solution

The third step uses the defined combinations (“Humans + Space”,

“Space + Light”, “Humans + Light”) to examine the primary design characteristics of each lighting concept and the overlap between them. The iterative process is used to test, refine and modify the proposed design solutions.