De Wachtkamer
(The Waiting Room)
Waiting Rooms
In the Netherlands, refugees often spend 1-2 years in temporary shelters while waiting for legal status. These spaces, designed for integration, too often become places of stagnation—literal waiting rooms where people's lives are put on hold.
Without private space to retreat and recharge, mental health deteriorates. This makes it harder to learn Dutch, find employment, or build meaningful community connections. The cycle of waiting becomes a barrier to the integration that these shelters are meant to support.
Our Vision
We believe refugee shelters can—and must—be more than holding spaces.
Our goal is to transform these environments using low-cost, high-impact interventions built together with the people who live there.
When residents have dignity, privacy, and agency over their immediate environment, shelters become places where people regain control, build community, and actively contribute to society.
Our Solution
Smart Design for Complex Spaces
Every shelter presents unique spatial challenges and often faces shifting conditions. But one element remains constant across all facilities: the standardized bunk beds—the closest thing residents have to personal space.
By building a thoughtfully designed shell around existing beds, we've created a solution that is:
- Universally applicable across all shelter types
- Minimally invasive to existing infrastructure
- Quick to install with immediate impact
- Transformative for quality of life
Co-Creation Process
We're committed to bridging the gap between designers, users, and supervisors. Our approach challenges traditional design hierarchies by centering the voices and experiences of those who know shelter life firsthand.
Our Method:
- Comprehensive surveys and site visits to understand shelter environments
- Collaborative design workshops with architects who have shelter experience
- Direct feedback sessions with current residents
- Ongoing partnership with facility supervisors
Current Pilot: Bleskensgraaf
We're implementing our first installation at the Red Cross facility in Bleskensgraaf—a former agricultural showroom now housing 58 residents. Like many temporary solutions, it faces challenges including poor ventilation, limited natural light, impractical layout, and insufficient sound insulation.
This pilot will demonstrate how targeted interventions can dramatically improve living conditions within existing constraints.
"Currently there is poor ventilation, a lack of natural light, an unpractical floor plan, and little sound insulation. "
Get in touch
Whether you're interested in implementing our sleeping pods, have any questions about our approach or are interested in exploring collaborative opportunities, we'd love to connect.
Support and collaboration
De Wachtkamer is supported by the Creative Industries Fund and implemented in collaboration with the Red Cross and Planemos.