SAGE Design Lab

Designing for
Social Development
Hildelisa Diaz, Nancy Karam,
Alena Niu, Pelin Kazak, and Ivy Williams
New Design Firms | Spring 2016
Design Lab

The Current Situation
Turkey is a host country with the largest population of refugees in the world. An estimated
90% of Syrian refugees in Turkey live outside of camp settings with limited access to basic
services. The European Commision is funding the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, an initiative
that will cover major humanitarian aid sectors. However, this is not enough to resolve the crisis
refugees face in setting up long term housing and employment opportunities.

Glocal Strategy Snapshot
Envisioned Future: Refugees will be an integral part of the
Turkish community by contributing to the development of
shared community spaces that aim to foster a multicultural and
thriving society where refugees and locals can co-exist. Of the
3.1 million refugees in Turkey, all should have access and a
chance to contribute to and join the community.
The Gap: Refugees are settling into Turkey at a high volume.
Many communities within Turkey cannot support the rapid
population increase due to this and refugees are unable to find
viable housing and economic opportunities for an ideal way of
living. How can refugees gain access to a quality of life in Turkey?
How can communities in Turkey embrace refugees and not
further isolate them? Existing solutions are aimed at covering
basic and initial needs of refugees. In order to fundamentally
resolve and transform the current problem into an opportunity
for development and growth, solutions focusing on the
integration of the refugees into the Turkish community through
shared community spaces must become a priority - instead of
continuing to isolate refugees in remote camps.
Vision Statement: SAGE Design Lab will create a Mixed-Use
Development (live/work/play) that will serve as a lab for
facilitating the integration of refugees into a happy and
meaningful Turkish life. As the processes and spaces are iterated
and perfected, the Development space or portions of it can be
replicated for growth.
Time Plan: SAGE Design Lab will create 2-3 mixed-use spaces
in the Istanbul region over the next five years. As the
developments become implemented, SAGE will learn from
these development projects and will make plans for continued
growth and expansion over the next ten years. By year 10,
SAGE will have by generated 3-6 more mixed-use spaces within
the Turkish territory. It is during this time that SAGE will work
with the local government to launch an initiative that
leverages traditional housing and business policies to increase
available opportunities for refugees. SAGE aspires to make the
development project a foundational pilot to address refugee
populations and homelessness all over the world.
KPI’s: SAGE will measure their impacts through the collection
of the following data points:
● Percentage of refugees living in the developments
● Percentage of refugees who have obtained
employment at the developments
● Ratio of locals and refugees occupying the
developments
● Satisfaction levels of locals and refugees who live or
use the spaces within the developments
● Number of developments completed and total
occupancy.
Global Impact: If successful, these live-work-play spaces could
serve as a tool to integrate many segregated groups of people
into their surrounding communities all over the world.

Step A | Vision for a Desired Future
Refugees in Istanbul will have a chance to become an integral part of the Turkish community by
contributing to the development of shared community spaces that aim to foster a multicultural
and thriving society where refugees and locals can co-exist.

Step B | Current Reality
Refugee Crisis in Turkey
● The overwhelming influx of refugees into Turkey has reached over 3.1 million people, making Turkey the
host country with the largest refugee population in the world.
● About 90% of Syrian refugees in Turkey remain outside of camp settings with limited access to basic
services.
● It is estimated that more than half of the Syrian refugees are children, and according to UNICEF, 74% of
them do not attend school.
● The European Commission and its Members States are funding the “Refugee Facility for Turkey" which will
provide €3 billion for humanitarian and development projects in 2016 and 2017. In March and April 2016 a
first package of €90 million under the Facility has been contracted for humanitarian aid.
● The 15 projects will cover all major humanitarian aid sectors including food assistance and non-food items
mainly in the form of cash and vouchers, specialized assistance for winter, access to health services,
education in emergencies, protection, information management, specialized help for persons with
disabilities, mental health and psychosocial support.

Step C | Identifying the Gap
The existing action plans for refugees are mostly aimed at covering basic and initial needs upon
entering Turkey. In order to fundamentally resolve and transform the current problem into an
opportunity for development and growth, actions focusing on the integration of the refugees
into the Turkish community must become a priority. Instead of isolating refugees in remote
camps, mixed live-work-play spaces (for locals and refugees) must be designed as an
alternative where they can merge with the society and receive residence and work permits, as
well as other items needed to build their lives in Turkey.

Step C | Filling the Gap
Possible Action Ideas
Empathy Projects / Language Programs
Residential, Educational and Employment Facilities
● Create mixed-use developments where SAGE brings together volunteers, members of the community,
independent contractors, and refugees to design and build live-work-play spaces.
● Launch campaigns to educate the Turkish society, help change stereotypes and promote acceptance.
● Create job opportunities within our firm for refugees and set an example for others to do the same.
● Work with the government on developing strategies for Empathy Projects:
○ Volunteering and Community service initiatives: opportunities for the refugees to contribute to the
community as well as volunteering opportunities for locals to deliver aid services for the refugees
○ Create sponsored cultural events (like concerts) aimed at bringing both communities together,
raising funds, and promoting coexistence.
● Collaborate with NGOs that are dedicated to the cause and contribute resources (like ANAIS).
● Develop strategies for transforming all communication (consumer products packaging, outdoor
communication, websites…) to become bilingual / integrating Arabic
● Propose and support the development of an online educational portal with physical hubs that provide
access to computers and the internet, as a support and an extension of the schooling system to provide
refugee children with proper education.

Step D | Prioritizing for Success
Live-work-play Spaces
Our priority is to create mixed-use developments where SAGE brings together volunteers,
members of the community, independent contractors, and refugees to design and build live-
work-play spaces:
● Residences and places of business will be occupied by mostly refugees, but non-refugees can occupy the
spaces as well [goal 80/20 mix]. This is designed to merge refugees into society instead of isolating them.
● SAGE, with the help of ANAIS and their satellite offices, will lead each development project.
● SAGE will work with the government and other local firms to create a complete project team capable of
completing projects of this scale.
● Developments are designed to give refugees a place to live, work and play. In working with a government
agency or agencies, participation in the design and build of the mixed-use development will provide
refugees with residence permits, work permits, and other items needed to build their life in Turkey.
● SAGE will pilot a mixed-use development first but will plan on using a similar process to design and build
schools in the future.
● As an extension of the project, SAGE will create an initiative aimed at educating refugees interested in
studying and/or practicing design.

SAGE Design Lab
Designing for Social Development

Who We Are and What We Do
FIRM + LOCATION
SAGE Design Group | Istanbul, Turkey
CHALLENGE FOCUS
Refugees are settling into Turkey at a high volume. Many communities within Turkey cannot
support the rapid population increase and refugees are unable to find viable housing and
economic opportunities for an ideal way of living. How can refugees gain access to a quality of life
in Turkey? How can communities in Turkey embrace refugees and not further isolate them? These
are the questions that will inform SAGE’s innovative solution. Existing solutions are mostly aimed
at covering basic and initial needs of refugees. In order to fundamentally resolve and transform
the current problem into an opportunity for development and growth, solutions focusing on the
integration of the refugees into the Turkish community must become a priority - instead of
isolating refugees in remote camps.

LONG TERM VISION
Our vision is for Turkey to become a culture rich home to both native Turkish and the diverse
population of once refugees. We believe that all of the 3.1 million refugees deserve access to
housing and opportunities that allow them to thrive and contribute to the ever-changing
diverse culture of Turkey.
Along with the European Commission and its Members States “Refugee Facility for Turkey”
currently underway, which will provide basic needs, we strive to enrich lives for the refugees in
Turkey, beyond their basic needs as they build their lives in the country. While 2.79 million
currently lack access to basic services and 74% of children are not in school, we envision 2.79
million refugees working and contributing to Turkish society with 100% of children enrolled in
school within our 15 year plan.

SAGE DESIGN LAB VISION
SAGE Design Group will create a Mixed-Use Development (live/work/play) that will serve as a
lab for facilitating the integration of refugees into a happy and meaningful Turkish life. As the
processes and spaces are iterated and perfected, the Development space or portions of it can
be replicated for growth.

Creating the SAGE Design Lab
EvolveActDefine Design

Define Current Reality
SAGE Design Lab | Define
● At this point, the Turkish government is moving towards increasing the standard of living
of the refugee population by offering container camps with power lines, maintenance
services and security measures. They are working on issuing work permits and closing
the gap on education.
● Meanwhile, many Syrian refugees are taking the initiative to learn the language and start
their own businesses.
● Still, both sides are faced with many challenges like the lack international refugee status
recognition which makes it harder to create a path toward citizenship. And, limited
government funds and supplies makes it harder to offer basic services.
● Besides, overcrowding and limited access to basic necessities like education, health
services and employment threatens the emotional and psychological stability of the
refugee population

Define
The Challenge
What is the problem SAGE is designing for and what is the public’s interest?
Opportunity
The displacement and lack of employment and housing
opportunities prevent refugees in Turkey from having the
chance to have a meaningful position in their community.
Refugees will continue to move into Turkey and will
continue to be displaced unless sustainable solutions are
created. SAGE will pilot and create a number of mixed-use
developments but the amount of developments that
would be required for the continuously increasing number
of refugees would outpace the availability of funding,
resources, and the feasibility of completing each project.
However, the mixed-use developments SAGE facilitates
will support refugees and residents alike, while also
contributing to local economic growth.
Impact
The issues refugees face are not limited to their own
journey but to the members of their community as well.
Stakeholders can support SAGE from a macro level in areas
such as design, education, and business development. At a
micro level stakeholders can support SAGE in terms of
completing construction tasks, and staffing community
spaces. The mixed-use developments provide a place to
live and work for mainly refugees but for members of the
community as well. For refugees, this will generate
solutions to the lack of housing, jobs, and comfort within
their community. This also addresses the need for the
community to engage refugees instead of isolating them.
Risk
The volume of funding and
participation required to complete a
project of this scale. Support from
Government officials / agencies.
Reward
Refugees become self-sustaining
citizens. The development projects can
be the blueprint for solving community
issues in other parts of the world.

Define
Vision of Success
Setting up the SAGE Design Lab ecosystem
SAGE aims to set up an ecosystem of innovation by setting up a system for co-creation where
design creativity can be diversified. Partners will have the ability to collaborate with SAGE at
multiple stages of the development project. They will be able to provide funding, expert
knowledge, design and building skills, as well as sweat equity.
Complete 2-3 mixed-use
developments in Istanbul
(1 pilot, 1-2 additional
developments).
Increase the amount of SAGE
developments by 300% (6-9 total
developments), launch a government
supported initiative or policy that
leverages traditional housing and
business policies to increase
opportunities for refugees.
Global expansion to other countries
facing issues of high refugee
populations and homelessness.
Specifically, set up a US pilot
development aimed to address
homelessness in Washington DC.
Year 5 Year 15 Year 20+

Define
The People
Who are the stakeholders?
External Participants
Government officials, business owners, lawmakers, community
activist are external stakeholders who will make an impact to
SAGE’s developments. Every member of the community has
the opportunity to be empathetic to the refugee crisis that
impacts their society. The mission of each development is to
enrich the community by creating a meaningful place for
refugees. SAGE will ask refugees, freelancers, independent
contractors, and various partners to commit to this mission.
Diversity
The mixed-use development project seeks and encourages
diversity in all participants (age, profession, race, ethnicity,
economic background, educational history, corporations, small
business, etc.). SAGE is seeking diversity because it allows for a
more comprehensive team of people working together to
complete the project.

ANAIS
Define
The People
Stakeholders: Who is involved and at which phases?
Refugees
Teachers
SAGE Design Firm
Turkish Community
Identify opportunities Brainstorm Consult Prototype/Build
Architects
Designers
Government/Policy
Construction
Synthesize
Architects Designers

Governance
SAGE Design Lab | Design
Strive for constant improvement
This is an open environment for suggestions/ideation/iteration
All stakeholders have a say
Work in mixed teams come up with unexpected ideas
Always question what you “know”
No discrimination. Consider and be understanding of cultural differences.
Define Design
House Rules

Governance
Design Research
Interviews with refugees and affected Turkish
community members by the Sage Design Group
and quantitative demographic done by ANAIS
Brainstorming
Bringing all stakeholders together to brainstorm
and discuss ideas and needs.
Synthesizing
Sage Design Group and ANAIS review data from
research and initial brainstorms in order to
identify insights and opportunities.
Prototyping
Sage Design Group and additional architects with input
from teachers, community volunteers, and refugees.
Continuous iteration and improvement
We see the lab space as a pilot for the Live/Work/Play
Development. Walls, dividers, and other parts will be
movable to reconfigure the space and build what needs
arise for the next iteration of the space/lab
Replication
Once the configuration of the lab Development is ideal,
parts or the whole can be replicated into new Live-Work-
Play Spaces
Define Design
SAGE Design Lab Processes

2016 2036
In the first six
months the team
together with ANAIS
will gather essential
information about
culture, behaviors
and habits as well as
note painpoints and
brainstorm ideas.
A scale version
prototype of our
mixed-use space
will be built to test
with refugees and
locals for the next
three months.
Over the next
three months the
collaborative
team will analyze
the data and the
necessary
adjustments
Construction will
start on 3 more
spaces using
learnings from
the pilot.
2017
As more residents start
to move in, SAGE +
ANAIS will interface to
them to keep
gathering information
and make continuous
improvements.
2019 2021
6 mixed use
spaces are fully
developed and
functional in the
Istanbul area.
3 more spaces are
developed and the
SAGE team launches a
toolkit to leverage
existing housing for
live/work/play to reach
more refugees faster.
2026 2027
SAGE designs a toolkit to
help other countries
develop multicultural
mixed use spaces/labs
that can be reconfigured
for iteration and
development for their
specific community.
2030
Mixed use spaces
have expanded
globally helping
fight refugee
populations and
homelessness.
Timeframe
Define Design
Three mixed use
spaces are fully
developed and
Development of
additional projects
without aid of
SAGE is spreading.

Team members
We will have a convening team with representation
from each of the interested parties, including
representatives from the refugee camps, community
leaders, and Turkish government officials.
Convening TeamDefine Design
Purpose
The convening team meetings will help deepen the
understanding of each group’s assets and needs as a
way to strengthen the relationship between the
involved parties and promote healthy collaboration.
The convening team will help organize and design
activities and logistics for the space use, as well as
set the rules that will help govern it.

StakeholdersDefine Design
Mixed-use Space
Design Team
members
SAGE design team
Istanbul community leaders
Turkish Government
representatives
Refugee camp leaders
Architects
Designers
Humanitarian Organizations
Volunteers
Teachers
Design Lab Core
(Core team)
SAGE design team
Local designers
Local architects
Policy consultant
Collaborators
(Invitees)
Turkish government
representative
Istanbul’s community leaders
representative
Refugee camp leader’s
representative
Humanitarian Organization
representative
Volunteers
Lab experience
(Testers)
A representative group
of Istanbul’s locals
A representative group
of refugee population
Teachers

Invitation
JOIN US TO BECOME A SINGLE COMMUNITY
LIVING, WORKING AND PLAYING TOGETHER WITH EQUAL RIGHTS!
We aim to develop the first live-work-play space within 2 years, making it possible to also
provide residence and work permits, as well as health and education services.
(Language: Turkish & Arabic)
We are planning to create ambassadors within the community under the leadership
government and community leaders. We will extend the reach of the invitation in a more
guerilla style with the help of ambassadors.
Define Design

Design
Outcomes
Short/mid/long term results:
Short term results: creating better living conditions
for the refugees within the Turkish communities.
Mid term results: helping refugees feel welcome and
provide them with means to start building their lives in
Turkey on one hand, while building empathy and
acceptance among the Turkish communities.
Long term results: complete integration of the
refugees into the Turkish society.
Impact measure:
The number of refugees settling in the developed
residences, how many are able to find employment
opportunities and become productive members of the
Turkish community, as well as the number of locals
moving or willing to move to these developments, and
the relationships and interaction between the refugees
and locals, will serve as a measure of impact.
Define
Desired Outcome:
A gradual integration leading to the dissolvement of the
refugee notion 20 years down the road and the emergence
of a new diverse multicultural cohesive Turkish society.
Stakeholders’ ambitions:
Turkish Government: to be a catalyst for change and
national transformation, and a major contributor to the
resolution of a global problem.
The Refugees: to become an integral and productive part
of the Turkish society / hopeful with a sense of belonging
and all the opportunities and rights to build a better future
for their children.
The Turkish society: to become a resilient and progressive
community capable of adapting to major change,
overcoming prejudice, and turning conflict into opportunity.
SAGE: to be a progressive innovator with a strong sense of
glocal social responsibility and the satisfaction that comes
from having the capacity to help improve lives.

ActDefine Design
Collaboration
Leadership, a flat structure, and a culture built on
teamwork are at the core of how we work
internally.
Open communication, transparency, constant
information sharing, and exchange of resources,
as well as a common vision, purpose, and
commitment are key to successfully collaborating
with our partners.
We understand the value of gaining a deep
understanding of the realities we are designing
for so we invest first and foremost in gathering
insights through continuous conversation,
observation, and data collection and analysis with
the help of Anais.
SAGE Design Lab | Act
Our determination to improve the lives of millions is
our main driving force. Regular field work and contact
with the refugees is crucial for us to experience first
hand the impact of our efforts.
Documentation
Our AI system Anais is our main hub where all research
and documentation is processed and analysed.
Data related to work progress and alignment with the
set timeline, what is not working as planned and why,
how are the set strategies being implemented and how
are they being perceived by the intended audiences,
what is still missing (what did we overlook), and field
research results, all serve to move the process forward.

Evolve
Learning & Implementation
The Pilot
We don’t have an example of live-work-spaces. We defined our own
roadmap and solutions. Looking for analogous solutions and
defining what existing solutions will let us process faster towards
success. First live-work-place space will be the pilot and it will help
us to break beyond what we know and what we think we know.
KPI’s for learning
● Number of refugees moving into the live-work-play spaces
● Number of built live-work-play spaces
● Number of converted live-work-play spaces leveraging
existing structures
● Number of applications to move in
● Applications to become a volunteer
● Number of children in school
These KPI’s will show us the demand we should consider for
building up following spaces, if we have a satisfactory work-force
or if we need alternative and more marketing materials/invitations.
SAGE Design Lab | Evolve
Success Definition for the pilot
Reaching the aimed number of:
● Residents in the live-work-play space
● Residence permits
● Work permits
Scaling Strategy
The government will be included in the
institutionalizing of innovations. SAGE will
create a toolkit to convert inhabitable existing
structures to work-live-play spaces. Community
programs and volunteer teams can then
implement these plans as well to grow the
number of these spaces.
We will also be in contact with international
media to get noticed by other countries facing
issues of high refugee populations and
homelessness, which will lead us to scale
internationally.
ActDefine Design

References
European Commission. April 2016. Turkey: Refugee Crisis Echo Factsheet.
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/turkey_syrian_crisis_en.pdf
Gratton, Lynda. 22 October 2010. The Future of Work.
https://www.london.edu/faculty-and-research/lbsr/the-future-of-work#.VwVSDxN96qA
McClelland, Mac. 13 February 2014. How to Build a Perfect Refugee Camp.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/magazine/how-to-build-a-perfect-refugee-camp.html
Pecanha, Sergio. 25 April 2016. How Turkey’s Promise to Stop the Flow of Refugees is Creating a New Crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/18/world/middleeast/How-Turkeys-Promise-to-Stop-the-Flow-of-Syrian-
Refugees-Is-Creating-a-New-Crisis.html?_r=0
Zaleski, Erin. 26 March 2015. Exactly How To Help Syrian Refugees In Lebanon, Turkey, And Elsewhere Right Now.
http://www.bustle.com/articles/71654-exactly-how-to-help-syrian-refugees-in-lebanon-turkey-and-elsewhere-right-now

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