ANCHOR investigates how social, political, planning and architecture-related processes interact and affect the living environment, well-being, and sense of belonging among refugee families in Norway. Particularly, this project explores the interaction between political frameworks and local practices, and aims to develop guidelines and design tools that can support local municipalities in creating safe and welcoming residential spaces for refugee families, while promoting their wellbeing and social participation within local communities.

Recognizing that housing extends beyond physical dwellings to encompass social inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing, ANCHOR adopts an interdisciplinary approach that includes architecture and urban planning, anthropology, social work, childhood studies, and public health. We emphasize intersectionality - the understanding that social and cultural conditions, together with the physical environment, can create different forms of vulnerability and resilience among refugee families.

Methodologically, the project combines creative and participatory methods with established approaches such as case studies and document analyses. The goal is to co-create knowledge together with refugee families, local communities, NGOs, and municipal authorities.

The project consists of two interrelated PhD studies and is a collaboration between three departments: the Department of Architecture and Planning, the Department of Social Work, and the Department of Public Health and Nursing.

This project aims to identify crucial elements of planning processes and the architectural dimensions of housing-based integration of refugee families. Key questions include: Which stakeholders are involved in the design processes for refugee housing, and what are their roles and agency in these processes? What decisions and factors lead to implementation of design solutions for refugee housing, with a particular focus on including children’s perspectives? Which architectural dimensions support integrations processes further?

This study examines how refugee families settled in Norwegian neighborhoods experience and navigate housing and community resources in their everyday lives, and how these experiences shape their sense of belonging and wellbeing. The key questions focus on: How do parents and children understand and use their home and neighborhood? How do the daily routines and local navigation shape belonging? How parental and child perspectives on ‘home’, safety and resources align or differ, and what does this show about family dynamics in integration?