Design for Dignity started as a master project at Bern Academy of the Arts (Hochschule der Künste Bern HKB) -  addresses an urgent yet often overlooked issue: the lack of privacy in Switzerland’s Federal Asylum Centers (FAC). Many centers are overcrowded, which leads to different issues including limited privacy, insufficient sanitary facilities, and strained healthcare resources. In those conditions people cannot sleep normally, are always under pressure and are unable to manage their emotions. The trauma of displacement is compounded by the stress of living in cramped conditions with little personal space.

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The value of this solution lies in its ability to improve both refugee well-being and staff working conditions within asylum centers. Providing even a minimal level of privacy reduces stress, improves mental health, and strengthens interpersonal relationships in these temporary communities. For staff, it creates a calmer, more structured and calm environment.

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 This project was born from the lived experience of displacement and is rooted in the belief that design can play a crucial role in restoring dignity and foster well-being for refugees living in Federal Asylum Centers by reimagining shared living spaces through design solutions that prioritize privacy, safety, and community empowerment.

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In the long term, Design for Dignity sets out to become a replicable model for humanitarian infrastructure innovation - positioned between social design and public sector intervention. It is not only a functional solution, but also a human statement: that dignity is not a luxury, but a right worth designing for.