Exploring Built Environment of Palestinian Refugee Camps by Utilizing Sensory Perception: Balata Refugee Camp as Case Study

Perception is the first step we take interacting with physical space. It forms the interface that contacts us with the environment surrounding us. Physical spaces are structured in a way that corresponds to human beings uses and needs for interaction. Though the science of perception aims to deal with the body’s biological and mental mechanisms for our entire species. Sensory perception forms the notion of which the sensation forms the way we are experiencing the state of ourselves. Senses are accountable for forming the alphabet of the perceptual language. Our sensory perception governs everything we do, our five senses are responsible for creating grasping raw perceived sensory data to the human brain which is accountable for the interpretation and creation of the mental captured experience after analyzing the data obtained by the sensory system. This thesis used the sensory perception understanding in the exploration of the built environment that surrounds us. It deals directly with the exterior spaces of the built environment of Palestinian refugee camps in order to extract and explore the spatial characteristics of such environmental experience. A key tool was developed for measuring and capturing the sensory perceptual experience using five different sense explorations which helped in creating a holistic exploration of the outdoor spaces that surround the shelters of refugees and form an undeniable part of their everyday routine that is affected by what they perceive. For achieving that aim Balata refugee camp was selected as a case study where deep observation and interviews took place undertaking the results that shows the reality of the built environment of the refugee camps. The recommendations which were developed at the end of the thesis are to be taken into consideration by stakeholders to adopt changes to the living environment of the refugee camps in general. Further recommendations are added for further studies based upon this thesis research work.