A Dutch design organization is showcasing an innovative solution to improve living conditions for asylum seekers by transforming standard bunk beds into private sleeping spaces. De Wachtkamer, which translates to "The Waiting Room," has developed a plywood cabin system that fits over existing beds in refugee shelters to provide residents with much-needed privacy and dignity during their lengthy asylum process.
The organization's pavilion at Dutch Design Week, located in Eindhoven's Strijp-S creative district, displays this groundbreaking intervention alongside the bare metal bunk beds currently used in emergency shelters. Visitors can see the dramatic difference between the cramped, open sleeping arrangements and the modified beds that offer personal storage space and visual barriers. The exhibit also features photographs of current living conditions and audio testimonies from asylum seekers, allowing visitors to understand the human stories behind the design challenge.
De Wachtkamer was founded by social designer Nanne Wytze Brouwer and architect Anneloes de Koff, who wanted to create concrete improvements for refugees' daily lives. "We could, of course, design a very utopian, nice new center and way in which people should be housed, but [these temporary shelters] are the reality," de Koff explained. "So we wanted to see how we can make them a step better and improve them, together with the people."
The need for such solutions has become critical in the Netherlands, where the asylum system is severely strained. While asylum seekers are supposed to be housed in specialized centers called AZCs, overcrowding has forced about half of the country's 70,000 asylum seekers into makeshift shelters in locations like vacant offices and military facilities. These temporary accommodations were never designed for long-term habitation and often house up to 12 people per bedroom, sometimes without natural light.
The plywood cabin system addresses the primary concern identified by residents: the complete lack of privacy in communal living spaces. Many asylum seekers report feeling like they can never find a moment alone and resort to DIY solutions like draping clothes and sheets around their beds for basic privacy. De Wachtkamer's modular design includes practical storage cabinets at the bed's ends, lockable compartments underneath, and a concealed shelf in the headboard for personal items like photos and trinkets.
The system incorporates wood and fabric paneling made from recycled army clothing to provide both visual and acoustic privacy. Short, closable curtains crafted from scrap fabric donated by Danish textile company Kvadrat complete the privacy solution. Beyond improving functionality and aesthetics, the plywood shell helps stabilize the bed structure, while a sturdier ladder enhances safety compared to the original metal frames.
De Wachtkamer developed this solution through close collaboration with architects who had lived experience seeking asylum in the Netherlands and involved current shelter residents throughout the design process. This community-centered approach ensured the final product addressed real needs while remaining practical for implementation across various shelter types. The modular design can be quickly installed and works with existing bunk bed frames used throughout the Netherlands' shelter system.
The organization is currently testing its privacy cabins at the Bleskensgraaf shelter, a converted agricultural showroom near Rotterdam that houses 58 residents. The Red Cross operates this facility and secured municipal funding from Molenlanden to improve living conditions as part of their management agreement. This pilot program will help refine the design and demonstrate its effectiveness to other shelter operators and government agencies.
The pavilion itself serves as both exhibition space and architectural statement, constructed as an archetypal emergency tent with a simple gabled structure. However, it's built using TimberTrix, a prototype waste wood panel system created by Dutch company Herso Circular Woodworkers. This company maintains ownership of the materials through a "wood-as-a-service" model, taking responsibility for the panels even after their initial use, demonstrating sustainable design principles.
While refugee shelter design has attracted attention from architects and designers before, most projects have focused on camps in developing countries rather than European reception facilities. Recent innovations in this field have included flat-pack cooking stoves, shelters made from recycled materials, and modular classroom structures, but few have addressed the specific challenges facing asylum seekers in wealthy nations like the Netherlands.
Dutch Design Week runs from October 18 to 26, 2025, across various locations in Eindhoven, providing a platform for De Wachtkamer to raise awareness about asylum seeker living conditions and demonstrate how simple design interventions can make meaningful improvements to people's lives during vulnerable periods of transition.
