MVRDV and Amsterdam-based social enterprise KLABU have unveiled the third iteration of their modular clubhouse design aimed at fostering community and providing sports access to refugees. The latest clubhouse will be installed at Jordan’s Azraq refugee camp, home to approximately 41,000 Syrian refugees.

KLABU, which means “club” in Swahili, builds inclusive community spaces in refugee camps, settlements, and urban areas. The clubhouses provide access to sports equipment, activities, TV broadcasts, Wi-Fi, and other resources, seeking to provide “a flexible, safe, and engaging space for refugees to connect and play.”

The clubhouses are constructed from modified shipping containers, chosen for their durability, security, and ease of transportation. The approach allows KLABU to deliver a “flat-packed” solution that combines the physical structure with sports equipment in a single shipment. Each iteration of the design has been refined through feedback from partners and on-site managers to ensure it meets the needs of the communities it serves.

The latest design utilizes an “open side” container, featuring a 20-foot-long opening alongside traditional end doors. The update seeks to enhance visibility and accessibility, incorporating a canopy for shade and a large TV screen to broaden its use for sports, education, and social activities. The container’s orange exterior, laser-cut with the KLABU logo, seeks to create a welcoming and recognizable presence, while the sky-blue interior offers compact, adaptive installations for storage and functionality. The new model also integrates solar panels to power sports activities, education, and connectivity, with multiple charging points and wireless internet capacity. 

Since launching in 2022, KLABU and MVRDV have installed clubhouses in seven locations, including Brazil and Mauritania, serving over 36,000 members. KLABU aims to expand the initiative to 50 locations over the next decade.

"Sometimes the most powerful design comes from the simplest concept. Taking a shipping container, ordinarily the most mundane, everyday object, and transforming it into a bright, multi­ functional clubhouse providing sports opportunities for refugees has been a deeply rewarding challenge", says Gideon Maasland, director at MVRDV. "For all of us at MVRDV, to have played a part in enhancing the meaningful impact KLABU has on vulnerable communities is humbling. We will continue to work with KLABU on new iterations of the clubhouse to help support the needs of refugees.”