ONWARD: LIFE AFTER WAR explores urban design and architecture in response to a global humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands of refugees, traumatized by the war in Syria, are arriving on the Grecian island of Lesbos after a harrowing journey from Syria across Turkey and the sea. My project critiques the western world’s response to this crisis. The conventional, short sighted approach assumes that the situation is merely temporary and therefore can be accommodated by temporary measures. However, this is not reality. A new approach is desperately needed. I propose a new way to create a safe home where refugees can find durable stability, harmony and hope for the future. In contrast to the unsustainable, palliative methods applied to conventional refugee housing, my design offers the prosperity of a true community.