Allay embrace: transitional supportive housing for adult women struggling with homelessness
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Date
2024-07-24
Authors
Ekine, Tamunoibi
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Abstract
This practicum project investigated the relationship between gendered spaces and the themes of home, community, and self, as well as re-defining the idea of a shelter based on the activities shared and the organization of private and shared spaces. Drawing on the analysis of theories of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Placemaking, Adaptive Reuse, and the concept of Safe Housing, design strategies have been developed for a transitional supportive housing system that adapts to the needs of homeless single adult women. This was done to create a short-term residence that redefines what a home could mean to homeless women while also providing skills to aid these individuals in transitioning into more permanent, stable, and secure housing. The proposed project examined how interior design could assist in alleviating the social issue of homelessness through attaining a sense of community, empowerment, comfort, and security, as it introduced the Adaptive Reuse of the Roslyn Court Apartments as Allay Embrace.
The design of Allay Embrace was focused on re-defining the model of a gendered shelter through the development of shared spaces, which featured the inclusion of a communal kitchen and dining space, a making library and workshop, a skill training center, and lounges, among other shared spaces that examined the potential of such spaces to foster a sense of community and belonging within the building. The development of private spaces also aided in the re-establishing of the idea of a gendered shelter through the use of the residence, lounges, and making library and workshop to help the occupants define and personalize their spaces to develop what a home means to them, which could aid to foster a sense of self. In doing so, the project Allay Embrace explored how interior design can redefine the idea of a home in a gendered space to accommodate activities and private space that improve the quality of life for the occupants and allow for opportunities for them to regain their self-worth, identity and empowerment within the shelter while informing them of ways to develop interpersonal skills and gain permanent, secure, and stable housing in the broader community.
Diverse research methodologies were used to investigate this project, considering the themes of home, self, and community in the practicum project and design programme. These methodologies include literary analysis, design precedent analysis, site analysis, and a photographic walkthrough. Each exploration aided in informing the design process, programme, and proposal of Allay Embrace, 40 Osborne Street. This practicum project is only the beginning of a multiple-step process of alleviating the complex social issue of homelessness.
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Keywords
Adaptive Reuse, Aesthetically Diverse Space, Chronic Homlessness, Community, Empowerment, Gendered Spaces, Home, Homeless Women, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Placemaking, Self, Safe Housing, Housing First Initiative