Don't hate, educate.

I believe our immediate surroundings have a direct influence on who we are as people. The homes that shelter us create the environment we are raised in, which impacts how healthy and happy we are, as well as how we treat others. How does a person who lives in poverty create a beautiful space for themselves? These are the people who most need an appealing place to live, in turn giving them a sense of value. As designers, we have the opportunity to create desierable environments for families, yet poor families cannot afford our services, let alone a nice meal out, or new school clothes for their children each year. We need to utilize our expertise for the common good of people and the earth.
How do we make a difference in the poor through design? How do we give these people a sense of control over their surroundings when they are at their lowest points?
There are currently 35,000 homeless individuals utilizing the New York City Shelter system. 72% of these people are women and children. Most are displaced from the ramifications of domestic violence, low education, lack of affordable housing, high health care costs, and limited job skills. There are so many other obstacles that stand in their way. Imagine the surroundings in a current shelter that houses thousands of transients a night. What these people need is an opportunity, resources, and a comfortable place where they feel dignified, and hopefull of a better tomorrow.
In my thesis I hope to explore the creation of a "designed" space for the underpriveliged. I think this may be some sort of a homeless/battered womens shelter. It will be an "intersection of enviromental and social issues." There are concerns for the health and well-being of the clientele as well as an understanding that what we do today directly affects what happens tomorrow. Thus making a statement that we care about the world these homeless children will be living in, giving them a sense of a greater community, and that they too can make a difference. The building should be dignified, a place where people in crisis can feel a sense of structure, control, as well as comfort and hope. Our goal is to make the children living in this shelter the last generation living in poverty and the first generation graduating with a high school or even college education. This space should serve as a role model for other buildings in the community as well as new York city as a whole.
The Program:
A Not for Profit shelter for homeless women and children to serve as housing for families in transition. Many of the families are victims of domestic and/or substance abuse, and have few educational resources.. The space will provide: family shelter (this may include pets), support for future permanent housing, an education and counseling facility for the parents, health care, and day care.
They need a place to sleep, eat, and is accessible to their childrens schools. The space should also help develop job skills, help to find jobs, manage money, find affordable housing; as well as parenting, and family counseling. This should be a space that provides a better alternative to staying on the street.
Entry into the building is of utmost importance. We must provide a safe space, that is welcoming for the clients, providing a sense of trust, a comfortable place to go, and allows them to feel a sense of dignity while they are making an effort to be self sufficient. Visible staff and a "reassuring" lobby area. Light and air (perhaps the "void" is important here) are two things which may provide a sense of freedom, and hope.
In the living areas: Lots of room for interaction with the knowledgable and helpful staff, private and public. (formal or informal.) There must be a delicate balance between privacy and security. A space of privacy, apartment like rooms for each family. Eating and living quarters are perhaps shared spaces. --Places that would usually be provided by a family and a home.