Architecture & Furniture Design: Optimizing Philly homeless shelters during and after the pandemic.
Project Overview:
How might we create social community spaces for the Philly homeless, while social distancing?
21K homeless will be hospitalized in the U.S. as a result of the pandemic. 7K will require critical care and 3K will die. Preventive solutions will save the government healthcare costs and protect the general public. Solutions have broader implications for slums and homeless populations everywhere in the world, as nearly 0.5 billion people globally will be forced into poverty.
Key Takeaways:
The homeless community remains invisible to most of society.
Public initiatives come and go as permissions for installations change
Volunteers have limited time and skills when setting up installations
Possible locations for shelters:
Homeless communities, public spaces converted to living spaces for COVID patients, co-living and community living situations and spaces, slums, remote villages, natural disaster relief, recreational camping (post pandemic), outdoor music festivals (post pandemic), hostels (post pandemic)
Process:
Informational interviews
Design sketches
3D modeling and rendering
Re-iteration based on feedback
Interview Insights
Interviews:
Victoria Milne - Times Square Alliance
Lotte Kristoferitsch - EOOS
Insights:
Location permissions in the U.S: Work with public space managers for organizations or get permissions from the owner of a private property (e.g., abandoned building). With private property owners, consider the risks, public safety, and insurance requirements when considering an installation. EOOS created modular furniture so that it could be taken apart and re-installed depending on which property the group had permissions to use to house refugees.
Solution criteria informed by interviews and stakeholders:
Landing Page: Responsive Design
Problem Statement
How might we create social, community spaces for homeless populations while enforcing social distancing?
Why should we care?
21K homeless will be hospitalized in the U.S. as a result of the pandemic. 7K will require critical care and 3K will die.
Preventive solutions will save the government healthcare costs and protect the general public.
Solutions have broader implications for slums and homeless populations everywhere in the world.
Locations:
It is projected that 0.5 billion people will face poverty as a cause of the pandemic recession.
Possible locations for this solution:
Homeless communities
Public spaces converted to living spaces for COVID patients
Co-living and community living situations and spaces
Slums
Remote villages
Natural disaster relief
Recreational camping (post pandemic)
Outdoor music festivals (post pandemic)
Hostels (post pandemic)