Michelle Roemer

THE CATALYST

sparking change in the community with a safe and supportive environment

Michelle Roemer

Professor Gregory Marinic

BACKGROUND On street corners, sidewalks, riverbeds, railways, in small communities and large cities, humans are suffering from homelessness. Families, individuals, veterans, youth, and the mentally ill struggle to emerge from homelessness and rebuild their lives. homeless.lacounty.gov

What is the state of homelessness in 2020?

Demographics within homeless 124,515

HISPANIC

17,966

NATIVE AMERICAN

7,228

ASIAN

270,607

WHITE

225,735

BLACK

Why are people homeless?

1 domestic violence

3 drug usage

endhomelessness.org

housing shortage

2 mental illness

4

nationalhomeless.org

Source: google.com

HOMELESS YOUTH STATISTICS

600

18-24

37%

youth experience homelessness in Cincinnati and Hamilton County in a typical year

is the average homeless youth age who are staying in local Cincinnati shelters

of Cincinnati’s homeless population are under the age of 25

Lighthouse Youth and Family Services

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

Source: conversationsonthefringe.com

How might we design a space that provides transitional and addiction recovery to the homeless youth population in a post pandemic world?

Source: Unsplash.com

TARGET USERS SHAUN optimistic teenager

TEENAGER Age: 19 Shaun was kicked out of his apartment after his mother died and he could not afford rent payments.

invisiblepeople.tv/videos/homeless-youthsleeping-rough-london/

DANNI strong single mother YOUNG ADULT Age: 21 Danni first ended up on the streets when her mom was evicted, and now has a daughter of her own.

https://invisiblepeople.tv/videos/dannihomeless-youth-denver/

MIGUEL ex-felon TEENAGER Age: 18 Miguel ran away from home when he was 15, however his mother caught him and locked him up in the juvenile correctional system.

https://invisiblepeople.tv/videos/miguelhomeless-youth-new-york-city/

SITE: RHINEGEIST

NEIG 1910 Elm Street Built in 1895

Opened in 2013

SQ 146,900 FT

ORH

OTR

O OD

HB

$41,023

6,064 Population

Income 25-34 Age

Findlay Market Street Car Washington Park

Source: Google.com

Shops

Restaurants

DEMOGRAPHICS: 45% 46%

African American

Male

56%

White

Female

44%

3% Hispanic 2%

Asian

Niche.com Otrfoundation.org

Number of Homeless

3,604

Source: Google Maps

OTR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES Homeless Services 1 City Gospel Mission 2 Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen 3 Mary Magdalen 4 Center For Respite Care 5 Over the Rhine Soup Kitchen 6 Freestore Foodbank 7 St Joseph Catholic Worker House 8 Volunteers of America Cincinnati Residental Rerentry Program 9 Over the Rhine Community Housing 10 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 11 Tender Mercies Inc

1 2

1

Grocery Stores 1 Delhi Foods 2 Findlay Market 3 Roth Produce 4 Mackie’s Meats 5 Cincinnati Hemp Company 6 Bill’s Supermarket 7 Saigon Market 8 L&S 9 UR Mart 10 Chaz Food Market 11 New York Groceries

1 1 2

2 3 4 3 2 4 5 7

73 8

6 6 10

9 8 10 9 11 11

4 5

Government Services 1 Ohio Means Jobs 2 MKSK - Cincinnati 3 Rothenburg Prepatory Academy 4 Over the Rhine Chamber of Commerce 5 Hamilton County Veteran Services

4

homeless services

grocery stores

Hospitals & Health Services 1 Planned Parenthood 2 The Christ Hospital 3 Crossroad Health Center 4 Over the Rhine Medicenter

hospitals & health services

government services

rhinegeist (site)

EXISTING BUILDING

CONCEPT

Designing a space that provides a safe, supportive environment where the homeless youth population can overcome trauma, address the issues that led to homelessness and begin their personal recovery.

iterative axon diagrams

concept diagram

informal homeless shelters formal homeless shelters

urban vizualization

materiality diagram

first floor concept diagram

second floor concept diagram

transitional timeline: 2 weeks - 6 months

# of rooms in shelter 44

short term transitional housing

transitional timeline: 6 months - 2 years

# of rooms in shelter 72

long term transitional housing

lobby

hub

transitional housing

functional & welcoming

simple & linear

comfortable & safe

concept materiality boards

long term housing detail

scale: 1/32” transverse section

scale: 1/32” longitudinal section

first floor RCP 1/64” 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

lobby 15 short term housing main reception 16 long term housing waiting area housing reception main entrance outdoor space offices conference room volunteer space logistics restrooms library staff rooms cafe

4 14

14

16

13

13 10

12

7

2

8 9

11

1

5

3

6

not using existing restaurant

11

Elm Street

scale: 1” = 40’ first floor plan

second floor RCP 1/64” 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

lounge classroom work program patio gym counseling clinic daycare laundry room logistics restrooms short-term housing 13 long-term housing

9

8

13 13

2

7 6

1 10

5

3

11 11

not using existing restaurant

4 4

scale: 1” = 40’ second floor plan

3

1

4

2

scale: 3/64” housing floor plan 1 kitchen 2 living space

scale: 3/64” housing RCP

re-charge

shelter

sustenance

sanitation

3 bathroom 4 bedroom

long term transitional housing

reception

lobby

stair

lounge

long-term housing unit

THANK YOU!

Michelle Roemer

Professor Gregory Marinic