A New Path Forward for Veteran Housing in Durham, North Carolina ADDRESSING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS TO COMBAT VETERAN SUICIDE
Daniel Garrett
United States Marine Corps Veteran Master of Advanced Architectural Studies
North Carolina State University College of Design
HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN - 2013
ROUTE RED
01INTRODUCTION
Introduction 1.1 Problem Summary
1.1 Problem Summary
Veterans In Need
Veteran homelessness is a major issue on a national level. Homelessness has been defined as not having a “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”. Veterans account for only 7% of the total population, but nearly 20% of the homeless adult population are veterans.1
Systematic reviews found major risk factors for veteran homelessness include substance abuse, mental illness, financial distress, and lack of social support, which are also the main risk factors identified for veteran suicide. With a suicide rate of 81 per 100,000, veterans are an especially vulnerable group, compared to 23 per 100,000 of civilian adults.2
Veteran homeless programs were designed to reduce the overall numbers and ignored the causes of homelessness by treating symptoms rather than the disease. The root causes of homelessness and suicide amongst veterans must be addressed before such problems are solved.
This research challenges the current “housing first” ideology, which aims to simply obtain housing for the veterans, and will inform national veteran housing programs with new, supportive housing guidelines to give the veterans a place to rebuild their sense of pride, self-worth and belonging, while utilizing the specific supportive services necessary to find their path forward.
“Our main goal is to find these veterans adequate housing. All of the other services, the healthcare, mental health therapy, substance abuse counseling, they have to find that on their own...”
“... But that’s why they keep cycling back through. We are strictly housing first, but these services are what is needed to ensure the veterans find success beyond housing. They need those services.”
- Directing Manager
U SA Veterans Help - Veteran Housing Community
02RESEARCH
VETERAN SUICIDE
Post 9/11 War Death Count
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were the leading fronts of the post 9/11 war, which began on September 11, 2001, as President George W. Bush announced a comprehensive plan to seek out and stop terrorists around the world. As history has shown time and time again, these comprehensive plans are the cause of major damage to veterans, long after leaving the war. There have been 7,057 service members killed in these post 9/11 wars and approximately 30,177 post 9/11 war service members have committed suicide.3 Since the beginning of these wars, over four times more service members have committed suicide than have been killed in both of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars combined.
2.1 Post 9/11 War Death Count - Combat vs. Suicide
Veteran Suicide in America
According to the 2018 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, out of the total 46,510 American adults that died from suicide, 6.435 deaths were U.S. veterans.4
Even though veterans only make up roughly 7% of the American population, they account for 13.8% of the suicides in America. On average, there are 18 veteran suicides per day.
Veteran Homelessness in America
While there are numerous reasons why so many veterans are taking their own lives, there is no stronger connection to the root causes than those of veteran homelessness.
According to the 2018 US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Point in Time Reports, out of the 553,012 American adults that were experiencing homelessness on a given night, 66,361 were U.S. Veterans.5
Even though veterans only make up roughly 7% of the American population, they account for 12.7% of the suicides in America. 2.3
A Tale of Four States
As depicted in the previous maps, California, Texas and Florida account for the highest rates of both veteran suicide and veteran homelessness, compared to North Carolina, which accounted for 205 veteran suicides and 884 veterans experiencing homelessness. Within these four states, the suicide rate is 2x higher for veterans than general population (32.5% versus 16.2%). 6 These states also account for 27.7% of all veterans experiencing homelessness in America, with an average of 41% in unsheltered locations - the street, in abandoned buildings, or in other places not suitable for human habitation.
2.4 A Tale of Four States - A Closer Look
Too Close to Home
There are eight major military bases in North Carolina, accounting for 129,049 active duty service members. North Carolina is also comprised of 667,035 military veterans, who account for roughly 10% of the overall population.7
The average economic impact of North Carolina’s military and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health System is over $66,000,000,000 annually.7 Durham County is home to the one of the largest VA Medical centers in the nation, serving 70,000 veterans from 27 counties each year. Approximately 20% of the total suicides and people experiencing homelessness in Durham County are veterans.
Given the large veteran population, expanding VA healthcare network, and exponential growth, Durham County is an excellent location to host a new beacon of veteran housing and become a source of information to inspire similar housing projects throughout the nation.
2.5 Too Close to Home - Durham County
Shared Risk Factors
Studies have found that the higher homeless and suicidal rates of veterans are caused by multiple factors connected to fighting in a combat war: high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life. In the post-9/11 era, the rise of improvised explosive devices (IED), the exponential rise in traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the war’s unprecedented length, advances in medical treatment that keep service members in the military longer, and the American public’s general disinterest in the post-9/11 wars, have greatly contributed to increased suicide rates.9
Another cause of suicides in our veterans is the sheer length of the 20-year war which finds many modern advances in technology, military equipment and medicine. This has resulted in the redeployment of veterans after recovering from war wounds, some of which were not possible in previous wars.
This is a major contribution to worsening suicide rates after having sustaining multiple severe injuries, going into battle once again and returning only to face physical and mental problems later in life, once discharged from service with nowhere to call home. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major problem from
this situation leading to thousands of suicides. Many veterans with PTSD will not seek help because doing so will likely involve direct discussion of their trauma despite the fact that up to 31 percent of service members develop PTSD after returning from combat.10
Many veterans sustain multiple traumatic brain injuries (TBI), some not diagnosed until later in life or not even at all. Unfortunately, many of our veterans experiencing a TBI returned for more tours of duty in combat and some experienced repeated TBIs. No matter the number, each one is serious. According to the Mayo Clinic, the many TBI symptoms are memory or concentration problems, mood changes or mood swings, feeling depressed or anxious, and difficulty sleeping.11 The worst possible result from TBI symptoms and suffering is the veteran commits suicide.
Suicide & Homelessness
Analysis of nationally representative surveys of U.S. veterans shows that veterans with a history of homelessness attempted suicide in the previous two years at a rate 7.8 times higher compared with veterans without a history of homelessness (24.5% versus 2.8%), and their rates of two-week suicidal ideation were 2.5 times higher (19.8% versus 7.4%).12
For the past few decades, it was reported that the highest rate of suicide occurred in veterans 55-74 years old.13 This primarily being Korean War and Vietnam War era veterans. A dramatic change is coming over the next two decades in younger age groups as this recent 20-year war comes to an end. In fact, since 2005 there has been an 76 percent increase in suicide rate among 18- to 34-yearold male veterans, and currently, 79% of the veterans experiencing homelessness upon military separation are 18-34 years old.14
Veteran Care
60% of homeless veterans who have committed suicide had no recent or scheduled interactions with any U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. On average, only one-quarter of the veteran population has ever used VA health care.14
Veteran Suicide Attempt
Homeless Veteran Suicide Attempt
Suicide Attempt rate of veterans with a history of homelessness is 7.8 times higher than housed veterans.
Partially, they are due to risks common to fighting any war: high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life. In the post-9/11 era, the rise of improvised explosive devices (IED), the attendant rise in traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the war’s protracted length, advances in medical treatment that keep service members in the military longer, and the American public’s disinterest in the post-9/11 wars, have greatly contributed to increased suicide rates.
Homeless Veteran Ideation
Suicidal Ideation rate of veterans with a history of homelessness is 2.5x higher than housed veterans. (19.8% versus 7.4%)
Another cause of suicides in our veterans is the sheer length of the 20-year GWOT which finds many modern advances in technology, military equipment and medicine. This has resulted in the redeployment of veterans after recovering from war wounds, some of which were not possible in previous wars. This is a major contribution to worsening suicide rates after having sustaining multiple severe injuries, going into battle once again multiple times and returning home to face physical and mental problems later in life.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major problem from this situation leading to thousands of suicides. Either intentionally or unconsciously, a diagnosis of PTSD causes veterans to steer clear of stressors that might “trigger” the painful thoughts and feelings associated with their trauma. This might involve resisting discussion of their military service with loved ones, or withdrawing from friendships with fellow service members. Many of our veterans with PTSD will not seek help because doing so will likely involve direct discussion of their trauma despite the fact that up to 31 percent of service members develop PTSD after returning from combat.
60% of homeless veterans who committed suicide had no recent interactions with any U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital.
Another factor in suicides is that, during early years of the GWOT, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) accounted for over half of the casualties while causing unbelievable stress in every veteran during combat missions. Imagine, if you will, walking out into your yard at home and worrying about stepping on a bomb or possibly having someone nearby detonate one, causing you or those around you to be severely injured or killed.
Experiencing that possibility day after day, month after month, year after year as you enter your yard. Sanity would be difficult to maintain. Many veterans survived IEDs or other blasts during combat but did experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI), some medically known at point of occurrence while many others were not diagnosed until later in life or not even at all. Unfortunately, many of our veterans experiencing a TBI returned for more tours of duty in combat and some experienced repeated TBIs.
Since the beginning of the Post 9/11 wars, there has been a 76% increase in the number of suicides of veterans 18-34 years old.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major problem from this situation leading to thousands of suicides. Either intentionally or unconsciously, a diagnosis of PTSD causes veterans to steer clear of stressors that might “trigger” the painful thoughts and feelings associated with their trauma. This might involve resisting discussion of their military service with loved ones, or withdrawing from friendships with fellow service members. Many of our veterans with PTSD will not seek help because doing so will likely involve direct discussion of their trauma despite the fact that up to 31 percent of service members develop PTSD after returning from combat.
79% of homeless veterans upon military separation are 18-34 years old.
INTERACTIVE PROCESS 03
Placing the Veterans First
The following interdisciplinary collaboration and interactive workshops aim to rethink the current “Housing First” ideology, which aims to simply obtain housing for the veterans. As a veteran in a local VA funded housing program stated, “when we get the keys, we have to leave”.
By proposing that we put the veteran first, we can help showcase the importance of the utilizing supportive services through the VA to combat the root causes of both veteran homelessness and suicide.
The veteran first ideology is imperative all the way from the very beginning process, it is this the very foundation of this housing project.
EMPOWER OTHERS TO FIND THEIR OWN PATH
HOUSING FIRSTVETERAN FIRST
Expert & Focus Groups
Veteran housing research has proven a strong opportunity to reach out and collaborate with varying faculty, community members and professionals. Two main groups that have formed directly from this outreach are the VA provider team and veteran focus groups. The provider team has been instrumental in driving the research, whereas the veteran group input set the project guidelines. Working with various local teams and national organizations of subject matter experts allowed for the opportunity of interdisciplinary collaboration and a deeper understanding of the issue and statistics. By working with the various providers at the Durham VA medical center, including the Head of NC VA Homelessness Programs, we have been able to share research, including the VA National Homelessness Fact Sheet, which highlights the highest provider-rated unmet needs of current homeless veterans on a national level. This allows us as designers, to understand just how important supportive services are and solidifies their necessity to be incorporated within all future veteran housing projects. The provider team was also helpful in locating current veteran housing. Working alongside the housing directors, we have established two focus groups:
The first is Maple Court Veteran Housing: a multi-unit, apartment style transitional housing, which currently has 24 veterans.
The second is Veteran Services of America: a veteran community comprised of four, shared houses, housing 12 veterans.
Family Law (i.e. divorce, child custody)
Legal Assistance for Court Fines
Legal Assistance for Debt Collection
Legal Assistance for Criminal Records
Registered Sex Offender Housing
Tax Issues
Legal Assistance for Support Services
Discharge Upgrade Appeals
Family Reconciliation Assistance
Child Care Assistance
Food
Case Management
TB Testing + Treatment
HIV/AIDS Testing + Treatment
Hepatitis C Testing + Treatment
Emotional Problem Services
Clothing
Substance Treatment
Emergency Shelter
VETERAN GROUPS
Multi-unit Apartment Community
Transitional Housing
Residential Shared 3 Bedroom Houses
Transitional Housing
24 VETERANS 12 VETERANS
Workshops & Surveys
I have established interactive workshops + surveys completed by focus groups composed of the 36 veterans experiencing homelessness with previous suicidal ideation to share their input and unique firsthand experiences. The workshop is composed of a Veteran Board and Veteran Cards. Using the VA National Homelessness Fact Sheet from the expert group, the veteran board highlights the necessary supportive services and allows the veteran to choose their top priority choices that they would find beneficial, or fill in other services that they feel have helped them in the past. Once they have chosen their top supportive services from the Veteran Board, they adhere the respective triangles onto their Veteran Card and answer a series of questions to allow further insight into the specific needs of veterans.
Working with a NC State sociology professor, the back of the Veteran Card is a formulated Likert scale survey, which allows the veteran to choose their most desired and beneficial housing elements.
Interactive Workshops
VETERAN BOARD
VETERAN CARDS - FRONT
VETERAN CARDS - BACK
Workshops & Surveys
After completing the final workshops and interviews, the veteran input on the front of the Card highlighted real live feedback to compare, or contrast to the national fact list, and see what supportive services may be missing by allowing the veterans to fill in the “Veteran Voices” (Other) section of the Veteran Card.
The survey answers from the back on the card offered a deeper understanding of the veteran’s desires for location, site, typology, amenities, and personal room aspects.
The series of questions assisted in identifying any patterns within the focus group in regards to where they feel the most stressed, contrasted to where they feel the most calm and relaxed. This input directly showcased the need for these additional spaces in the proposed Veteran Housing Project while also informing what possible triggers to exclude from the project.
VETERAN CARDS - FRONT
VETERAN CARDS - BACK
• Cooking Classes
• Cafe Space
• Yoga + Meditation
• Neighborhood Events
• Life Skills Classes
• Laundry in Building
• Library Space
• Computer Area
• VA Resource Training
• Advocate Outreach
• Playing Sports
• In lounge with others
• Exercising
• Outside in nature
• With other veterans
• In the garden
• Cooking in kitchen
• Reading
• Cooking outdoors
• On the computer
• Outdoor shared space
• At the coffee shop
• Alone in room
• Laundry
• Traffic
• Crowded rooms
• Broken grill
• Loud rooms
• Inside
Workshops & Surveys
The data compiled from the focus group input set the basis of understanding of what future veteran housing projects should include in order to be most beneficial to the veterans themselves. This feedback was the foundation of the final workshop phase where the veteran groups had direct access and influence of the overall layouts of the residential units themselves based on which typology they felt most beneficial.
By editing conceptual floor plan sketches, the focus group was able to use their first hand experience to help establish spatial arrangements and overall ideas for one story and two story shared homes, multi unit apartment units, and row housing typologies, all which were derived from varying lot proportions and densities.
The direct veteran input created a series of floor plan studies that can be used as inspiration for similar housing projects.
1. Unit Study - Shared Corridor: 400 - 840 SF
A one story plan layout study of a modular residential unit that can be repeated down a shared corridor. Ranging from Studio Efficient to Three Bedroom, the active community space affords the veterans of an opportunity to gather, with all individual rooms obtaining ample natural light. The veterans found this beneficial for higher density apartment options.
A series of one story plans that can be flipped to enter from each direction, allowing for flexibility. Ranging from a Single Unit to Triplex, the active community space transitions to the exterior, fostering a sense of community within the rows of housing. The veterans found this beneficial for rural options focusing on exterior gathering.
2. Mirrored Row: 620 - 1040 SF
A two story plan study for veterans who preferred the shared house option. The bottom floor consists of open and active gathering spaces, connecting to the adjacent shared house with a connected exterior porch. This plan focused on tightly proportioned, often overlooked sites within the urban fabric.
A two story plan study for veterans who preferred the shared house option. The bottom floor consists of open and active gathering spaces, creating pathways that connect the veterans. This plan focused on wide, shorter urban lots, which the veterans saw as an opportunity to stack a simple shape to meet the occupancy needed.
3. Thin Lot: 1000 SF
4. Wide Lot: 1480 SF
Veteran Housing Checklists
Veteran housing is much more than simply housing itself, and as important and crucial as current veteran housing programs are, many lack personal and true veteran input. Putting veterans first, allows them to take a sense of pride, self-worth, and belonging, things that have been stripped from them, within a project that is ultimately for them.
Through this research, it can be shown that successful veteran housing is the holistic relationship between the site and surrounding context, critical programmatic elements and spatial adjacencies, and the necessary social interaction between the veterans who inhabit it.
The following Checklists & Guidelines, formulated from first hand veteran input and precedents, can be an inspirational or functional tool used to inform national programs that house veterans who have experienced homelessness. The checklists can be utilized throughout the design process to ensure future veteran housing projects not only meet their needs, but raise the standard of veteran housing as a whole across the nation.
Each checklist focuses on the three most prominent driving factors of veteran housing: Site, Program, & Social Interaction.
TRANSPARENCY + UNDERSTANDING
SUPPORTIVE +
OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS
Site Checklist
Site selection is one of the first and most critical considerations in regard to veteran housing. Previous veteran housing projects, such as MLK1101 by LOHA have benefited from additional grants by choosing overlooked, underutilized and code challenged sites. Research shows that many housing projects on underutilized or government owned land benefit from additional funding that would not be applicable elsewhere, such as the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), Project Based Vouchers (PBV), also used for The Crest Apartments, by Michael Malzhan.
The context surrounding the site is just as important as the site itself. The proposed site must be accessible, both in regard to ADA code and the ease of access to health care services within the local Veteran Affairs (VA) hospital to ensure the wellbeing and proper care of the veterans.
Direct access to multiple sources of public transportation, including local and regional services, is a necessity for this type of project to ensure the veterans are connected to the area. The site should be adaptable for both pedestrian and bike traffic, and afford the veterans a connection to green space and natural elements, as well as the public right of way to seamlessly adapt to the existing streetscape and surrounding areas, all which are highlighted in LMSA’s Edwin M Lee Apartments.
ACCESSIBILITY + UNDERSTANDING
1 Mile Radius to VA Health Center
CONNECTION TO NATURE
Studies have found that the higher homeless and suicidal rates of veterans could potentially be mitigated with the help of counseling and VA provider care. As shown in the previous research, over 60% of the veterans experiencing homelessness that committed suicide had no recent or pending appointments with the VA to receive these much needed services. These drastic statistics highlight the need to include supportive services within all future veteran housing projects, composed of a full time staffed office, which has been utilized in The Richardson Apartments by David Baker Architects, or scheduled visits to help destigmatize the idea of receiving services, a pilot program that is currently being implemented within a few VA Housing programs.
As seen in the previous data, the veteran input derived from the interactive workshops produced a wide variety of amenities and individualized desires, but the majority of participants all gravitated towards the implementation of both active and quiet communal
gathering spaces, in order to best fit their needs and recovery. Many veterans with PTSD benefit from both active and quiet gatherings in order to choose the best space to help them succeed. The active community space can also be utilized as a connection between the general public, veteran residents and families who reside in the same building, which is a strategy used at MLK 1101, designed by LOHA in an effort to further destigmatize the negative conditions that surround many veteran and low income housing projects.
Another programmatic element that has shown to be a connective aspect between the housing project and the surrounding context is storefront retail or office space. A supportive service chosen by over 85% of the focus group was Employment Training. A residential –employee partnership between retail & restaurant companies and the residence has been proven to help the veterans learn a specific job skill and earn money while receiving the care they need, helping them gain back their self-confidence and self-reliance without the
stress of income or being removed from a housing program. The Richardson Apartments utilize the street front retail and offices as a way to subsidize the cost of operations and maintenance of the building.
In addition to the various amenities and desires of the veterans within the focus groups, the majority would benefit from a veteran housing project that included various residential options. Some of the veterans have families experiencing homelessness elsewhere, as they do not always qualify for current VA veteran housing programs, and therefore would benefit from a housing typology that allowed for additional bedrooms. Various residential options, ranging from studios to multi room units, can be a positive consideration, especially in veteran housing projects that include rooms for low income families in order to qualify for additional grants and funding.
TRANSPARENCY + WAYFINDING
SUPPORTIVE +
OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS
Social Scale Checklist
No matter the scale, veterans need comradery and social interaction. Over 75% of the veterans in the focus group noted feeling their worst when alone in a room, some going as far as referring to their bed as a mental prison. Many also noted they lose control when having to deal with even a small issue and cannot find anyone else to help. The military mitigates this issue by implementing the “buddy system”, which ensures there is always someone to listen and help.
Veteran housing projects should be reviewed at each step of the design process to ensure that the veterans have the highest chance for social interactions which enable them to navigate through varying spatial experiences.
The project as a whole should adhere to a Community Interaction scale, which includes a large communal gathering space and green space. The focus group feedback shows that veterans prefer gathering in spaces both inside and outside their current housing.
The veterans should be afforded multiple opportunities throughout the project to be involved in experiences of the Group Connection scale. These are often focused gathering spaces within a group of individual clustered units.
Finally, relating to the buddy system, each room can allow for an individual identity, but are joined by a small, shared area that belongs to a pair of veterans to take ownership of together.
INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY
SOCIAL SCALE COMMUNITY INTERACTION
GROUP CONNECTION
DURHAM RISING 04
Durham Rising
Durham Rising is a 46-unit supportive, dynamic community-based veteran housing project in Durham, NC that will serve as an informational HUB for national programs that house veterans in order to further the efforts to combat both veteran suicide and veteran homelessness. The proposed housing design will showcase the importance of getting help and gives the veterans a place to call home, while they utilize the supportive services necessary to find their path forward.
All decisions throughout the entirety of this design were guided and solidified by veterans, for veterans.
STANDING TOGETHER
Site Checklist
Site Analysis: Durham
4.1 Site Analysis & Checklist
The city of Durham is a strong candidate for a supportive veteran housing project. Durham has a notable veteran presence, due to the eight major military bases within the state of North Carolina. It is also home to one of the largest VA medical centers in the nation and the number of veterans experiencing homelessness within the city could be mitigated with a single veteran housing project of this type. When reviewing the extents of Durham, it is noticeable that the prominent connecting factor is also the largest dividing feature of the city, the NC 147 Freeway. This obstacle has proven to make it much more difficult for lower income families, people without personal transportation, and those experiencing homelessness to travel freely from either side of the city. With this constraint in mind, in addition to the checklist item
which proposes the site to be situated within close proximity to the local VA hospital, it would be most beneficial to locate an opportunity to the southwest of NC 147, in West Durham.
The surrounding area of the Durham VA Center is currently the subject of rapid growth and expansion, making it a fundamental location for the integration of veteran housing within the public realm. The area is also connected to multiple green spaces and natural areas within the surrounding urban fabric. With the upcoming growth of business and residences, this area will have full access to GO Durham and other sources of public transportation, connecting the residents to all extents of the city while providing direct access to the Regional VA facilities, located in Winston Salem, NC.
VICINITY SITE PLAN - DURHAM, NC
Site Checklist
The project is driven by the prominent interest in the multi use apartment community typology expressed by the veteran’s and the data collected from both the interactive workshops and surveys. Located a half mile West of the Durham VA Medical Center, the existing site is a vacant parking lot housing an abandoned small bank. It is situated on the corner of Erwin Road and S Lasalle St, which has direct access to multiple Go Durham and Go Triangle bus routes that stop directly at the VA center. The site itself is in the center of the quickly expanding Erwin Rd developments and affords the opportunity for high density + multi story apartments, with a strong streetfront connection to the public realm and introduces a new housing typology to the busy streetscape.
Underutilized or Government Owned Land
SITE AXON
4.2 Context Analysis
Context Analysis
Address 2710 Erwin Rd, Durham NC 27705
Parcel ID 125281
Current Use Underutilized - Vacant
Lot Area .78 Acres : 34,070 SF
Street Classification Erwin Rd + S Lasalle St: Multi Lane
Commercial Neighborhood - Compact Design : The Compact Design (CD) District is intended to encourage development of appropriate urban streetscape and form through bicycling, pedestrian, and transit-oriented development through various sub-districts similar to the Downtown Design District. Compact Design Districts are located within areas designated as “Design District” within Compact Neighborhood Tiers of the Durham Comprehensive Plan. The CN District is established to provide for commercial centers in close proximity to residential areas that offer limited commercial uses to satisfy the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. Compatibility is facilitated through design standards and buffering that provide for walkable, pedestrian-oriented development that complements nearby residential neighborhoods.
1. Permitted + Prohibited Use
Durham UDO (6.10.2) - Residential Development in Non-Residential Districts allows the design of Multi Use/ upper story residential units.
2. Structure Height
Durham UDO (6.10.2) - Max building height set at 75’ above grade. Sec 6.6 (Affordable Housing Bonus) allows max 90’ above grade.
4. Amenity Area
Durham UDO (6.10.2) - Sec 6.6 (Affordable Housing Bonus) - Open/Amenity space - Minimum Required : 5% Gross SF
5. Street Frontage - Setback Standards
Durham UDO (6.10.2) - Commercial Neighborhood (CN) - Maximum Front/ Rear/Side Setbacks : 15’. No Minimum Setbacks
At least 15% of the total number of dwelling units in the project shall be affordable housing dwelling units for households earning 60% of AMI.
7. Parking Requirements
Durham UDO (10.3.11) - In the Compact Neighborhood Tier, all uses within projects utilizing the Affordable Housing Density Bonus, (paragraph 16.1.3D.2.d), shall be exempt from required minimum parking. SITE PLAN
The proposed program is driven by the veteran’s feedback and the data collected from both the interactive workshops and surveys. The amenities were produced specifically from the survey answers which asked the veterans their preference for both communal spaces and individual elements within the residential units. The survey also guided the program list in the correct direction by helping remove potentially negative spaces that directly conflicted with the feedback received, and therefore were removed from the project.
Using the Program Checklist, this project is able to meet all programmatic element standards, from the supportive services, various community spaces, to multiple residential options.
QUANTITYNET SFTOTAL NSF
Program Analysis: Early Concepts
A series of early sketch iterations and concepts models were created to study variations that incorporate the veteran guided program list within the site. The main driving factors taken into consideration for each concept were the importance of a clear connection between interior and exterior gathering spaces and the project’s connection to the surrounding context.
These early concepts enabled the study of elevated plinth spaces, varying courtyards, and layers of green spaces between the massings. Each scheme focused on a different approach to activating the street edge by placing the active community spaces in different areas in
order to understand which location would maximize interactions with the public realm. The extensive grade change throughout the site allowed for studies of varying avenues of approach and the addition of a ground level, pushing the ideations of multi-story spatial relationships, moving towards a more open and connected veteran housing project.
After considering all of the site constraints, programmatic requirements, and the opportunities each scheme presented, the Inner Courtyard scheme was chosen as the concept that best communicates the ideas presented by the focus groups.
3. PLINTH
1. OUTER COURTYARD
4. BAR
2. INNER COURTYARD
GROUND FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
PROGRAM BLOCKS - PLAN
UPPER FLOORS
Social Scale Checklist
Veteran housing projects must be reviewed to ensure that the veterans have the highest chance for social interactions which enable them to navigate through varying spatial experiences.
To achieve this, the project is designed in three layers:
The ground floor is composed of a connection between active communal gathering spaces and the lower exterior courtyard, promoting community interaction and connection with green space.
The first floor, located at street level, is comprised of street front retail, supportive services, and residential amenities, allowing for both community interaction and group involvement in the smaller, more focused spaces.
The upper levels consist of the residential units, each designed in clusters & groups, allowing for residential commons areas throughout. These spaces offer the veterans a series of more personal gathering spaces near their individual or shared rooms.
Group Connection Group Connection group involvement
individual connection
group involvement
Building Attributes
The building serves as a gateway between the two aspects of the site:
Running parallel to the active Erwin Road, the building activates the entirety of the street edge by inviting the community into the series of retail spaces, employed by the veterans who live above. On the corner, the welcome canopy opens up and invites interactions outside while showcasing the supportive services just within the entry. Above, the residential units are wrapped in an array of shading elements to bring color, life and vibrance to the facade, creating a dynamic
element while still maintaining a modular unit within the building.
The inner portion consists of various communal gathering spaces. These spaces are connected through interior and exterior paths, which surround the main courtyard, formed by the two perpendicular legs of the building. The blue canopy passes through the project and wraps the communal gathering areas into a holistic element which opens up to the upper and lower courtyard areas.
COURTYARD
Resident Entry
The resident entry is positioned on the active street corner of the site.
The canopy not only creates an inviting entry for the residents, but also a sense of shelter for the pedestrians moving through the newly developed area. The corner is wrapped in an array of seating choices, which are brought to life by abundant native plants and vegetation.
The supportive services are placed just within the entry, placing the heart of the building on display, and further showcasing the driving foundations of the project.
Directly upon entry, the residents are greeted by the signed Welcome Wall within the supportive services lobby, signifying that the services here are not a required destination, but an active part of the building that is to be interacted with daily.
Community Space
Directly connected to the supportive services lobby, the first floor community space affords the opportunity to ascend on the main circulation path to the residential units above, to descend into the active community dining space and lower courtyard below, or to interact with other residents in the library, computer lab, gym, prayer rooms and patio spaces.
The majority of the focus group preferred that the amenity spaces were as open and connected as possible, so the library, computer lab and education learning spaces were designed to be experienced throughout the circulation path, allowing for maximum flexibility throughout.
Community Entry
The large pass through walkway connects the activity on Erwin Road to the retail shops and community spaces throughout the upper courtyard. This gives the public access to retail amenities and seating, while diminishing the border between veteran and community interaction in many current veteran housing projects.
By utilizing both the walkway and inner courtyard for public events, such as farmer markets on weekends, or as shelter while awaiting the bus during commuting hours, it begins to belong to both the surrounding community and the residents alike.
COMMUNITY ENTRY RETAIL
UPPER COURTYARD
Courtyard
The top three desired exterior amenities derived from the veteran surveys were a community garden, a large, shaded structure, and a space to grill together.
Using this feedback as a foundation of design, the courtyard is composed of a series of ramps that not only connect the upper and lower portions but have destinations and moments of pause throughout. The ramp intertwines with the main exterior stairs and
the vegetated landscape, allowing for gathering and moments of overlap between the community garden, large group stair seating, and pockets of smaller, quiet spaces throughout the paths.
The termination of the ramp is met by a large, shaded structure, protecting the outdoor seating, grilling station and flagpole, grounding the lower courtyard to the site and signifying its importance to the project.
LOWER COURTYARD
SECTION - COURTYARD
LOWER COMMONS
Lower Commons - Dining & Cafe
The lower courtyard seamlessly transitions into the Lower Commons and Dining area, giving the veterans the flexibility of both interior and exterior communal spaces on each level. While visiting the veteran housing programs for the interactive workshops, one significant aspect that was discussed was the fact that 75% of the veterans’ meals are catered daily. The veterans stated that they try to use this time to gather and eat together but are not usually able to include everyone, due to accessibly issues and lack of space. The survey feedback showcased their desire for a large dining area with a small
cafe station, that can be utilized in the mornings and during the catered meals.
Adjacent to the dining space is a warming kitchen, where the food can be properly prepared, served and stored. The double height lower Commons is connected to the Upper Commons and Supportive Services lobby through the main staircase, which can also be used for group learning, presentations, and individual seating along the glass, looking out into the courtyard greenery.
Residential Units
The upper levels of the project consist of the residential units and a series of common meeting spaces for the veterans to interact and develop a pride of ownership in.
Derived from the unit plan studies created with the focus group, the units range from studio efficient to three bedroom shared units, allowing for flexibility and options for low income families in need of emergency housing.
Following the social scale guidelines, the units are paired together throughout a double loaded corridor, allowing for individual identity with each singular room, but presented as groups so the veterans always have someone to reach out to.
The residential canopies bring color, depth, and unit identity which lead into shared commons areas that receive ample natural light and views to either the inner courtyard, or the city life below on Erwin Rd.
UPPER FLOOR PLANS - LIVING
Above all else, this project is about one single issue:
Listening.
The purpose of this project was to find ways to help veterans move forward - which we envisioned as new spaces, amenities, materials - but each veteran said the same thing: they just want to be heard.
Maybe it truly is that simple.
“Homeless and at-risk veterans need more than just shelter. We must give them the tools to empower themselves and reclaim the self-worth and dignity which comes from occupying a place in the American dream.
It is a dream they fought so hard to defend for the rest of us. ”
