“On a single night in January 2018, there were 36,361 unaccompanied homeless youth under the age of 25,” (The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2018). The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that there are approximately 1.8 million homeless youth in the United States (Social Research Report, 2012). Many homeless youth have experienced some form of trauma or mental illness, both of which worsen the longer the individual stays on the street (Administration on Children, Youth and Families, 2016).
The client, Tompkins Community Action, or TCAction, is a private not-for-profit charitable organization that “collaborates with individuals and organizations to sustain and improve economic opportunity and social justice for families and individuals impacted directly or indirectly by poverty,” (Tompkins Community Action, Inc., 2019). TCAction offers many programs for individuals facing poverty, such as family, energy, housing, and other supportive services. In an effort to expand their impact and resources for the homeless community, TCAction began the process of creating a youth homeless shelter for people between the ages of 18 to 25. This shelter will be known as “The Nook.”
The intent of this report is to describe design guidelines and solutions that may mitigate stress and increase ease of the stakeholders of the shelter, such as residents, staff, visitors, etc. Overall, these guidelines demonstrate the way human beings are impacted by the physical environment and how social identities affect the way people interact with the environment, or Human-Environment Relations (HER).
These guidelines have been chosen based on their feasibility and relevance to a homeless shelter, more specifically to the sleeping and storage areas of the shelter. Each guideline has been ordered into one of the following categories: Identity, Social Interaction, Layout & Design Elements, Ambient Environment, and Safety & Wellbeing. These categories represent social, personal, and physical attributes that are important for the shelter to be aware of. All guidelines have been rated based on their feasibility, priority, and research validity. With this list of guidelines, we hope to meet the needs of all user groups and provide designers with a valuable resource.
In order to indicate the level of importance of each design guideline, we devised the rating system for clients and designers .
We have 3 ratings: Feasibility, Priority, and Research Validity.
Each guideline is rated on each scale (from 1 to 5) based on the following criteria:
The achievability with existing structural dimensions of the space and limited budget
High Feasibility:
Medium Feasibility:
Low Feasibility:
Priority
The level of importance of the design guideline for the design of the Youth Homeless Shelter
High Priority: Medium Priority:
Low Priority:
Research Validity
The number and the quality of sources that support the design guideline
High Research Validity:
Medium Research Validity: Low Research Validity:
How people use space to communicate owner ship or occupancy of areas and possessions
Overexposure to noise may cause users to become stressed or irritated
Light affects mental health, performance, and discomfort
The ability to have some agency over your environment
The feeling of being secure from possible threats, external or otherwise
The ability to customize a space with per sonal belongings such as pictures, poster s, etc
Balance between the desired social interaction and achieved social interaction
Properties that are calming, that help indi viduals de-stress
and visually pleasing
Making something feel more welcoming, comfortable, essentially more like home
Psychological experience of discomfort that arises from perception that amount of space is inadequate
Varying hues or shades communicate different messages and can affect a user’s experience
To facilitate the use of the design guidelines, the following icons indicate physical and social environmental factor s along with per sonal traits that illustrate human responses to the physical environment.
The individuals coming to live in this community come with their own unique story and identity; this must be kept in mind when creating this facility. While homeless shelters are a shared space, an effort to decrease an institutional feel and promote personalization is beneficial to the residents wellbeing.
Increase variability in the sleeping quarters to provide for a more comfortable and homey environment.
In a North American study, it was found that a space is more homey, welcoming, and comfortable when it has variability, meaning it is not institutional (McCracken, 1989). Homeyness is about creating a welcoming environment that feels more like home to the resident. Many homeless youth may not have not felt at home for a long time, if ever. A disproportionate amount of homeless youth identify as being LGBTQ+ and had to run away from a place where they did not feeling at home or safe. In many situations, homeless youth have experienced physical, emotional, or mental abuse. It is the job of the designers to make a place where these youth feel welcome, which may encourage them to stay there instead of on the streets.
• Allow users to decorate the space with personal items such as posters, pictures, or other decor.
• Use a variety materials, colors, textures in the space.
• Use different types of furniture rather than institutional repetition.
• If the environment is overstimulating, some users may not find it aesthetically pleasing or may be uncomfortable.
• Non-institutional furniture and finishes may be less durable and more expensive.
• Physical attributes do not always denote
• homeyness.
See also Guideline 1.2, 3.1, 3.2 & 5.2
Provide means for clients to personalize their sleep and storage spaces.
Humans imprint on their environment in almost every setting, which helps people to bond, reflect on important events, establish aesthetic preferences, and communicate participation in meaningful activities and interests. Opportunities for personalization let people create a space that reflects these preferences and values (Heidmets, 1994). A customizable space and the display of personal items helps people feel they have control over the physical environment and cultivates a sense of homeyness.
• Include open shelving in/near each sleep space.
• Offer the choice of different colored linens.
• Provide chalkboards and/or bulletin boards to display personal items.
• Open shelving is not secure. For this reason, some people may not feel comfortable placing their personal belongings on open shelves.
• People may have strong preferences that conflict with others personalized spaces.
• Personalization and territoriality are related; the incorporation of spaces that can be personalized may cause conflicts among individuals fighting for control over the area.
• People without family photos or personal belonging may feel left out or sad when looking at other residents’ personalized spaces.
Design inclusive spaces that don’t divide people based on gender differences.
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found that LGBTQ youth had a 120 percent higher risk of reporting homelessness compared to others who identified as heterosexual and/or cisgender (Human Rights Campaign, n.d.). In addition, LGBTQ youth comprise up to 40 percent of the total homeless youth population although they make up 5-10% of the overall youth population. Not only are LGBTQ youth at higher risk of becoming homeless, but also they face hardships such as assault, trauma, and early death (Convent House, n.d.). Hence, it is critical for a homeless shelter to ensure that the space is welcoming, comfortable and safe for LGBTQ youth. Since some LGBTQ youth are traumatized by family rejection because of their gender identity, the shelter should have a gender inclusive bedroom that prevents further trauma and discomfort.
• Create gender neutral bedrooms that are inclusive.
• Provide opportunities for people to indicate their preferred pronouns.
• Create a wall between the beds to provide a sense of security and privacy while sleeping and reduce the capacity for unwanted sexual advances.
• Some residents may feel uncomfortable sleeping in bedrooms that are not divided by gender, especially if this conflicts with religious beliefs, or if they have experienced sexual trauma.
See also Guideline 1.5 & 2.5
Allow residents to contribute to the maintenance and cleanliness of the space.
Self efficacy is an individual’s belief in their ability to accomplish something (Tsang, Hui, & Law, 2012). It is a developed through life experiences. When a person accomplishes a task they build mastery experiences. Therefore setting short term goals and achieving them can help to build a sense of confidence. Homeless youth may have struggled in work experiences and in academic settings, due to stress from being homeless. Performing routine tasks that to maintain their own health and hygiene provides an opportunity to learn they are capable individuals. Taking responsibility for the organization and cleanliness of their sleeping and storage spaces may help to form positive associations with daily chores and enhance their sense of ownership of the environment, which helps them feel a sense of control over their life. Additionally, if residents keep their own personal spaces clean this may help to reduce territorial behavior.
• A shared chore chart to delegate tasks for residents to perform while staying in the shelter.
• Accessible cleaning supplies so that residents feel they can participate in cleaning activities.
• Adequate storage so that people have space to store clothing and other personal items in an organized fashion.
• Individuals who have experienced conflict over household duties with family members in the past may experience negative responses towards chore assignments.
Be mindful of mirror placement as reflections may trigger body dysmorphia and other insecurities.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is when a person incessantly thinks about perceived flaws related to their physical appearance. This disorder is often paired with disordered eating, and has higher rates of prevalence in transgender and non-gender conforming individuals (Pham et al., 2019). As there are higher rates of LGBTQ+ people living as homeless youth than their non-homeless counterparts, considerations for body dysmorphia are particularly relevant and important. Mirror gazing, or spending long periods of time inspecting one’s reflection occurs in 80% of people with BDD (Veale & Riley, 2001). Therefore, placement of mirrors can dramatically affect a person’s mental health. Refraining from excessive mirrors, and giving people the option to avoid there reflection can help to ease the negative effects of this physiological disorder.
• Small hand-held mirrors that can be easily hidden or avoided.
• Hanging mirrors that are two sided, with one side that is not reflective and can be flipped when mirrors are not desired.
• Residents without BDD may benefit from the presence of mirrors as it may help them to build self-confidence and remind them to attend to their personal hygiene.
• Mirrors are very effective at enhancing the effects of natural daylight within interior environments.
Homeless shelters are shared environments. This warrants many social interactions both wanted and unwanted. The design of the sleeping area should keep this in mind and account for factors such as privacy, crowding and territoriality in order to foster a thriving community.
Residents need to be able to regulate social interaction.
Individuals need for social interaction fluctuates over time. In addition, some clients may want more social interaction overall than other clients. Individuals are coming to the shelter at a vulnerable time. Environmental self-regulation (Korpela, 1989) is important for young adults (18 to 24) who may not have fully developed strategies for social and psychological self -regulation. Some may need more privacy and quiet space, while others may be seeking to build their social networks. For youth who may have been on their own for some time it may be uncomfortable for them to have such an influx of social interaction and they may want privacy. “Privacy relates to independence, autonomy, dignity and identity, but also to safety, stress reduction, and healing,” (Berens, n.d.). Without the ability to regulate social interaction, privacy, residents may feel uncomfortable, inhibiting their ability to grow and rehabilitate.
• Diverse programming of space to both facilitate social interaction and provide privacy such as modular furniture
• Sleeping pods with a curtain that can be drawn
• Offer seating options that can be arranged to increase socialization, if desired (Evans, 2003).
• It may be difficult to provide the right balance of desired social interaction and achieved social interaction for everyone.
• If residents have too much privacy, it may be difficult for staff to monitor their wellbeing and safety.
See also Guideline 2.2, 2.5 & 3.5
Mitigate the negative psychological effects of crowding by creating buffers in the sleeping area.
Crowding is a psychological experience of discomfort that arises from the perception that amount of space is inadequate. It is a measure of the social or spatial density within a room. A person’s perception of crowding varies based on their social identities. As crowding or perceived crowding increases, stress does as well (Evans, 1979). Stress reduces cognitive performance, compromises the immune system and causes social withdrawal, leading to loneliness. For a person with mental health problems, of which many homeless youth are afflicted, perceived crowding is unpredictable.
Homeless people may already feel a sense of loneliness, and social withdrawal will exacerbate this problem. The shelter needs to be an environment that is not stressful in any way to promote the best healing of its users. Moreover, increased stress in sleeping quarters will cause insomnia which can also cause a negative impact on people’s health.
• Increase depth and lighting within the space to make it appear more spacious.
• Create enclosed beds for people to retreat when feeling crowded.
• Clear divisions between dwelling spaces allows residents to better regulate their interactions with one another.
• Enclosed spaces may make it difficult to monitor homeless youth and their behaviors.
• Uncomfortable users may rely on the enclosures to withdraw from social settings.
Avoid direct sightlines in sleeping quarters in order to provide adequate privacy.
Privacy is the balance between the desired amount social interaction and the amount of achieved social interaction (Evans, 2019). If the balance is disturbed by excessive direct sightlines, people may withdraw, preventing them from having any social interaction. For homeless youth, many of whom suffer from mental illness, this is critical. Being in an unusual setting and interacting with more people than normal is difficult, and the feeling of being monitored may discourage them from future social interactions; making it harder for them to get back on their feet later on. In a post occupancy evaluation of a homeless shelter in Philadelphia, residents made it clear that “opportunities for privacy”were vital to maintain residents’ dignity (Kratzer, 2014). Having privacy demonstrates to homeless youth that they are trusted, which is needed in order for them to be self sufficient.
Residents want a place in the shelter that is private and “theirs,” having direct sightlines may undermine that. Residents do not want to feel like they are in an institution or prison, where being watched is the norm.
• Buffers for the sleeping quarters that can be moved at the will of the resident.
• Small room/stall like sections for each resident.
• Without direct sightlines, staff may have a difficult time monitoring residents leading to safety risks. Residents may engage in unlawful or risky behavior due to the lack of visibility of the staff. In areas of low visibility, crime rates are known to increase.
Guideline 2.4
Providing personal storage in close proximity to the bed area increases the feeling of ownership in publicly shared space.
When residents arrive at the shelter, some of their belongings may be illegal or not permitted within the shelter. If residents are required to discard items before entering the shelter they may be deterred from staying there; however, allowing contraband inside can compromise resident safety. Having an available storage space as soon as the residents enter allows staff to see what they have on them as soon as they enter, and reduces the chances of contraband making it further into the facility. Territoriality comes into play because it allows residents to know their belongings are protected and will be there for them when they choose to leave. People feel happier and safer in spaces in which they have some ownership of a territory (Kratzer, 2014). Primary space is limited in communal shelter settings, so a secure space to store items acts as a pseudo-personal space.
• Storage that is attached to the bed (ex: pull out drawers from the bottom, storage space built into the bed frame).
• Storage that is portable and can be easily moved next to and/or under the beds.
• Beds that lift up with storage underneath.
• If storage is connected to the bed, this may slow down resident turnover.
• Adding storage near beds may increase traffic in the aisles when residents are retrieving items while others are exiting their beds.
See also Guideline 3.4, 5.1, 5.4 & 5.6
Clear divisions between dwelling spaces allows residents to better regulate their interactions with one another.
With residents living in close proximity to each other in a large room, it is difficult for them to control when and who they interact with. Sleeping is also vulnerable time, so this adds to difficulty of the situation. The use of partitions and furniture arrangements can provide opportunities to retreat from social interactions when desired, and create a sense of privacy and security. Regulating interactions with one another can also ease the tension that naturally comes when individuals live together. Gender identity is also a large factor to consider. Many shelters tend to be physically unsafe for transgender people, even though a disproportionate amount of homeless youth are part of the LGBTQ community (Mottet & Ohle, 2006). If residents sleeping arrangements are organized by gender identity it allows people who may be transgender to feel more comfortable being with the gender they identify with because of the added element of privacy.
• Spaces that are demarcated for privacy through the use of screens, curtains and other visual buffers.
• Small clusters of seating that are removed from the main public areas.
• Separators such as translucent glass creating a cubicle like space. A pod like structure around the bed.
• The inclusion of visual barriers that afford for privacy and retreat may provide opportunity for risk-taking behavior such as drug use, theft, and other safety concerns.
The design of the space can have just as much impact on the residents as the people living there. The layout and aesthetics can be the difference from the environment feeling like an institution versus a home is beneficial to the residents wellbeing.
Guideline 3.1
Visually pleasing dwelling environments improve the mood and wellbeing of the residents.
Along with having higher levels of anger than the general population, a large percent of the homeless population is affected by mental illness. According to a 2015 assessment by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 140,000 or 25 percent of homeless population were seriously mentally ill and 250,000 or 45 percent had any mental illness (Tarr, 2019). Because of the likely-hood of high tensions, an environment that contributes towards a positive mood is beneficial. In a study, it was seen that residents of treatment centers objected to stark white walls without any design elements because it generated a sterile feeling, which isn’t homey (Berens, n.d.). The aesthetics of the dwelling environment directly affect attitudes of the residents, so if they are appealing it can make them feel more comfortable.
• Light colored rooms reduce the feeling of crowdedness.
• Artwork on walls adds to visual stimulation and can function as a natural view to distract and alleviate stress.
• Different types of furniture may provide various visual stimulation and create more appealing space.
Tradeoffs
• Although there is some consensus on what is generally preferred, not everyone has the same visual preferences.
See also Guideline 1.1 & 1.2
Create a bright and colorful bedroom such that homeless youth can feel calm and welcoming.
Room colors can be used to evoke specific moods and influence how users act. For example, studies show that painting a bedroom with a soft green color creates a calming effect while babies seem to cry more in yellow rooms (Mihai, 2019). Moreover, a spokesman of Central Nippon Expressway Co. said that blue color and light encourage people to instinctively act safely and calmly, thereby preventing suicides and crimes (Shimbun, 2008). These results suggest that choosing colors for a bedroom is critical when designing to impact how homeless youth feel or act within the space. Indeed, it can create not only a calm and welcoming atmosphere but also has a stress-reducing effect on the homeless who may suffer from low self-respect and mental illness. Additionally, In the interview conducted by the Learning Web Youth Outreach and Tompkins Community Action, the homeless youth expressed desire for bright, colorful spaces instead of white rooms that look like hospitals and shelters (ACT for Youth, 2019).
• Avoid a white bedroom that looks like a hospital or a shelter.
• Combine the refreshing quality of blue, cheerful yellow, and calming effect of green.
• Decorate a bedroom with colorful furniture
• Install blue light or paint blue color on personal lockers to prevent robbery.
Tradeoffs
• The effects of colors on people are subject to personal, cultural, and situational factors, therefore users might react in unexpected ways.
Provide electrical outlets in sleeping areas so that electronic devices can be charged overnight.
Sixty-two percent of homeless youth own a cell phone; Forty percent have a working phone. Seventeen percent used their phone to call a case manager, 36% to call either a potential or current employer. Fifty-one percent of youth connected with home-based peers on the phone and 41% connected to parents (Rice, Lee, & Taitt, 2011). During a transient time in the lives of these people, it can be beneficial to have cell phones or other electronic devices to connect homeless youth to family and home-based peers who can be sources of social support in times of need. Moreover, being that these youth are being put into a new and daunting environment, it would be beneficial for them to be able to reach friends or family at all hours. It is necessary for residents to have a fully charged device so that they can be reachable for job or housing opportunities so that they can get back on their feet.
• Put an outlet near each bed
• Put a USB port by each bed
• For residents who may have suicidal tendencies, it may be dangerous to have an outlet near in sleeping quarters, where they are not visible, giving residents the opportunity to take their own lives.
Make sure there are ADA compliant beds and storage options.
According to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), more than 40 percent of America’s homeless population are people with disabilities and the number appears to be increasing (Diament, 2009). Moreover, in 2016, one study found out that 18 percent -five percentage points higher than the rate for the general youth population -of homeless youth population were the ones with disabilities (Samuels, 2019). This indicates that Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requirements should be implemented in the youth homeless shelters to ensure that users with disabilities will have an equal access to and convenience in all different types of spaces --including the bedroom. As a result, this will create a bedroom that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional.
• Create 5’ diameter area for a turning radius for users who use assistive devices (eg. a wheelchair).
• Consider pocket doors, barn doors or even no doors and replace a door knob with a lever handle.
• For storage, create lower and longer (instead of taller) shelves or closets and make sure they have a lower closet rod or pull down closet rod with wider doors that are easier to open.
• Eliminate rugs or carpets and choose a smooth flooring material for users using wheelchairs.
• Implementing ADA requirements in a bedroom will require an extra space. This means that creating one extra ADA compliant bed and storage might take away another homeless youth’s opportunity to sleep in a shelter.
Provide sufficient aisle space within the bedroom for traffic.
The homeless shelters are overcrowded because their limited space cannot accommodate every single homeless youth. As a result, residents are forced to sleep only one foot apart from one another at some homeless shelters. In a bedroom without an adequate space to move, users might involuntarily violate others’ personal spaces, cause injury, have poor sleep quality, and experience reduced coping abilities and psychological stress due to crowding (Hotwani, 2017).
In addition, International Health Facility Guidelines state that establishing the minimum aisle space is required to allow a width that will not restrict egress in the event of an emergency evacuation procedure (IHFG, 2015). Therefore, a sufficient space to move within a bedroom is necessary since it contributes to the comfort, privacy, visually appealing space, and safety issue.
• Create at least 3’ of aisle space for traffic lanes.
• In order to accommodate arranging the bedding and getting in and out without bumps and bruises, a bed requires a 2-foot walkway around its perimeter.
• Provide at least 3’ of clearance from the doorway to the nearest bed.
• At least 2 feet of space is needed in front of a storage or a dresser to allow for opening and closing doors with ease.
• It can be a highly controversial decision to provide a comfortable bedroom to a limited number of people at the expense of fitting in more homeless youth in dire need of shelters.
Design the space so that staff can monitor residents for health crises.
Homeless people are at a higher risk for a broad range of acute and chronic illnesses (Institute of Medicine Committee on Health Care for Homeless People, 1988) compared to their non-homeless peers. Recent data from Social and Demographic Research Institute indicate that homelessness is associated with a number of physical and mental problems ranging from skin disorders to dementia. Estimates of the prevalence of current major mental illness range from 20-25% percent of the homeless population (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Therefore, one of the most important environmental aspects of the homeless shelter is to provide residents with a space where staff can regularly monitor the homeless youths for health crises. Since many symptoms of diseases arise unexpectedly, the space should enable the staff to maintain clear sight lines throughout the spaces.
• Large windows and an open space might help the staff maintain clear sight lines throughout the spaces.
• Minimize closed or blind corners so that homeless youths can feel that they can get help from others in an emergency.
• Install emergency buttons so that residents can easily receive help from others when necessary and the staff can rapidily respond to an emergency.
Large windows and an open space may violate privacy and cause undesired interaction.
The design of the space can have just as much impact on the residents as the people living there. The layout and aesthetics can be the difference from the environment feeling like an institution versus a home.
Decrease recurrence of intense emotional or physical reactions in users with PTSD by controlling for sudden bright glares of light and loud noises.
Bright lights can trigger extreme emotional or psychological responses in users with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Glare is an integral part of lighting, and we must be aware of its effects.
By controlling for glare, a common trigger, the frequency of these responses can be decreased. Many homeless youth have experienced some form of trauma, whether it be emotional, physical, etc., on the street or in their previous home. Of youth who have experienced a past traumatic event, 79.5% have reported reliving these events and experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress (Administration for Children and Families, 2016).
The homeless shelter must be a place of healing and possible triggers hinder that.
• Only use indirect lighting when lighting the space
• Decrease brightness of space
• Use matte materials (nothing shiny) for floors and walls so there is no glare
• Space may be a little darker, decreasing visibility, in creasing eye strain; users with vision problems may be affected.
• Light may appear less natural, decreasing restorative properties of the space.
• When there is less light, space appears smaller which influences perceptions of crowding.
See also Guideline 4.2, 4.3 & 4.4
Arrange lighting fixtures so that people can use light for activities without disturbing other residents who are trying to sleep. If discrete lighting features cannot be provided, create sleeping areas that allow residents to block unwanted light.
Individuals have different sleeping schedules depending on their natural circadian rhythms (Farhud & Aryan, 2018). If multiple people share a sleeping area, desired lighting conditions must be negotiated among users. Unwanted light exposure can prevent people from falling asleep and lead to a disruption in sleeping patterns. Alternately, if an individual prefers to go to sleep later they may feel restless if they are unable to use light to perform calming activities before bed. Soothing activities, such as reading, journaling, or knitting, can help those who suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. Lighting that accommodates a variety of preferences can help to prevent conflict over differences in desired lighting conditions.
• Wall mounted or free standing reading lights that are re-positionable.
• Blackout curtains can be used to divide beds in a communal sleeping area.
• Partitions between beds, or staggered beds to reduce light exposure from other residents.
• Designing lighting for multiple residents may complicate lighting and electrical plans.
• Fixtures that are wall mounted and hardwired may reduce the flexibility of furniture arrangements.
Provide residents with pleasant sleeping condition through a noise reducing structure in a bedroom.
Reducing noise in a bedroom is necessary since it is related to sleep quality, physiological stress and health problems. A high level of noise can interfere with one’s sleeping, cause physiological stress, and increase blood pressure (Evans, 2018). In fact, even when the noise level is not that high, people with chronic noise exposure show such symptoms. In addition, although noise does not directly trigger violent social behavior, a correlation has been found between noise and aggression (Evans, 2018). In case of a homeless shelter where usually 15 to 20 people use one bedroom, not only street noise from the outside of the shelter, but also noise produced by users in the bedroom can negatively affect the overall condition of the bedroom.
• Avoid hard surfaces that contribute to loudness by increasing echo within a bedroom.
• Move closets, clothing racks or book shelves to line outside walls since fabric and books can absorb some of the street noise.
• Install thick curtains.
• Install movable, sound reducing screen that users can easily move and use when necessary.
• Installing acoustic ceiling cloud can save a lot of space and effectively reduce noise.
• Installing additional devices or building structures might make a bedroom more crowded.
• Moreover, it requires thorough research and considerable cost to create effective noise reducing structures or devices.
Allow clients some control over their ambient environment.
Homelessness instills a sense of helplessness and loss of control. One way to help clients regain their sense of efficacy is to provide ways that allow them some control over their ambient environment (Berens, n.d.). When an individual is physically uncomfortable in the physical environment due to ambient qualities, such as temperature, it can be harder to concentrate due to discomfort. Creating a restorative environment requires attention to the thermal, lighting and acoustical needs of residents.
• Controls for individual lighting
• Supply personal fans
• Bed curtains that can be drawn
• Access to thermostat and other controls over the ambient environment.
• Adding features (e.g. controls, bed curtains, etc.) will result additional maintenance requirements.
• Residents may disagree over desired preferences for light and temperature conditions, the presence of an accessible control or thermostat may be a source of conflict.
• There may be additional costs associated with temperature controls if residents are not mindful of regulating its use.
In small spaces, good air circulation can mitigate the feelings of claustrophobia.
Claustrophobia, or the fear of small, enclosed spaces is very common. It has been suggested that claustrophobia has two major components: fear of suffocation and fear of restriction (Rachman, 1990). Enclosed spaces can give the feeling of a restricted supply of air. Though one’s air supply in a small space may not be at risk, it may be comforting for someone who experiences claustrophobia to feel a constant flow of air. Sleeping pods are a popular design solution for homeless shelters, if that is the case sleeping in small pod like beds which can trigger claustrophobia, leading to panic attacks and anxiety. The shelter needs to be a relaxing place for rehabilitation, and we need to remove any stressors. Good ventilation and air flow could mitigate feelings of suffocation or claustrophobia.
• Add multiple windows and doorways to promote cross ventilation.
• Strategically place vents near beds.
• Vents can be unsightly and not aesthetically pleasing.
• Depending on placement, vents may take up space that could be used for beds or storage.
• Excessive ventilation may make the room colder, disturbing some residents.
A top priority of homeless shelters is safety and wellbeing, both physical and mental. Designing the sleeping space with these intentions in mind can create a space where residents feel comfortable with each other and the staff. This environment is new and unfamiliar and design of the space can attract residents or deter them.
Providing a secure place to store belongings can increase the level of comfort among the residents of the shelter.
Without a permanent home, many homeless individuals are often carrying a lot of their personal possessions with them. Having to then store these belongings within in a facility could elicit a negative response because of the lack of ownership they may now feel. Some individuals choose not to stay in shelters out of fear of having their belongings being stolen (Shapiro, 2012). By having secure storage, residents can take part in making sure their belongings are safe creating defensible space.
• Storage lockers with keyless digital locks that can be programmed for temporary use.
• Storage units provided under the bed.
• Creating secure storage units may take up valuable space that may be competing with space for crucial amenities.
• Providing personal 1:1 storage units may be difficult without sacrificing the number of beds in the space.
• Secure storage provided to the residents can limit how much staff can regulate what is being stored within the shelter.
See also Guideline 2.4 & 3.4
Restorative sleeping areas can accommodate recovery from mental fatigue and stress. Spaces that include natural elements and promote fascination can enable restoration.
Psychiatric disorders are 48.4% more prevalent in homeless youth than the general population (Hodgson, Shelton, van de Bree, & Los, 2013). The stress of experiencing homelessness can exacerbate symptoms of mental illness. One coping mechanism is to connect with nature. Psycho evolutionary Theory (PET) demonstrates that the positive reaction humans experience in nature is evolutionarily programmed –explaining how nature exposure reduces stress and improves moods. Research also highlights that people who were taking time to engage in connection with the natural world showed significantly higher happiness, sense of elevation, and connectedness to other people (LaBier, 2018). In addition, a soothing environment can assist in recovering from emotional and mental fatigue caused by trauma and chronic stress. Soft fascination can stimulate restoration through involuntary attention and subtle stimulation that doesn’t require cognitive processing.
• Objects that provide soft fascination in the bedroom such as a fish tank or water feature.
• Access to nature promotes healing, including windows with views of trees and indoor plants.
• Nature-inspired artwork can also be used.
• The positive effects of spending time in nature might not be applied to all different kinds of mental disorders.
• Live plants require maintenance.
Maintain sight lines throughout the space, for safety and security, through large windows and central corridor.
One of the most important environmental aspects of the homeless shelter is to provide the homeless with a safe and secure place to stay in. Homeless people bouncing from shelter to shelter are more likely than homeless people living on the street to commit violent crimes (Fischer,2008). Evidence also shows that homeless people are disproportionately the victims of these violent crimes. 49% of the homeless adults surveyed said they had been the victim of a violent attack in one study that covered U.S. cities (Shortt, 2018). Therefore, safety and security issues need to be addressed by the overall layout of the homeless shelter. Large windows and an open central corridor are the key features of safe and secure homeless shelter since they help homeless people and the staff maintain clear sight lines throughout the spaces. By eliminating closed or blind corners with large windows and a central corridor, homeless people will feel like they are being protected by others from any possible crimes.
• Main desk overlooks and is visible from central corridor, allowing homeless people and the staff to see each other.
• Central corridor connected to every room allows the staff to deal with emergency situation.
• An open space will promote social interactions among users in a safe and secure environment.
• Varying sizes/levels of windows.
• Large windows and an open space may violate privacy and cause undesired interaction.
See also Guideline 2.3 & 3.6
Providing residents with an orderly environment can have an effect on their wellbeing.
Life is chaotic for those who are homeless. Moving around is often a constant struggle and with so much disorder in their lives it is important to provide these individuals a place to stay that is orderly. Order in the physical environment can provide a calming effect. The trauma that many of these individuals have endured can interfere with perception of control, and this underlying trauma must be addressed (Hopper, Bassuk, & Olivet, 2010). A space to combat the disorder caused by trauma in their life is beneficial.
• Build sleeping cubes with curtains and built-in shelving to provide distinct boundaries between beds and places for clients to organize their belongings. For those clients who are less organized, the curtains may be drawn to hide clutter.
• The visual complexity of the space does not want to be kept too low; it is important for the facility to still be aesthetically pleasing and not institutionally sparse.
• Those clients who are naturally less organized may feel less inclined to be organized if they can hide their mess behind a curtain.
Use materials that are hypoallergenic and can easily be cleaned and sanitized.
Within the homeless shelter, there will be different people coming in and out often in varying states. Because beds and space will be shared it is important to maintain a level of cleanliness. Facilities often need to be cleaned thoroughly everyday, so the furniture must be durable. It also, however, must be comfortable in order to not inhibit relaxation (Berens, n.d.).
• Plastic mattress covers on the bed to preserve cleanliness of mattress.
• Hypoallergenic bedding can help reduce congestion, itching, and sneezing by keeping allergens away.
• Use of easily cleanable surfaces.
• Having materials that are easily cleanable could create an institutional feels.
• Staff must be available to clean the materials.
Providing storage space near the entry can increase safety along with providing an element of territoriality.
When residents arrive at the shelter, some of their belongings may be illegal or not allowed in the shelter. There high levels of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use amongst homeless youth, and although it decreases once begin staying in the shelter, it is still important to combat use (Greene, Ennett, & Ringwalt, 1997). Requiring them to discard them before entering can deter residents from using the shelter, and having them store the belongings deeper within the shelter can compromise safety
– residents can hide things along the way. Having storage space as soon as the residents enter allows staff to see what they have on them as soon as they enter and reduces the chances of contraband making it further into the facility. Territoriality comes into play because it allows residents to know their belongings are protected and will be there for them when they choose to leave.
• In addition to storage in the sleeping area, lockers at the very front of the building
• Drawers that are attached to the front main walls to provide storage that is secure and discrete.
• Bins that residents can fill and give to someone at the front to be scored.
• It may make the space feel more institutional because residents may feel as if they are being searched as soon as they enter the space, but it is necessary for everyone’s safety.
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We would like to thank TCAction for all of their time and enthusiasm throughout this project, Professor Rhonda Gilmore, and the design students from Studio Shift for their hard work and collaboration, and Professor Gary Evans for his patience, instruction, and passion for serving the youth through humanenvironment research.