Humanizing Consumption

HUMANIZING CONSUMPTION Creating Spaces for Safe Opioid Consumption

The United States is currently facing a historical drug epidemic. Opioid use, addiction and overdose rates are increasing in nearly every region of the country with no effective counteracting policies in tact. While other countries look to more progressive harm-reduction policies, specifically Supervised Injection Facilities, the United States has relied on drug criminalization alone to solve the crisis. These facilities are however on the brink of existence in numerous coastal states. While these facilities have exhibited success, further exploration into the human experience provided by safe consumption spaces must be evaluated. Also in need of exploration is how Supervised Injection Facilities can be properly integrated into society. With proper community integration and a humanized consumption experience, opioid overdose death rates can potentially decrease, positively contributing to the opioid epidemic.

NORTH ST. LOUIS ANALYSIS

CONDITIONS ALONG DELMAR BOULEVARD 352-(&7 *2$/6

&5($7( $ 63$&( :+(5( 23,2,' &2168037,21 &$1 %( '21( 6$)(/<

'(6,*1 *2$/6 ,1&25325$7( $335235,$7( 352*5$06 :,7+,1 )$&,/,7< 7+$7 $//2: 6$)( &2168037,21 $1' 327(17,$/ 5(&29(5< 352&(66(6

3529,'( $ 326,7,9( 63$7,$/ (;3(5,(1&( )25 86(56 2) 23,2,'6

%8,/',1* 352*5$00,1*

,17(5,25 6(77,1*6

6,7( 6(/(&7,21 &2817(5$&7 1(*$7,9( 67,*0$6 $)),/,$7(' :,7+ 23,2,' &2168037,21

DELMAR BOULEVARD

&5($7( $ 3/$7)250 )25 326,7,9( &20081,7< ,17(*5$7,21 $'',7,21$/ 6,7( 352*5$06

PROJECT LOCATION SELECTION

ART RELATED BUSINESSES ALONG DELMAR

URBAN RESILIENCE Supervised, legal opioid consumption is not yet a universally accepted solution to the United States opioid epidemic. Once legalized, facilities providing this service will receive immediate community backlash regardless of location. In order for Supervised Injection Facilities to be resilient and supported by local stakeholders, they should be accompanied by additional programs. These programs can contribute directly to the SIFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visitor experience or address another societal dilemma at the micro scale.

The additional programs for this project include a business incubator to address the unemployment gap north of Delmar and an art gallery that will extend the art scene farther east along the Boulevard.

SITE CONTEXT PLAN

SITE PROGRAMMING

OVERALL FLOOR PLAN

PROCESS MODELS

SITE ANALYSIS

PLANNING FOR CONSUMPTION While Supervised Injection Facilities at a minimum require a safe place to consume opioids, additional programs can be incorporated to accommodate health and counseling services. This facility provides group therapy and counseling services for those desiring it to accompany the key safe consumption spaces. Visitor privacy and sensitivity is achieved by housing all consumption spaces on the second floor and providing various internal spaces for socializing and gathering. Effective observation by staff is achieved via an extruded aluminum screen that separates certain spaces while allowing partial views into others. This screen flows throughout the entire project and penetrates the exterior, signifying privacy from the outside. At the building’s core is a light-well that filters light into the injection room, courtyard and therapy lobby space. As visitors move through the building, lighting levels, natural and artificial, fluctuate, creating a mixture of spatial experiences.

SUPERVISED INJECTION FACILITY FLOOR PLAN

SUPERVISED INJECTION FACILITY BUILDING SECTION

SPATIAL SEQUENCE AXON

POWER OF CHOICE Breaking away from the strict processes required within institutional and medical facilities is necessary for the Supervised Injection Facilities to maximize impact on visitors. This is achieved by allowing visitors to simply make choices on the type of experience they receive. In the injection room are three rows of booths where visitors consume self-provided substances. Each row provides a different visual experience that allows views out but not into the space. These views have therapeutic potential and allow users of opioids to participate in other parts of the building or site. Another opportunity for visitors to choose their experience entails the booth design itself. The booth is constructed of wood casework that wraps the user in a comfortable, warm form. All booths have nonabsorbent finishes, contain mirrors for observation and have built-in lighting fixtures. Each one however varies in height, creating variations in spatial intimacy. These booths act as a bridge between dark areas within the injection room and natural light penetrating from the exterior. By offering these choices, users of opioids are provided a humanized, not mechanical, experience.

PRECEDENT INJECTION BOOTH RESEARCH

VISUAL CONNECTIONS FROM INJECTION BOOTH

VIEW TO LIGHT WELL

INJECTION BOOTH PERSPECTIVE

VIEW TO EXTERIOR

VIEW TO ART GALLERY