Sigwela Augustin
Explore Lab
To Be or Not to Be - Housing for homeless terminal people
Dutch homeless shelters are standardly designed in a bureaucratic and institutionalised manner, with spaces that do not meet the psycho-social needs of the homeless.
This thesis addresses the importance of redefining shelter design, in order to improve the well-being of homeless people with complex care needs: especially in the final phase of their lives. The shelter is proposed as an intimate icon in Rotterdam (IJsselmonde), as part of a new inclusive neighbourhood. The residential area bridges the gap between daily life, mixed living, high intensity (end-of-life) care and the rehabilitation of homeless clients, while also functioning as a hotspot for neighbourhood activities.
Guided by Evidence-Based Design principles, the project introduces multiple architectural guidelines and spatial-design components with which social integration is increased, sensorial stimulation is balanced, severe stigmatisation is reduced, and positive social identities are enhanced.
The need for psycho-supportive shelters grows as the number of Dutch homeless people increases.
More information
- Master thesis 'To be or not to be - Housing for homeless terminal people'