︎ Building Community among LA Homeless
Building a sense of community and interpersonal relationships among residents of homeless shelters by incorporating courtyard spaces into shelters to provide spaces of study, conversation, and recreational activities.
By Clayton Artz ︎
To combat the prevalence of isolation and self-alienation among homeless individuals, the proposal investigates methods of design that encourage mingling, social-interaction, and networking among residents of homeless shelters. Research shows that the homeless have small and fragmented social networks. For many, this is due to the loss and absence of family members from childhood. Interpersonal issues like relationship breakdown, trauma, and child abuse may also contribute to people's pathways into homelessness.1
Rather than establishing new centers for homeless support and resources, this proposal instead deals with already existing shelters throughout the Los Angeles area. Emphasis is placed on the current condition of homeless shelters and their lack of adequate resources for the mental wellbeing of their inhabitants. The proposal puts forward design methods that encourage healthy lifestyles and rehabilitation among homeless individuals, using the city of Los Angeles as a lens for investigation.
Left: Homeless shelter (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Floor Plan: MLK 1101 Housing Project, LOHA Architects (Dezeen)
In 2019, Los Angeles experienced a 16% increase in its homeless population- a sign of severe income inequality and a worsening housing crisis. There are now more than 36,000 homeless people in the city of LA, and nearly 59,000 across LA county, a 16% and 12% uptick respectively, according to an annual LA county report.2 There are now over 58,900 homeless individuals in all of Los Angeles county and over 36,300 in the city alone, making it the third most homeless city in the world.3
The proposal hopes to establish relationships among homeless individuals in order to generate greater feelings of self-purpose and belonging among social groups. The installation of interior courtyards, lounge areas, or similar spaces may help alleviate feelings of social isolation among homeless people. Furniture such as lounge chairs and round tables encourage social interaction and allow residents to feel more relaxed with one another.4 Such spaces would allow for soft conversation and social networking, as well as hold potential to spark new friendships.
Developing social relationships among homeless / 2020
Design to Outcomes
By using the city of Los Angeles as a lens through which to study homeless populations, this design proposal attempts to increase social interaction among residents of homeless shelters by designating areas for lounging, conversation and recreational activities. Through the given design methods, the proposal seeks to reduce feelings of loneliness and social-isolation by encouraging team-building, conversation and social networking through architecture.
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Works Cited
1 Hawkins, R. L., & Abrams, C. “Disappearing acts: The social networks of formerly homeless individuals with co‐occurring disorders.” Social Science & Medicine, 65(10), 2031–2042. February 2007.
2 Farzad, Kaveh A. “7 Facts You Need to Know About Homelessness in L.A.: Pacific Council on International Policy.” Pacific Council on International Policy, 27 July 2015.
3 Mehrabian, A., & Diamond, S. G. Effects of furniture arrangement, props, and personality on social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, pp. 18–30. 2002.
4 Rokach, Ami. “Private Lives in Public Spaces: Loneliness of the Homeless.” Social Indicators Research, March 2005.
5 Levin, Sam. “Los Angeles Homeless Population Hits 36,000 in Dramatic Rise.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 June 2019.
6 GIS Web Map, Los Angeles County Homelessness and Housing Committee, LAHSA Data Collection, County of Los Angeles, April 2020.