Interior Design: Homeless shelter design: A psychologically recuperative approach

The Design and Testing of a Student Prototyped Homeless Shelter

“…In a continuation of the research above, Pable and Fishburne () interviewed 22 individuals who were mothers living in shelters along with case workers and shelter directors at four southeast U.S. shelters. Data from these interviews were coded for themes, and eight psychological constructs for what shelter bedrooms may signify were identified: security/fear, organization/peace, control/empowerment, discipline/reward, self‐esteem/identity, stress, acknowledgement by others, and creativity/play.…”

“…Bedrooms in homeless shelters that do not have locking doors, for example, can increase resident stress and fear but instill discipline and adherence to rules. While the research by Pable () and Pable and Fishburne () does provide some design guidelines that could be considered for portable shelters (security/fear, control, and organization), only Lurie and Wodiczko () have received feedback on their design from individuals living on the streets.…”

“…For this design (termed Prototype One), the student team used hula‐hoops, a brown tarp, duct tape, and interior fabric (see Figure ). The brown tarp, through student information gathering, insulated, was moisture resistant, lightweight, versatile (The Advantages of Tarp Camping, ), and offered privacy (Pable, ; Pable & Fishburne, ). The basis of the design revolved around the inspiration of a cocoon in order to develop a protective refuge (see Figure ), which this student team felt was critical in creating a place of safety (Pable, ).…”

“…For the next idea (termed Prototype Two), the students used fish‐tape wire, netting fabric, and a light‐weight, water‐proof fabric lined with a warm, interior fabric (see Figures –). Other features included: (1) the shelter was reduced in size from a 38″ to 30″ diameter to increase portability (Alter, ; Lurie & Wodiczko, ), (2) fish‐tape wire was used to make the structure lightweight and easier to carry, (3) back‐pack straps were sewn onto the structure to increase portability (Alter, ; Lurie & Wodiczko, ) (see Figure ), (4) a netting fabric was used at the back and front to increase ventilation and privacy (Pable, ; Pable & Fishburne, ) (see Figures and ), and (5) a pocket was included inside to store personal belongings. These design revisions were based on the experience prototyping and the IDP process where knowledge generated from testing leads to new design outcomes (Oygur & McCoy, ).…”

Changing Student Beliefs about Poverty, Homelessness, and Community Service: Results from Interior Design Project Interventions

“…Attitude must be in place before action can occur. Social justice and responsibility have become important trends in the interior design profession so much that The American Institute of Architects (AIA) passed a Citizen Architect Resolution stating that architects be civically engaged (AIA, ), and Florida State University holds an Art and Design for Social Justice Symposium annually since 2005. Furthermore, Pable () examined privacy, control, personalization, and territoriality in homeless shelters as well as psychological constructs for increased well‐being (Pable & Fishburne, ). Yet, no one has examined how architects, interior designers, or design students perceive poverty and community service. Before interior design educators embark on service learning courses or projects that can be time consuming, it would be helpful to know how students currently perceive volunteerism and community service.…”