About the Competition:
Homelessness is an issue across this country. Walk through any city, look down the alleys, around the hidden corners and into the dark recessed doorways and you will find people struggling to survive, simply needing a roof over their heads for the night. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate housing, or lack of fixed regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs 2009 Report on Homelessness, 21,000 people are homeless on any given night in the state of Georgia. More than half are unsheltered and veterans make up 12% of that population.
Because homelessness is an extreme consequence of poverty, its solutions must include affordable housing, along with employment or mainstream benefits sufficient to maintain housing stability. When disabilities put people at risk for continued or recurring homelessness, outreach and services play a crucial part in getting them into housing and helping them stay there. For many individuals, homeless prevention is an incremental process. Safety and stability are key elements in establishing and maintaining a path towards the rebuilding of an independent and self-supporting life.
Design Problem:
Architecture is at its core, the design and creation of shelter. A simple safe and secure place to sleep and keep belongings is critical to anyone forced to live on the streets. The goal is to design a safe place for someone to take the first step toward getting things back in order and on a path to the life they want to lead.
Design Parameters:
Competition participants can select any of the three design problems listed below (A, B or C), or more than one if they are so inclined. Each proposal will be considered a separate entry.