lost + found : transitioning from the street into permanent housing - degree project book by kara...

Transitioning from the Street into Permanent HousingDegree Project by Kara Dziobek

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table of contents

statementa way of workingthe breakdownresourcesshelter precedent studiestrying to find a wayunconventional sheltersthe projectfull scale explorationsintervention [1] intervention [2]intervention [3]full scale constructionthe facilityhousingconclusiona little extrabibliography

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In the past year, over 4300 people were seeking shelter in Rhode Island. 20% of these people are considered chronically homeless, meaning that they have either been homeless for over a year, or repeatly homeless for an extended period of time. The organizations that currently exist, in addition to being over capacity, are not functioning for at least 860 people, and could even be considered ways in which homelessness is perpetuated.

Through volunteering with advocates doing outreach at night, while developing relationships with the guys at the Mathewson Street Church emergency shelter, I learned that there were some men who would rather stay out in the cold than enter into a shelter, and others who had a permanent apartment, yet they were still showing up at the shelter because where they were living felt too isolated.

As a response, this project serves as a transitional tool, assisting people from the street into permanent housing. The project moves from the scale of individual interventions that depend on existing infrastructures in Providence, RI, to a permanent supportive housing facility located in the Jewelry District. The facility provides a more sustaining framework that can accommodate for various spaces of function, resource, and community.

statement

2statement

3

“There is no system that has existed to intentionally move people from homelessness into housing. The problem isn’t that hard to solve, but the connective tissue to make it happen has been missing.”

-Rosanne Haggerty, founder of Common Ground

My degree project addresses an issue that is real. It is also dealing with an issue that I am very passionate about. It is an opportunity to invest time into a group of people that I can really attach myself to and feel as if the work I’m doing can make a difference in people’s lives, not just through design, but by getting to know people and listening to their stories. It is a social project deeply influenced by homeless individual’s struggles and triumphs. The community is one that is local and accessible, which allows for a close and trusting relationship to form between myself and the community. My project is an argument, and with every argument there is an opinion involved. Many times, only when the opinion is backed up on facts is it deemed as valid. I intend to construct an argument, not in a way that poses a right and a wrong answer, but asks questions, allowing for people to find the answer for themselves. I intend to looks at the situation from all angles, broadening my perspective. It is approached from all sides, in hopes of creating something that works from the bottom up. It should be a series of challenges where each one begins to shape the project closer and closer to a justified belief. During Wintersession, the weeks are broken into four categories (ignorant city dweller, fifth year architecture student, urban planner, and the homeless individual). Mark Jarzombek writes that a degree project is “not a mere explanation of architecture but an expression (both negative and positive) of architecture’s disciplinary fluidity and uncertainty.” I believe a degree project should be a humbling experience where the final product is unknown with the emphasis on the process. There are two ways to make change—removing yourself completely from the system, or working within the system. The latter is of course more difficult, but I believe it to be the only way to design something that could function in a way that benefits the group of people I am focusing on. The process will be a continuous back and forth between the up-close and personal accounts given to me by the people that I will get to know, and a broader, more overall perspective that takes into account the larger scale impact, which includes the social, political, and economical implications. I seek to create a project that challenges the traditional thinking of the maker, the group of people it is directly addressing, and the audience. It spurs on thinking for the present, reevaluates the future, and holds the past accountable. I want the work to be the beginning of an investigation that will hopefully continue with me after graduation. At the end of the day,

I want to leave a lesson, not a project.

a way of working

4a way of working

5 the breakdown

RHODE ISLAND has the second largest percentage of homeless individuals in the country

4340 people are currently seeking shelter in RI

1408 people used the shelters in 2010

20% of the homeless population in RI is chronically homeless (homeless for over a year)

61% of homeless people are single adults

It is cheaper to have people live in affordable housing than to stay in a shelter

80% of chronically homeless are able to retain housing once placed into it through Housing First programs

HOWEVER, many of the individuals in Providence that have housing still come to the emergency shelters

6the breakdown

7 resources

This diagram shows how most of the resources that are currently available for

homeless individuals, including shelters, meal sites, and medical services, are

located outside of Providence.

The project site would serve as a hub to connect all of the existing resources, while bringing the people using the resources back into Downtown Providence, which is

where many homeless people end up because it’s where major resources are

located like Kennedy Plaza (public transportation), Mathewson Street Church

(homeless community events) and Housing Assistance.

9 shelter

The existing shelters are inadequate for the current amount of homeless people in R.I. This is apparent in the need for the emergency shelters that exist. However, the one shelter that exists downtown at Mathewson Street Church is scheduled to close in April. The 21 men who usually stay there are the ones who haven’t fit into the other shelters, and were either sleeping outside during the summer or found sleeping outside recently. They are the ones who have fallen through the cracks.

A problem that occurs with many of the shelters is that in order to reserve a spot, it is necessary to line up in the afternoon, so if the shelter doesn’t serve dinner, then they are unable to eat that night.

In addition, most shelters kick everyone out by 7 a.m., leaving the people to wander around, either searching for soup kitchens or attempting to meet with their case worker. Problems arise when their shelter is not in Providence, where they need to find transportation to if they want to do anything productive. Without a bus ticket, some are forced to walk. The distance from Cranston to downtown Providence is 6.6 mi (a 2.5 hr walk.)

ON APRIL 15 ALL THREE EMERGENCY SHELTERS WILL CLOSE DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING. EACH SHELTER HOLDS 21-40 PEOPLE PER NIGHT.THE AVERAGE NIGHTLY TEMPERATURE ON MAY 1ST IS 44 DEGREES. HYPOTHERMIA CAN OCCUR BETWEEN 40 AND 50 DEGREES.

shelter

1010shelter

11 shelter

Harrington Hall is Rhode Island’s largest homeless shelter. It has enough beds for 88 men, but because of the abundance of homeless men who need a space to stay, there are nights where the shelter holds 130 men. Although there aren’t enough beds, the men will sleep on chairs or on the stage area.

Recently, the conditions of the shelter were brought to the attention of the Senator and he forced them to fix it up. Since then, there have been major improvements with the beds and the bathroom conditions.

The space for Harrington Hall, along with most shelters, is made to fit inside an existing building that used to have a different program, often an institutional one. The beds are all located in one large room where there is no privacy, no dignity, and no individuality.

12shelter

13 shelter

If an ignorant city dweller were an architect for a day, and they were asked to build a shelter, they would most likely build it in the outskirts of the city. The following renderings negate this idea and place an emergency shelter in a location that is very centralized in Providence where it would be seen by many people. They serve as visual commentaries on this idea and the negative stigma that many people have towards homeless people that they are less than average, and that it’s fine to treat them like animals. If the amount of privacy granted to someone is an indicator of their social status, then the “glass box” not only dehumanizes the inhabitants, but also makes everyone aware of the severity of the problem and how many people aren’t being provided for.

14shelter

15 precedent studies

16precedent studies

SITEBEBANDREWS HOUSE

JOAN KROC CENTER

DIGNITYVILLAGE


joan kroc centerSt. Vincent de Paul Village, San Diego, since 1987Cost of construction: $11 millionSize: 110,000 sq. feetPrototype for agency-based “continuum of care” centers across the nation (all necessities located on one site)

An average of 313 family members and single women receive transitional housing each nightApproximately 160 children are housed nightly with their families1,400 daily meals served to residents on averageSecurity staff and cameras in public areas provide secure environment 24 hours a day Day Center provides showers to non-residents seven days a weekResidential and commercial laundries, non-denominational chapel, and community meeting space

ORGANIZATION’S SUCCESS RATE (Ability to find employment and transition into permanent housing)

Families with children 91%Single men 54%Single women 49%

18precedent studies

housing

programming space

green space


the andrews house197 Bowery St, Lower Manhattan, NY

Design competition launched by Common Ground in 2003 to design 19 prefabricated “individual dwelling units” on one floor of the house without altering the building’s structure, walls, or systems. The final design is a combination of both “Kit of Parts” and “The Ordering of Things”

Design based on the input of over 200 homeless individuals9’ x 6 ½’ x 7’ high interior dwelling unit accommodates a bed, a workspace, storage and entry38 units reserved for homeless veteransFor $7 a night, homeless guests may, with minimal screening, occupy a unit for up to 21 days. The program will offer services such as linkages to housing and employment resources, medical help and substance abuse treatment for those who choose to use them.

“HOUSING FIRST” AVERAGE SUCCESS RATE

80% retention rate in housing over a two-year period

“The goal is to essentially reinvent the lodging house as an alternative to public shelters and life on the street for those who have been homeless for long periods and are trying to reenter the housing market.”

-Rosanne Haggerty, founder of Common Ground

20precedent studies

146 short-term living units19,750 square foot building - 6 floorsOption of linking multiple units

SOFT HOUSEanother competition entry


dignity village

Outside of Portland, OR

City-recognized encampment of about 60 people

Self-sustaining, empowering, promotes individuality and community

Registered non-profit with website

All 50 individual/family structures at Dignity Village are code-compliant 10’x10’ houses made of recycled materials

“Street homeless want small, loose, and informal social networks.”

22precedent studies

CRAWFORD STREET BRIDGE SUPERFUND SITE, CUMBERLAND

JANUARY 2009 OCTOBER 2009

HOPE CITY

CAMP RUNAMUCK ROGER WILLIAMS MEMORIAL PARK COLLIER PARK 195 BRIDGE, E. PROVIDENCE PLEASANT VALLEY PARKWAY 55 BROAD ST, PAWTUCKET

PROVITENTS EMPTY LOT ON WESTMINSTER STREET

END OF HOUGHTON STREET, PROVIDENCE/N. PROVIDENCE

AUGUST 2009

CRAWFORD STREET BRIDGE

HOUGHTON ST

ROGER WILLIAMS MEMORIAL PARK

SUPERFUND SITE

COLLIER PARK

195 BRIDGE, E. PROVIDENCE

PLEASANT VALLEY PKWY

WESTMINSTER ST

55 BROAD ST

ABORTIVE (TENTS NEVER SET UP OR ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME)

MOVE NOT MADE AS A GROUP

23 trying to find a way

CRAWFORD STREET BRIDGE SUPERFUND SITE, CUMBERLAND

JANUARY 2009 OCTOBER 2009

HOPE CITY

CAMP RUNAMUCK ROGER WILLIAMS MEMORIAL PARK COLLIER PARK 195 BRIDGE, E. PROVIDENCE PLEASANT VALLEY PARKWAY 55 BROAD ST, PAWTUCKET

PROVITENTS EMPTY LOT ON WESTMINSTER STREET

END OF HOUGHTON STREET, PROVIDENCE/N. PROVIDENCE

AUGUST 2009

CRAWFORD STREET BRIDGE

HOUGHTON ST

ROGER WILLIAMS MEMORIAL PARK

SUPERFUND SITE

COLLIER PARK

195 BRIDGE, E. PROVIDENCE

PLEASANT VALLEY PKWY

WESTMINSTER ST

55 BROAD ST

ABORTIVE (TENTS NEVER SET UP OR ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME)

MOVE NOT MADE AS A GROUP

24trying to find a way

In 2009, the lack of space in the shelters resulted in many homeless people were sleeping on the streets and the conditions were very dangerous. Megan Smith, a student from Brown, and John Joyce, an activist and at the time homeless, and a group of about 30 homeless people agreed that it was safer together than alone. They decided to take over an area of Providence that would hopefully raise awareness of the situation and result in action taken by the city. However, the anticipated temporary camp site, turned into a ten month long fight for housing. Over this span of time, the “tent cities” evolved into three different communities, Hope City, Camp Runamuck, and Provitents.

t he ten t c i t ies

“This odd collection of people, living on the fringe, have chosen to take their chances as a loose clan operating with few rules. There seems to be a level of security gained by the power in numbers and the watchful eyes of the overall group. ‘It’s simple. We take care of each other,’ says Kalil.”

Comment from the Providence Journal article, “Camp Runamuck residents head to new camps”

12:05 PM on September 8, 2009

I don’t live in any of the tent site but I am in the same predicament. I am going to get my GED soon at the Providence Skills Center soon but still I wonder... How do I present myself when I cannot afford to leave my possessions anywhere? How can I be presentable when I can’t get proper sleep? Should I lie awake in Crossroads and hope the rumor of bed bugs is untrue? What if it’s not? Should I cuddle with my possessions in Urban League with hopes that my presence will not encourage someone to notice I’m afraid of the physical violence I hear so much about from actual clients there? Should I lie awake in the Providence Mission in hopes that the windowless room does not infect me with other peoples unfortunate sickness? I wonder which unkempt person carries bed bugs, lice, pneumonia or bronchitis... I WANT HELP It’s harder to find than the middle class/upper class assumes. Come to my level. I made mistakes just as every human has but does that mean I deserve all of my struggles?


Richard and Shirley were the first “homeless” people that I met in Providence. I put homeless in quotations because although according to our society they might be considered this, their way of living is actually quite amazing. Nested in the one patch of bamboo within the Jewelry District, this couple has made their second attempt of a home (the first one was burnt down by someone). I wasn’t able to go inside because it was “too messy” but it was quite visible the innovation that was put into the design. Their shack is made completely from found doors and windows. Above shows the skylight for their bedroom (what was once a set of french doors).

They liked being hidden. Just because one’s way of living doesn’t fit into societal norms, doesn’t mean that one’s standards aren’t the same as anyone else. Everyone needs privacy, and they sought it out. They were dreading the winter season and anticipated the growth of the bamboo which was only lush in the warmer months. They were also starting to have problems with water leaking in through the cracks (due to the old calking that Richard has used to seal the edges).

During our last conversation in November, Shirley was planning on moving in with her sister in Cape Cod, so that she wouldn’t be outside for the winter months. Richard was going to get help to better insulate their shack. However, I was told that Shirley is still around. Richard was seen outside a restaurant while he waited for Shirley to finish cleaning dishes for extra cash.

They are a team. They are each other’s community.



They told me to show up at the Mathewson St Church at 4 pm if I wanted to help with the meal. Arriving at the doors of the church, I ran into two women dropping off blankets. To my surprise, a woman in the church turned the blankets away, saying that they need them at the shelter in Pawtucket, not there. I thought this could be because they are located in the city where there is a larger surplus of donations. There was also a man named Carl who was at the door and when he found out that I went to RISD he told me that he used to lecture there. He went to school at Parsons for Illustration and loves to draw architecture. He was very articulate and very smart. Talking to him emphasized the fact that homelessness can happen to anyone.

Serving food and drinks was very chaotic. There were people shouting out things from all sides of the room. Many people had specific things that they wanted. They knew what they wanted. I made sure to remember everyone’s requests. There was one woman who asked if she could get four packets of sugar. Her hands were shaking as she spoke. A young couple sat at the end of the table. “Are you guys boyfriend and girlfriend?” I asked them. They told me they were and that the girl is 18 and the guy is 28. I wondered what their story was, but part of me felt like I could figure it out. There was one guy who kept cracking jokes the whole time. His positive attitude and laughter was contagious. One man by the name of William kept speaking to me in Spanish once he realized I could understand him. He would switch back in forth, telling me that he doesn’t speak English very well, and that he taught himself. He is originally from the Dominican Republic and after moving to the States, his wife died and he had no way of income, resulting in the loss of his house.

After things calmed down and everyone was served, I went and sat down with a man named Tommy. He seemed to know everyone around him very well, especially “Sarge.” “He really loves women. If he tries telling you that you’re beautiful and all that, don’t listen to him. He tells that to every girl.” He started telling me how he went to CCRI for five years where he took all different types of classes from psychology to music to history. He stays at the church but is well aware of all of the other shelters around. He started going down the list. “Then you have Crossroads—that place is a zoo. Everyone knows that.”

I spotted Carl going to leave so I called him over. He has been staying at the church at night as well. “I sleep on the stage right over there.” This is his first time being homeless. His illustrations have even been in many different publications, including The New Yorker. He told me about an opportunity that he had to show his work at AS220, but it was right at the point when he became homeless. He had to turn the offer down with the hope of getting the chance again once he gets back on his feet. He has a goal.

the guys

Then there was Don Ronaldo, aka Ronald. I started calling him “Origami Master” once I realized his skill. When I went to their table to serve them, he had made an origami flower out of his paper place mat. When I complimented him on it, he ended up giving it to me. I told him that he should make more, but he didn’t have any more paper, so after a little while passed, I brought him three more sheets. After everyone had finished eating and people were clearing out, Don Ronaldo was still sitting at the head of the table, making sure to fold each part of the flower perfectly. He was making one for each of the volunteers. “It’s always good to make someone happy.” As I ate my dinner, Don Ronaldo carefully taught me how to make one. “Can you learn by watching?” He was a really good teacher. “It’s all repetitive.” He’s been living out of his car for over a year and would prefer it over a shelter, any day. “They’re horrible—they have bedbugs, cockroaches, and junkies.” No one working at a shelter would ever tell me these things. He had very negative opinions of the government and Obama, thinking that they desire for there to be people who are poor. Maybe he was right. However, one must admit that they need help in order to improve their life.

The room was filled with so much potential. Even if it wasn’t what our society might consider valuable skills, each person was unique in their own way, and had something to contribute to the rest of the world. There was everything from comedians to artists to poets to translators. They were inspiring.


Before leaving the church, I was fortunate to meet Megan Smith, a 22 year old girl who graduated from Brown University last year. She was now working at Access RI and was the coordinator of the emergency shelter at the church. She asked if I wanted to come with her to do outreach, which meant walking around the city looking for people who were planning on sleeping outside and offering them a spot in the church. We split up, the two of us walking along the river and the other guy, Tom, walking around downtown. They seemed to have a good idea of where people tend to set up, and the snow also made it easy to track random paths to places that were unknown.

For a moment I wanted to complain because of how cold I was. But then I remembered that there are some people who are going to be out in this the whole night. Snow covered the sidewalks, making the width of the road only wide enough for one car’s width to barely pass. We climbed over the snow that had built up on the side and then over the barricade. Megan yells towards the water and through the columns, “Donnell, it’s Megan. Are you down there?” He yelled back and as we got closer, I saw that he was wrapped in sleeping bags like a ((cocoon)). “When you come out of there, you’ll be sprouting wings!” Megan joked with him. “This place will soon be gone… they’re tearing it down soon.” “You were here first! Squatter’s rights!” We all laughed. She told him that there’s room at the shelter if he wanted to come, but he was content for the night. “I’ll probably come by tomorrow when it gets colder.”

Being able to turn down an offer is empowering in itself.Megan knows everyone’s names and their stories and they know who she is, too. When she was still in school, she would bring the guys to her dorm to shower really late at night or really early in the morning when no students were in there. “I only break the rules if it’s for the good of humanity.” One night she brought back two guys and the next morning there were Public Safety alerts everywhere warning about two men that had been seen in the building. Oops. Now she lives in an apartment where she is free to bring back whoever she wants, although she told me her landlord probably thinks she’s a little strange to always be bringing back these random men.

ou t reach


33 the project

34the project

unconventional shelters

35 the project

The Jewelry District is an area of Providence which for a long time has been disconnected from the rest of Downtown because of the highway, I-95, running between the two areas. With the highway now being removed, there is the opportunity to connect these two areas, allowing for revitalization for both.

Having the facility located within the Jewelry District, it can serve as both a way to reconnect the neighborhood to downtown and a way to reconnect the group of people back into society.

“There are some people that have fallen through the cracks and don’t know how to get back up. They don’t want a hand out, they want a way out.”

-Don Ronaldo

36the project

37 the project

t he fac i l i t y

38the project

Site: “Box Spots” around Downtown ProvidenceCommunity: The vulnerable, the hidden, the disconnected, the outcasts, the stubborn, the homeless

Most people who find themselves homeless, don’t want to be there. There are two things that can happen- (1) a person is in that situation for so long that they don’t know how to get out of it, or (2) they don’t know how to get out of it so they end up being on a continuous cycle of homelessness. This project aims to prevent both of these scenarios from happening.

This project works on two scales- the individual and the community. If someone has been homeless for a long period of time, the “home box” serves as a transition from the streets to living indoors. The home box is custom built for the individual, depending on their site, and once they have taken ownership over their box, they can bring it to the facility in the Jewelry District where they can install their box as furniture in their room and live within permanent supportive housing. The facility contains wrap-services to assist the individual towards a more independent life.

t he homebox

Alex often sat at one of the benches at the Memorial Park on South Main St. During our first conversation, he told me that he wanted to go to the shelter in Cranston but they wouldn’t let him on the bus because he smelt too bad. A little counter-intuitive in my opinion. This raised awareness to the fact that there is no public shower facility, except for at Crossroads, but the wait is very long. He is now staying at the emergency shelter at Mathewson Street Church.

Everyone has a need for privacy, especially in moments of bathing. Is there a way to design a transportable private space to bathe that could capture, store, and warm up water? The models to the right are explorations of tectonics that could serve as a hybrid between an umbrella and a hood, storing rainwater for later use.

1

39 full scale explorations

full scale explorations

The idea of this chair design was flexibility and user initiation. When not in use, the chair can be propped up against the wall, and then when needed, it can be folded down to create a chair. The piece can be positioned in a variety of ways. As a chair, it can either use the wall as support or fold over to support itself. In addition, it can be used as a foot rest if placed next to a couch.

2

40full scale explorations

portable cardboard

bed


3

The design of the portable cardboard bed is a response to the 282 people who were without a bed to sleep on in the shelters in Providence. The amount of people staying in the shelters is far more than ever before, and as a result, the resources that they have are inadequate. This bed would allow an individual to be elevated while providing comfort, and could essentially be made by anyone and used recyclable materials.


1

3



cardboard tectonics

How do I make a system that is ?

flexible lightweight (portable) made from locally found materials thermally insulative easy to assemble an aperture for light during the day a monolithic wall during the night depending on an existing infrastructure both permanent and fragile

42full scale explorations 46full scale explorations


This system was designed in order to test cardboard’s structural qualities through means of triangulation. However, what was realized that cardboard works best structurally when the loads are placed against the grain.

This system explores the possibility of compression and expansion of a material while still retaining rigidity.

transparent joinery

The aim for the joinery to be both visible and easy to understand goes with the idea that by designing a structure that ideally could be assembled and disassembled by anyone. The beauty is in the process which is celebrated through the transparency of its assembly.



accumulation Once the frame is attached to the existing infrastructure, cardboard would then be collected from various locations around the city and used as infill, to both create rigidity and a thermal barrier. An 8” wall that is filled with layered cardboard has an R value of 20 hrxsq.ft.xF/Btu. An average house has an R value between 15 and 20.

51 intervention [1]

iteration #1

INTERVENTION [1]

The site is located in the open air staircase platform of The Arcade, located downtown on Weybosset St, Providence. What made this site stand out from the others was the ground condition, the existing infrastructure, the existing “roof,” and the need for privacy due to the proximity of the street.

52intervention [1]

53 intervention [1]

iteration #2

42full scale explorations 54intervention [1]

55 intervention [1]

iteration #3

frame


accumulation

dependence

57 intervention [2]

INTERVENTION [2]The site is located in the open air staircase platform of The Arcade, located downtown on Weybosset St, Providence. What made this site stand out from the others was the overhang, causing the space to very dark.

A second system was designed to create a planar surface. In this intervention, the system can be used as a reflective surface during the day, bringing light into the back space, and can be used as a privacy barrier at night, to prevent people from entering into the space.

59 intervention [3]

INTERVENTION [3]The site is the stairwell into the basement of the Armenian Church on Broad St. The unique thing about this space is that it didn’t have a covering to protect from weather like the other spaces. In this intervention, the wall system was used as a skin, serving as an aperature for light and air, while creating a structure on which a weatherproof material can be placed.

42full scale explorations 62full scale construction

63 the facility

CONCEPT MODEL

The concept for the facility is that it works as a flexible framework, allowing for different types of program to occur within the same space.

The concept model to the right shows how the form of the building changes once an occupant installs their desired boundaries for their individual living space. The building is essentially made up of three components- frame (steel), permanent structure (concrete), and temporary structure (wood and cardboard).

the facility

42full scale explorations 64the facility

65 housing

PLAN OF TWO UNITS

housing

42full scale explorations 66housing

SECTION OF TWO UNITS

67 housing

42full scale explorations 68housing

69

Objects arranged and photographed by Carl Dunn,

homeless artist, Providence, RI

42full scale explorations 70conclusion

The approach that I had taken for this project was one of multiple perspectives- the homeless, the advocate, and the architect. By broadening my perspective from the beginning, I was able to challenge my traditional way of thinking and make more informed decisions.

The piles of rocks to the left are each like a homeless individual. Each person has unique characteristics and personalities, their own skills and most importantly, a desire to be both private and part of a supportive community. I hope that through this work, architecture can be further thought of as a medium in which social issues can be addressed and lives can be affected in a positive and sustaining way.

What I learned from this process was how important the process is, and how every project needs to be approached in a unique and varied way. In addition, I learned to not be so heavy handed initially, but instead to approach an issue humbly and with an open perspective. As architects, we have the ability to creatively dissect a problem and work towards a solution, however, finding the solution is the part that matters most. We must take the time to listen to who it is that we are designing for, because it is them who will be inhabiting what we design. I learned to design with a community of people, not just for them. This project reaffirmed how architecture can play a vital role in the improvement of communities most in need.

conclusion

Homeless man, would you like some money? (4x)Homeless man---- I would like some money(4x)

Verse 1:If you walked life in their shoesWould you live life by the same rules?I doubt it. You’d rather walk on byTurn to the sound of the birds in the skyYou got a pocket full of lintSpend before you thinkYou ask yourself where to beginGive.Even if it’s a dollar, next time a brother tries to holler. Give some change to make some change,It’s always better in the sun, than it is in the rain.Be generous and don’t complainI’m telling ya man, it will keep you sane.

Chorus:Homeless man---- I would like somebody(4x)

Verse 2:I would like somebodyTo offer more than moneyIf you see me on the streetWhy don’t you ask me what my name is?Since when are you so famous?I know that you can change thisChallenge yourself to face thisWe’re in a school of innovationYet we walk around staring at the pavementI thought we were creativeAre we proud to say that we made this?

There’s enough for everyone’s needNot enough for everyone’s greedWhere’s our love for humanity?For those we try not to seeI can’t think of anything wittyAll I know is that it starts at RISD

Chorus

a lit tle extra...

risd talent show, 2011

song by kara and sam dziobek

71 a little extra

72bibliography

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Sinclair, Cameron. Design Like You Give a Damn: architectural responses to humanitarian crisis. Edited by Architecture for Humanity. New York, NY: Metropolis Books, 2006.

Smith, Cynthia E. Design for the Other 90%. New York: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Organization, 2007.

Wu, Rufina and Canham, Stefan. Portraits from Above – Hong Kong’s Informal Rooftop Communities..

lost + found : transitioning from the street into permanent housing - degree project book by kara...

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