RURAL SHELTER SPATIAL REDESIGN
Women’s Resources Shelter for Domestic Violence, Lindsay, ON
The shelter needs of the homeless are very different in urban and rural areas; TYTHEdesign observed the challenges while working directly with a rural domestic violence shelter in Lindsay, Ontario. One of the largest challenges the homeless face in rural areas is a lack of services. In most rural communities soup kitchens, emergency shelters, transient housing programs and unique health programs are markedly scarcer than in urban cities. Along with the limited services, “research shows that the odds of being poor are between 1.2 to 2.3 times higher for people in non-metropolitan areas, than in metropolitan areas” as stated by the National Coalition for the Homeless(1). For victims of domestic violence, in addition to the scarcity of other services, being homeless is one of many forms of trauma.
TYTHEdesign worked directly with the shelter to help provide comfortable spaces for members of the community; however, the bunk beds provided were not appropriate for many women. We observed that it can be very difficult for residents who are overweight, elderly or dealing with physical problems to use traditional bunk bed ladders. As a result TYTHEdesign redesigned ladders to create a more comfortable sleeping space for women of all ages and sizes. For traditional bunk bed ladders, one must lean back in order to climb up. The newly designed ladder is at a similar angle to stairs, so clients keep an upright body position while climbing to the top bunk. It also slides open and closed to minimize obstruction of floorspace in the small rooms.
The need for spatial efficiency was something that could not be overlooked when designing the new furniture for the shelter. The ability to pull the ladder out only when it is needed creates minimal stress on the close-quarters environment. When developing solutions for spatial and organizational challenges, TYTHEdesign implements creative ways to increase comfort and efficiency for those who are often overlooked in the conventional design market.
TYTHEdesign has created a working ladder (tested and approved by the shelter staff and residents) and is working to put these ladders into production or to be fabricated as part of a high school shop class.
(1) National Coalition for the Homeless. <http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/rural.html>
