The embrace of city

EMBRACE OF THE CITY How can the negelected urban public space in London provide a warm home for the homeless?

- which negelected urban public space in London can be used?

- how to make urban public spaces in London feel like the warm home for the homeless?

by Pengfei Dai

Abstract There are a large number of homeless people in the UK, especially in London. Due to personal or social reasons, they become homeless, unable to feel the warmth of home, and long-term rough sleep damages their physical and mental health.

However, due to the shortage of land in London, it may not be so easy to find a vacant land to build homes for the homeless. There are many neglected public spaces in London, and some spaces have even affected the appearance of the city due to improper use. These spaces are very precious to the homeless and can be designed and used as shared homes for the homeless.

This study uses the 5 important qualities of home (centrality, continuity, privacy, selfexpression, and social relationships) summarized by Smith in 1994 as the theoretical basis to study how can the negelected urban public space in London provide a warm home for the homeless? First, analyze the 3 public spaces in London through observation methods, and analyse which negelected urban public space in London can be used? to select the most suitable public space for the transformation of homeless homes. Then through observation methods and case analysis methods, analyse residential houses along the streets of London and the scenes in family TV series, study how to make urban public spaces in london feel like the warm home for the homeless? Then find out how the architectures and interiors can feel warm to the homeless.

Through this research, the ways to use urban public space to design and let the homeless feel the warmth of home will be explored, so as to solve the problem of land tension in London and provide warm shared homes for the homeless to solve the problem of rough sleep.

Ⅰ. Introduction Ⅱ. Background Research Daily life of the homeless Data About The Homeless And Rough Sleepers The Main Needs Of The Homeless

Ⅲ. Case Analysis and Theory The Main Theory Case Analysis

Ⅳ. Method Which Negelected Urban Public Space In London Can Be Used?

How To Make Urban Public Spaces In London Feel Like The Warm Home For The Homeless?

Ⅴ. Design Architecture Design Interior Design

Ⅵ. Conclusion

CONTENT

Ⅰ.

Introduction

Introduction Within the term ‘homelessness’ are the people who lack stable and appropriate housing. Crisis estimated that around 200,000 people were experiencing core homelessness – the most severe and immediate forms of homelessness – in England in 2020. And a report by Shelter estimated that more than 60% of the homeless in England are in London. Obviously, it's an growing problem in the UK, especially in London.

Among the homeless, there are a large number of rough sleepers，who sleep, about to bed down or actually bedded down in the open air or in buildings or other places not designed for habitation. The survey of Public health england demonstrates that people who sleep rough are in much worse health than the general population. And many people have mental illness, drug abuse needs and physical health needs at the same time. They also face a higher risk of injury, poisoning and suicide. And they can't feel the warmth of home for a long time will also lead to mental illness.

According to crisis, after Covid-19 brings economic consequences, homeless people will increase more unless the government implements a series of housing and welfare interventions, including continuing to take emergency accommodation measures for those who live on the streets，which provides an opportunity to reflect on the forms of services for the homeless in the future, especially shared sleeping mode.

Therefore, it is very important to study the question of How can the negelected urban public space in London provide a warm home for the homeless, especially in London, a city with a large number of homeless people and very tight land.

Homeless People and the public space in London

This study uses the 5 important qualities of home (centrality, continuity, privacy, selfexpression, and social relationships) summarized by Smith in 1994 as the theoretical basis to study how can the negelected urban public space in London provide a warm home for the homeless?

First, I analyzed the 3 public spaces in London through observation methods, and analyse which negelected urban public space in London can be used? And I found that the wall of railway is more appropriate public space in London to be used.

Second, through observation methods and case analysis methods, analyse residential houses along the streets of London and the scenes in family TV series, study how to make urban public spaces in london feel like the warm home for the homeless? And I found Elements with personal expression make the space feel like home.

Homeless People in London

Homeless People in London (Nov.2019) Mark Blunden

I hope that through this research to explore ways to use urban public space to design and let the homeless feel the warmth of home, so as to solve the problem of land tension in London and provide warm shared homes for the homeless to solve the problem of rough sleep.

Ⅱ. Background Research

Daily life of the homeless

Eat

Seek job

Toilet

Library

Beg

In a daze

Food bank

Day centre

Listen to music

Watch movie

Shelter

Play on the phone

Take drugs or drink

A large part of the daily life of the homeless is to walk and shuttle between various places in the city. For ordinary people, a building is their home, but for the homeless, the whole city is their home which is bigger than anyone's home. They may be looking for work when they are walking, maybe they are going to a day centre or food bank to collect food, they may be looking for a toilet, they may be looking for a place to beg, they may be going to the library to watch a movie, or they may be looking for a shelter so that they can take a break to sleep，play on the mobile phone or drink and take drugs. （Homelessadvice，2018）

The causes of homelessness and rough sleeping

Data About The Homeless And Rough Sleepers The physical and mental health needs of people who experience rough sleeping

Poor Living Conditions

Poor Personal Hygiene

Poor Diet

High Levels of Stress

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Reasons for poor physical health of homelessness

Poor Housing Conditions and-or Housing Insecurity

Overcrowding

Financial Problems

Stress, Anxiety, Depression

Self-medication with Alcohol and Drugs

Factors of homelessness and rough sleeping

The impact of rough sleeping on age of death

Reasons for poor mental health of homelessness

According to the Public Health England, the physical and mental health of the homeless is worse than that of the average person. The poor health of the homeless is related to the following factors: exposure to poor living conditions, poor personal hygiene, poor diet, high level of stress, drug and alcohol dependence.

In terms of mental health, The poor health of the homeless is related to the following factors: stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health needs, poor housing conditions and/or housing insecurity, overcrowding, financial problems, self-treatment with alcohol and drugs.

And the factors of rough sleeping are described as either structural or individual factors. Structural factors include poverty，inequality，housing supply， affordability，unemployment or insecure employment and access to social security. Individual factors include poor physical health, mental health problems, experience of violence, abuse and neglect, drug and alcohol problems, relationship breakdown, experience of care or prison, bereavement and refugees.

On average, people who have experienced rough sleep for a long time are more likely to die young than the general population. In 2017, more than half of the homeless deaths were caused by three factors: accidents including drug poisoning accounted for 40%, suicide accounted for 13%, and liver diseases accounted for 9%. And the death age of homeless people is much earlier than that of normal people, with an average of no more than 50 years old.

Accidents

Suicides

Diseases of the liver

Causes of death of homelessness

Average age of death of homelessness and general population

Others

The Voice Of The Homeless “I don’t want anybody to see me most of the time, I just cover my head with my sleeping bag until somebody taps me on my shoulder or my leg and says are you alright? Most of the times I just cover my face. “ “So what I tend to do is put my sleeping right on the bottom of that landing bit and just sleep there where its on the eighth floor people tend to use the lift a lot. it’s warm, you don’t get cold as much as you would out on the park bench or in the bushes. “ “It’s always gotta be a dark corner, that’s where I feel safer. “ --- McGrath (2018)

The Main Needs Of The Homeless The main needs of the homeless and where they can get these Water

Homeless day centres and soup kitchens (about 350) Trains stations (about 11) Public water fountains (more than 200) Costa coffee

Food

Storage

Homeless day centres

Charge

Homeless day centres, soup kitchens and soup runs (about 456)

homeless day centres Soup kitchens Trains stations Library Hospital

Toilet

Laundry

Public toilets Trains stations Department stores Park Supermarket

Library Pub Church Museum

Accommodation

Homeless day centres

In McGrath's interview with the homeless, I understood some homeless people's demands for space and concluded that they care more about the privacy, safety and freedom of space, so they often consider some invisible and closed spaces and often live in the corner.

Phone kiosks Buses Smart benches

Homeless day centres

Homeless people's demand for space

Shower Homeless day centres Public toilet

According to London Homeless Info（2021）, I found that the main needs of the homeless are water, food, toilet, accommodation, storage, laundry and shower. Among them, accommodation, storage, laundry and shower can be met only by day centers, which is not very convenient for them.

Why don't they like homeless shelters?

Ⅲ. Ⅰ.CaseIntroduction Analysis and Theory

The Main Theory

Smith's description of home(1994)

The main theory of my research is based on Smith's summary of the important characteristics of home in 1994. In my research, I will consider and analyze how to create a shared home for the homeless based on the 5 positive characteristics of home (centrality, continuity, privacy, self-expression and social relationships) summarized by him, and let them experience the feeling of home, rather than just a shelter.

Parasitic hexagonal pods (Nov.2017) Framlab

Case Analysis Dome sleeping unit This is to create an emergency shelter for homeless residents. There is a lockable wardrobe and double bed in this modular sleeping unit, which provides a higher level of privacy for people living in temporary housing facilities and taking into account the situation of couples staying in, but people's property safety still cannot be guaranteed.

Dome sleeping unit (Dec.2019) Perkins and Will

Parasitic hexagonal pods The project covers an empty wall in New York with honeycomb pods that can be quickly installed and removed to accommodate the city’s growing homeless population. People can enter these units through stairs installed in the scaffolding frame. This solves the problem of the shortage of land for population growth, but the homeless who have no savings will still not be able to move in.

Case Analysis Homes for the Homeless This project is a modular homeless shelter that can be hung on both sides of an existing building. This lightweight modular parasitic sleeping cabin can be connected to the side of any host building or structure. It does provide a safe haven for the homeless when they rest at night and it does save land. But because he is far away from the ground and needs to climb up through a ladder, it is very unsafe for some disabled or homeless people after drinking.

Homes for the Homeless (Aug.2015) James Furzer

Micro Dwelling This is a small temporary residence intended to be built in unfinished highrise buildings in tropical cities that have been abandoned due to economic collapse or outdated building systems. These micro-houses can be easily disassembled, moved and reassembled in different locations, and are very lightweight to cope with the increasing cost of living in Bangkok. But the translucent structure may prevent these people from getting full privacy.

Micro Dwelling (Oct.2015) All(zone)

Ⅳ. Method

1 which negelected urban public space in London can be used?

Due to land shortage in London, there may not be enough land to build shelters for the homeless, but there are many neglected free public spaces that can be used to build shelters for the homeless.

First, through some literature materials, I summarized what factors should be considered in the space of a shelter.

Then, based on the free public spaces that I found on the streets of London that can be used to build shelters, I evaluated some aspects of each public space through the observation method, and selected the most suitable one for the next step.

Telephone Booth

Bridge

The Wall of Railway

Evalution aspects Security is considered an important function and is seen as a positive feature of the home, while lack of security is a feature of places that are not considered home.

(Smith 1994, p.44） "Light is not just a physical necessity but its psychological value is one of the most important effective factors on human lives in all grounds. Among the major problems of our times, is living in small and dark houses which has been causes many tensions and psychological disorders such as depression and stress."

(Heidari 2013, p.736) Smith believes that safety is a very important feature of the home, which has also become a factor that I need to consider when choosing a shared home space. And Heidari believes that in the living space, light is also an important factor to consider. Dark space can make people feel depressed, so I need to consider whether the location of shared homes can have sufficient natural light.

Besides, I also need to consider the basic aspects of availability, heat preservation, sound, location and size. And I will evaluate the suitability of these public spaces through these 8 aspects.

Public spaces in London

Aspects of evaluating public spaces

Telephone Booth Telephone booth is a symbol of London, has witnessed the development of the city. However, due to the rapid development of science and technology, telephone booths in London have been gradually eliminated, the utilization rate is extremely low, and the income cannot make ends meet. Many phone booths are full of garbage and very dirty. So I am thinking about whether this can be transformed into a shared shelter for the homeless.

Telephone booth in London

Telephone Booth Thermal Insulation Since the telephone booth is made of metal and glass, it has strong heat conduction and poor thermal insulation performance, resulting in very cold indoors in winter and very hot indoors in summer, which is not suitable for living.

Steel Glass

The materials of telephone booth

Size The length and width of the telephone booth is about 900mm, and the height is about 2400mm. It is very narrow, just enough to accommodate a person standing normally inside, but cannot lie down normally, and cannot extend the arms.

Safety There are a lot of hollow glass on the exterior of the telephone booth, which allows passers-by to clearly see the internal space and makes the homeless feel insecure.

If redesign this space, unless only open a window at the top, there is almost no privacy.

Daylighting Because the telephone booths are basically located in sheltered places on the street, and there are a lot of hollow glass on the facade of the telephone booths, the lighting is very good.

Food Bank

Ventilation

Telephone Booth Telephone Booth (no food bank within a mile)

I have visited many closed telephone booths in London. In summer, the interior is very hot and airtight. It may be because there is only one door that can circulate the air inside, and this door is basically closed, so the ventilation performance is relatively poor.

The map of telephone booth in London

Convenience In terms of location convenience: In the map of London phone booths I made, it can be seen that half of the phone booths do not have a foodbank within a mile, which is relatively inconvenient.

In terms of the convenience of entry and exit: the phone booth is easy to enter and exit.

900mm

Density It can be seen from the map that the location of the phone booths is very concentrated, which will cause the homeless in the center of London to have no shelter.

2400mm

Noise

The model of telephone booth

In order to know the noise level of the phone booth, I used the decibel test app to test the noise level of the telephone booth near Chelsea during the day and night. The average noise during the day is 72 db and the average at night is 48 db.

Decibels during the day

Decibels during the night

Evaluation of Telephone Booth

Next, I made a graph to show the results of the above evaluation process. From this picture, we can clearly see that the Telephone Booth space doesn't perform very well in the aspects of size, safety and heat retention. The performance in the aspects of noise, ventilation and convenience (location) is average. And it performs well in the aspects of daylighting, density and convenience (access).

Bridge There are more than thirty bridges on the Thames which runs through London and divides London into two parts. Because a lot of space can be used at the bottom of the bridge, such as the inside of the arch, these will likely be able to serve as shelters for the homeless.

Bridge above the Thames

Bridge Thermal Insulation Since the main structure of the bridge is mainly composed of cement and part of steel, the thermal insulation performance is very good.

Cement Steel

The materials of Bridge

The model of bridge

Size Food Bank Bridge Bridge (no food bank within a mile)

The map of bridge above the Thames in London

Convenience In terms of location, a small number of bridges do not have a food bank within a mile, which is more inconvenient for the homeless.

In terms of the convenience of entering and exiting, the space under the bridge is not directly connected to the bridge deck, so entry and exit are more inconvenient.

Density

Safety The security of the space under the bridge is very high, and it is difficult for outsiders to enter this space.

Daylighting The space under the bridge has only daylighting on both sides, so the middle part is very dark. If it is designed as a shelter for the homeless, the middle part can only be artificially illuminated.

Ventilation It can be seen from the structure of the bridge that the space under the bridge is very well ventilated, but if it is redesigned as a shelter for the homeless, the ventilation in the middle part may become poor.

From the map, I found that the bridges on the Thames are very concentrated, far away from other places in London, which will cause the homeless in the center of London to have no shelter.

Noise In order to know the noise level of the bridge over the Thames, I used the decibel test app to test the noise level of the bridge near Chelsea during the day and night. The average noise during the day is 81 db and the average at night is 56 db.

The arched space under the bridge is relatively large. Each arched space can accommodate dozens of people. As a shelter for the homeless, this space is sufficient.

Decibels during the day

Decibels during the night

Evaluation of Bridge

Next, I made a graph to show the results of the above evaluation process. From this picture, we can clearly see that the Bridge space doesn't perform very well in the aspects of daylighting, convenience (access), noise (day) and density. The performance in the aspects of size, safety, convenience (location), ventilation, noise (night) and heat retention is average.

Wall of the railway In London there are a large number of walls surrounding the exposed train tracks.

These large-area walls make people walking nearby feel unsafe, and the wall divides the entire space into two parts, separating the two parts.

Wall of the railway Thermal Insulation Cement

Brick

The main materials of the wall of the railway are bricks and cement, the thermal insulation performance is very good.

Size Because the length of the wall of railway is very long, and some are even several hundred meters in succession, the size of the space that can be used is relatively large, but the height of the wall is not very high.

The materials of the wall of railway

Safety Since the wall of this public space is a brick wall, it can prevent others from entering, so if it is designed as a shelter for the homeless, the safety is relatively moderate.

Daylighting

Food Bank Railway Track ( exposed to the ground)

2500mm

If this brick wall is used to form a new space, one side of the space is a wall, and the other sides can be designed to have sufficient daylight.

The model of wall

The wall of the railway in London

Ventilation

Convenience

If this brick wall is used to form a new space, one side of the space is a wall, and the other sides can have ventilation facilities.

In terms of location convenience:Since London's railways cover almost evenly all of London, there are London's railways around each food bank. If this space is redesigned, it will be very convenient for the homeless.

In terms of the convenience of entry and exit: the wall of the railway is easy to enter and exit.

Density As London’s railways are relatively evenly distributed and not very concentrated, if this space is used, even the homeless away from the city centre can have shelter.

Noise In order to know the noise level of the wall of railways, I used the decibel test app to test the noise level of the telephone booth near South Kensington during the day and night.

The average noise during the day is 79 db and the average at night is 44 db.

Decibels during the day

Decibels during the night

Evaluation of Wall of the Railway

Next, I made a graph to show the results of the above evaluation process. From this picture, we can clearly see that the Wall of the Railway space doesn't perform very well in the aspect of noise (day). The performance in the aspects of size, safety, heat retention, noise (night), ventilation and convenience (location) is average. And it performs well in the aspects of daylighting, density and convenience (access).

Evaluation of suitable urban public space in London Telephone booth

Bridge

Low Score

Medium Score

The wall of the railway

High Score

After a series of evaluation on these 3 public spaces, I put the evaluation results of each space together for comparison. Every evaluation item in every space has an evaluation result. And the results of each evaluation with the color depth, the color from light to dark represents the evaluation results from poor to good.

On the whole, the wall of the railway has the highest overall score because its overall color is darker.

So the wall of the railway will be redesigned as a shelter for the homeless.

2 how to make urban public spaces in London feel like the warm home for the homeless?

Centrality, Continuity, Self-expression and Social Relationships are also very important features of the home.

So I explored the architectural expression of these features in the residential buildings along the street in London, and thought about how to communicate these features to guide the architectural design of shared homes on the railway wall.

At the same time, I explored the expression of these characteristics in the interior through TV series about the family, and thought about how to guide the interior design of the shared home through these.

1. Architecture

In Smith's description of characteristics of home (Centrality and Continuity) in 1994. In the aspect of centrality, home is a major territory, so the owners of these territories expect relatively permanent and exclusive control and use of these environments. In the aspect continuity, home is a place where people feel of belonging and where you can return at will. It has continuity, stability, and durability.

I hope to find out the architectural aspects of these two characteristics of home through observations of residential buildings in London, and explore how to redesign and use this railway wall for homelessness and provide warm shelters to make them feel at home.

2. Interior Space

In Smith's description of characteristics of home (Self-expression and Social Relationships) in 1994 . In the aspect of Self-expression, home provides a background for self-expression and many important experiences and happy occasions. When a home is familiar, known, and meaningful to the individual, this Increased the importance of home. In the aspect of Social Relationships about home, home has a place in personal social networks. Such social networks are based on relationships within the family and then expanded to include close friends, relatives, neighbors, local shopkeepers, and neighbor acquaintances.

I want to know how her definition of home can be reflected in the interior space. So I found three TV series about the family (Reply 1988, Home with Kids, The Durrells. Then I observed home scenes and analyse how to reflect the Self-expression and Socail Relationships of the home in the scenes of TV dramas，and explore how these expressions should be designed in the home of the homeless.

Expression of characteristics of home in architecture Observation

Flowers on the windowsill

The blue door of the owner's preference

The orange door of the owner's preference Flowers on the windowsill Plants on the wall

The blue door of the owner's preference Plants on the wall Decorations on the wall

The orange wall of the owner's preference Plants on the wall

Each house has its own color and height

Special house entrance

Discovery After observing the residential buildings in London above, I found that the two characteristics of centrality and continuity in the architecture are also related to selfexpression. Self-expression is reflected on the exterior of the house, with personally colored doors and the wall, as well as the decorations and plants on the wall.

Buildings are connected one after another, separated by high walls, forming a sense of patchwork of different heights, and everyone has his own building with his own color, increasing the psychological experience of this home as the root and reflecting that this is the main territory of the owner, and giving the owner a sense of belonging and stability.

Residential buildings in London

Generalization

Element Collage

I collaged the residential buildings along the streets of London that I observed, and used squares to outline their home-related features, forming many spliced physical spaces about homes. Then, using the two characteristics of the Centrality and Continuity of the home that I observed in the exterior facade of residential buildings, I collaged these on these physical spaces. It constitutes the visual representation of the home in architecture that I obtained by observing the London residence based on Smith's generalization of the characteristics of the home.

Expression of characteristics of home in the interior space Basic information about these three family TV series

Reply 1988 This TV series mainly tells the stories of several families in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong District, Seoul, and describes the warm family affection and the stories of the citizens in the neighborhood.

Home with Kids This is a sitcom which tells the life story of two divorced and restructured families in Beijing . The story revolves around the various problems encountered by family members in their lives and their solutions.

The Durrells It tells a widowed mother with four children left the bleak British town of Bournemouth and came to live on Corfu Island, a Greek island with low cost of living.

Reply 1988 (Sung Duk-seon's home)

1. Telephone dust boot with personal characteristics.

1. The cushion in the living room provides a place for family members to gather, allowing family members to have memories with each other.

1. The daily necessities hanging on the door handle with life atmosphere.

2. Decorations on the cabinet and wall，which can represent own's interests and personality .

Reply 1988 (Kim Jung-hwan's home)

1. The decorative pendants on the wall indicate the beliefs of the owner or the festival being celebrated.

2. The tablecloth reveals the character of the host.

1. Decorations on the cabinet and wall represent own's interests and personality.

1. The daily necessities hanging on the door handle with life atmosphere.

2. Decorations on the shelf represent own's interests and personality.

1. The daily necessities hanging on the door handle with life atmosphere.

1. The utensils hanging on or glued to the cabinet with life atmosphere.

Reply 1988 (Sung Sun-woo's home)

1. Decorations on the wall and the door curtain represent own's interests and personality.

Home with kids

1. Telephone dust boot with personal characteristics.

1. Some potted plants are also placed at the door， highlighting the owner's hobbies.

1. The daily necessities hanging on the door handle with life atmosphere.

2. Some daily necessities were placed at the door.

2. Decorations on the cabinet and wall，which can represent own's interests and personality .

The Durrells

1. Memorable photos make home warm.

1. The daily necessities hanging on the wall with life atmosphere.

1. The warm tone of the whole room makes the whole atmosphere warm.

Discovery In the above observation and analysis of the family scene in the TV series, I found that the most common expression of Self-expression and Personal Identity in the family is by placing some decorations with personal characteristics, some commemorative photos, some daily necessities familiar to space users or some objects expressing the festive atmosphere in the space, making this space for self-expression.

The expression of these family scenes in the concept of Social Relationship is that space provides a place to socialize with family and friends, where many things that promote the development of interpersonal relationships will occur, such as in the living room or restaurant.

Element Collage on the wall

The way to place these elements on the wall

Based on the above observation of the home scene in the TV series, I extracted some elements of the self-expression feature in the interior, and collaged them. In the space about home, some personal items are needed to express personal characteristics. These will also be related to the owner's self-identity and become a symbol of how they view themselves and how they want others to see them.

In the shared home space for the homeless, there may not be much space for self-expression to feel at home. Therefore, it is necessary to make full use of the wall and Set up the device on the wall to turn the plane into a usable space, so that the homeless can actively adjust or change the devices on the wall without having to purchase any additional tools to place some personally meaningful objects, so as to achieve different types of self-expression, so that this space has the meaning of home.

Ⅴ. Design

How to Reserve?

App of shared home The homeless can use the mobile app to make an appointment. Each appointment can only be made for up to 2 weeks, and the next appointment can only be made when there is only 3 day left between check-out, so as to avoid the situation of vacant rooms being occupied.

First, they need to enter the location of the shared home they want to reserve, and then select time period, next they can loof for homes on the map, and when they decide, they can click "reserve" to book the home. Then the password of the room will be displayed. They can enter the room by entering the password,.

After the homeless person checks out, he needs to clean the room himself. If the next homeless person finds that the room is particularly dirty, he can take a photo and report. In this way, the last homeless people will be banned from making an appointment for a short time.

1. Enter the location

2. Select time period

3. Look for homes on the map

4. reserve the room

Inspiration Residential buildings in London

Generalization

Shared Homes in the wall of railway (Section from railway direction)

Structure of Shared Homes

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Par

The architectural structure of Shared Homes is attached and inlaid on the wall of railway, which is the modular structure, like a long train, and we can set the number of rooms according to the length of the wall.

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Plan of Shared Homes Function Analysis The space of the shared home is connected by a series of space boxes. In terms of functional design, I set up four different functional space boxes. The first is the single room, which is convenient for single homeless people. The second type is the double room, which is convenient for the homeless to stay with their partner. The third type is entrance hall, which is a semi-open space through which the homeless enter the room. The fourth type is entrance hall with bathroom and toilet. The homeless can enter the room through this space, but showers and toilets are also set up inside this space.

Because according to the previous research, I found that taking a bath is not an easy task for the homeless，so they rarely take a bath. Setting up a shower room also facilitates their daily cleaning of their bodies. In addition, the setting of the toilet can facilitate them to get up at night to go to the toilet, which is safer.

The number of double rooms is set according to the ratio of homeless people who are single to those with a partner, so the ratio of the number of double rooms to single rooms is about 1:5. And the ratio of the number of entrance hall with bathroom and toilet to entrance hall is 1:3.

Double Room

Entrance Hall( with bathroom and toilet)

Single Room

Entrance Hall

Plan

Entrance

Sidewalk

Entrance

Sidewalk

Entrance

Section of Shared Homes from sidewalk direction

Self-expression Installation on the wall

Rotate

There is a fake window frame on the outer wall of every shared home along the street. Many small squares are hung on this window frame. The front and back of the small squares have different colors. The homeless can rotate these squares according to their own preferences, thereby making their own "paintings" to express themselves. Through this special installation , the homeless can let the shared home communicate information has his own mark, gaining a sense of belonging and showing his main territory.

Inspiration Based on the above observation of the family scene in the TV series, I extracted some self-expression elements and collaged them. These elements make the homeless in the space feel at home. I began to think about how to place and express these elements on the wall, and then I designed such a wall as the main wall in the shared home.

The homeless can place panels of different widths on different grids on the wall according to their needs. For example, when they need to place their own items, they can place a panel with a width of 250mm. When they need to read a book or eat, they can place a panel with width of 350mm. Different panels are placed on the wall at different heights and then combined into spaces with different functions (eating, reading, chatting, drinking), so that the small space can be fully utilized, and this share home can have qualities of self-expression and social relationships about home.

400mm 400mm Wall Light slot

Extend

Having a meal

Reading

Flexible metallic bar

m

0m

25

shelf

Flexible metallic bar

Table plate

m

3

m 50

400mm

Compose

Chatting

Drinking

400mm

Plan

Function of furniture

The plan of single room

1500mm

1

2

1

3000mm Sleeping

1500mm

The plan of double room (lower layer)

Sleeping (double)

UP

Sitting

Sitting

Playing

Sleeping (single)

Eating

Playing

3900mm

1500mm

The plan of double room (upper layer)

DOWN

2

3900mm

Section of the double room 3900mm

Sunroof (non openable)

3400mm

Multifunctional double bed

Lockers

Panels Stairs Multifunctional single bed

Section of the single room

3000mm

Sunroof (non openable)

Panels Lockers

Multifunctional single bed

2400mm

Windows (upwardly openable)

Section of the double room

Section of the single room

Ⅵ. Conclusion

Conclusion In the process of researching how can the negelected urban public space in London provide a warm home for the homeless, based on Smith’s description of the 5 positive characteristics of home in 1994, I explored and analyzed London’s public space through observation method and determined I used the site of the wall of railway to design the shared home. Through observation method and case analysis method, he explored and analyzed the way of expressing the positive characteristics of home in two aspects of architecture and interior in the scenes of the houses along the streets of London and the TV series about the family. In the later stage, use these conclusions to transform the wall of railway to build shared homes for the homeless. In the interior and architectural design, the homeless can feel the warmth of home and solve the problem of rough sleep.

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