Joshua Sam-Cato

Re-Institutionalisation: Reimagining Collective Living in Child Care

Through the current system of foster homes, a significant number of children and youth in the care of society grow up experiencing a lack of permanency, making it challenging for them to attain membership within communities and establish connections within their neighbourhoods. As a result, they have limited access to resources for physical, social, and cognitive well-being. This thesis reimagines collective living in child care after the orphanage by examining how architecture can facilitate membership within different scales of community while providing safe spaces for young people to grow. By advancing an alternative, this project hopes to spark discussions regarding new forms of domesticity and promote new ways of thinking about home.

Image: The Bowery Boys. “Look Back At The Bronx — Images from NYC’s Department of Records.”

Advisor: Mauricio Quirós Pacheco Winter 2021