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Issues and Positions
Thesis ThesisProposal Proposal
Issues
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• Current floor plans of transitional housing for homeless veterans do not fully serve people with physical disabilities. Although these facilities do follow ADA codes, that is not enough for someone confined to a wheelchair to live comfortably. Often times the layouts for the living units have tight spaces to maneuver around and small obstacles such as door treads that can become a nuisance.
• Transitional housing for homeless veterans does not address mental disabilities like PTSD, anxiety, social isolation, and depression. This specific group of people is at a higher risk for these mental illnesses, but facilities do not utilize design to aid in the mental health of the inhabitants.
• Around 60,912 servicemen and women could experience homelessness on any given night. This vast number shows the high demand and need for housing. However, the traditional construction process that is used for these facilities waste both time and money because of its inefficiency. • Floor plans for this typology should be spacious so that a person in a wheelchair can easily move around their living unit. Units should use pocket doors with no-sill thresholds to eliminate the hassle of a door swing and allow easier access from room to room. Instead of only following ADA codes, every small detail of the design should be catered to someone with a physical disability.
• The design for these facilities should have a positive impact on a person’s psyche. Several scientific studies have shown that being emersed in nature can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and lessen the effects of mental illnesses. Therefore, nature should be integrated into the design either by using natural materials or by creating small green spaces that can be enjoyed by the community.
• Instead of using traditional construction methods, transitional housing for homeless veterans should capitalize on prefabrication and modular construction. Modular living units can be constructed off-site in an assembly line type fashion while the foundation and structure are being built on-site. This will cut down on the construction cost and time for each facility.
