RE-SYMBOLIZING
HOMLESSNESS
THIS MY THESIS PRESENTATION FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY.:
THIS STUDY IS TO CREATE A BUILDING THAT WILL HELP CHANGE THE MENTAL STATE, REPRESENTATION AND PUBLIC THINKING OF HOMELESSNESS; AND HELP CREATE SELF SUFFICIENT, INDEPENDENT CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY. BALTIMORE HAS A 10 YEAR PLAN IN PLACE THAT WILL HAVE ALL THE HOMELESS IN BALTIMORE OFF THE STREETS. THIS BUILDING IS TO ASSIST THE LARGEST GROUP OF HOMELESS IN BALTIMORE, WHICH ARE AGES 41-60, GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PERMANENT HOUSING. AGAINST THE BALTIMORE PLAN TO DEMOLISH ROW HOUSES, THE STRUCTURE WILL BE REUSED, THIS FACILITY WILL REVITALIZE THE COMMUNITY WITH THE OLD CHARACTER AND CHARM OF THE CHARM CITY.
THE FACILITY IS NOT ONLY TO HELP IT'S TENANTS, THE HOMELESS, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH IT RESIDES. HOMELESS FACILITIES ARE NOT USUALLY WELCOMES BY THE RESIDENTS OF A COMMUNITY. CHANGING THE MEANING OF HOMELESS TO THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS CHANGING THE MENTALITY OF THE TENANTS. BY REDEVELOPING THE USE FOR THE ROW HOUSE BEYOND JUST LIVING AND DEVELOPING THE SPACE AROUND IT, THE BUILDING BECOMES A SYMBOL OF HOW SOMETHING THAT WAS ONCE THOUGHT OF AS USELESS CAN BECOME A THING OF VALUE. THIS BUILDINGS FUNCTIONS WILL BE OPERATED BY THE TENANTS AND USED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS PLACED IN. GIVING THE COMMUNITY THINGS IT NEEDS LIKE A MARKETPLACE AND ACCESS TO MEDICAL TREATMENT AND EDUCATION , WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A PLACE FOR THE HOMELESS TO BETTER THEMSELVES. BY COMBINING THE NEEDS OF BOTH THE EXISTING COMMUNITY AND HOMELESS , A NEW COMMUNITY NARRATIVE CAN BE CREATED.
Programs Used:
REVIT, ILLUSTRATOR, LUMION, AND PHOTOSHOP