Dwelling in Nomadic Architecture: Transitional Housing for the Suddenly and Chronically Homeless

Abstract

The goal of this thesis project is to create a welcoming and respectful space to house, educate, and rehabilitate the chronic homeless population in the Minneapolis area. The challenge of this premise is to provide transitional housing that separates itself from the stereotypical institutional stigma many facilities face. This will be done by studying the difference between smooth and striated places as referenced by Deleuze and Guitarri, nomadic tendencies and architecture, and case studies demonstrating different responses to homelessness. There is a growing need for solutions addressing homelessness, particularly the significant rise of new age groups such as seniors, two-parent families, and teenagers under the age of eighteen. The number of homeless persons with mental illness is also on the rise. The challenge will be to match different age groups or living situations with their preferred type of space. This will require the ability to design spaces that are flexible and supportive of the nomadic tendencies many of the chronically homeless are accustom to. It will also require the ability to design efficient, institutional spaces that act as more of a system to elevate people out of homelessness.