Group Project:

Design for Social Justice: DMST Transitional HousingPersonal contribution: research, conceptual abstraction, space- planning, & construction of (5) final digital presentation boards.

Purpose:

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as many as 300,000 American children a year are victimized through Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST). However, according to Shared Hope International, the services required for sex tracking victims are unique and rarely available. At the 2006 US Midterm Review on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in America Conference, 62 percent of participating organizations stated that they had created public awareness of DMST, but only 20 percent were able to provide housing to child victims of sex trafficking. Utilize a typical abandoned grocery store commonly found in strip malls to create a replicable model of single sex protective housing with the goal to rescue and restore the hope which has been lost.

Conceptualization:

"72 Days for Freedom" campaign's Freedom Hand, a 103 foot tall piece of artwork symbolizing the heartbeat of a generation refusing to tolerate the exploitation of 27 million men, women, and children trapped in slavery. Open space planning, moveable furniture, adjustable walls, and opaque surfaces create a sense of privacy and personal control, while a rich color palette and asymmetrical balance promotes creativity and interaction. An impression of strength and growth is achieved through strong vertical forms and crisp lines, such as those delineated by changes in the sustainably harevsted wood flooring.