THIRD YEAR 2020

STUDIO 03.01.01

HIGH DISTINCTION

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SITE

'Join the Dots'

102 Victoria Road,

Marrickville

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CLIENTS

Ex-inmates

Department of Justice NSW

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We have been presented with the urgent task to use design as a tool by which to break entrenched cycles of recidivism experienced by individuals post-incarceration. 

Such action is required in response to pressures such as homelessness, unemployment and poverty so frequently experienced by these individuals upon release. 

 

My personal ethos for this project revolved around the power of spatial design in rehabilitation;
more specifically through the facilitation of an open, light-filled space that acts in complete juxtaposition to the confined, restrictive space within incarceration, in an attempt to positively shift the perception
of life outside of prison to these individuals and thus hopefully reduce these rates of recidivism.

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Approaching a design of this nature begins first with the question; how can spatial design be utilised beyond physical architecture, towards its implementation as a tool by which to improve the overall health of its inhabitants? I find my intent focusing towards the creation of an environment that facilitates independent behaviours by ex-inmates, whilst still acting as a safe haven through the provision of external support. With careful consideration of spatial arrangement and a dominant focus on the filtration of natural light throughout the entirety of the design, a space of ‘sanctuary’ is born, by which post-incarceration rehabilitation may occur. The encouragement of independent living is paramount, with the added luxury of not having to worry about external pressure such as accommodation or employment as often faced by ex-inmates in these challenging early stages after release. 

 

Prison life is dominated by controlled environments and restricted spaces. By erasing such negative connotations of space, there is hope that we can promote a positive perception of the living environment outside of jail, 

potentially contributing to a reduced likelihood of recidivism. Ultimately, we want to prevent the placement of these people from one set of four walls to another In response to this call, I’ve created an open, light-filled ‘sanctuary’ that works in complete juxtaposition to the spatial confinement that epitomises life in incarceration, instead encouraging interactions in an unrestrictive,
free space. 

 

An area in which current social housing models tend to fail is the construction of a residency that effectively incorporates spaces of program, or that encourage well-being and rehabilitation beyond that of the provision of basic necessities in a stock standard architectural frame. This creation of an open and collaborative space will encourage the formation of a community approach towards an improved, self-supporting future. 

The ethos driving this design is that this combination of an open, approachable environment and a living model that encourages self-sufficiency, will birth a refreshed and confident perception by ex-inmates towards life outside of the system. 

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[rhinoceros3d]

[photoshop]

[adobe illustrator]

[hand modelling]