THE HYGGE SANCTUARY

Scandinavian Design

Transitional housing for the homeless youth of Boston

THE
CLIENT

One out of every 10 young adults will experience homelessness in the course of a year. If you are a part of the LGBTQ+, African American, Latino, or nonwhite community, your risk increases sometimes two-fold. The challenges that come with not having a permanent home are ones many of us can only be empathetic towards. The opportunity to design a space that could fill the gaps in these young adult’s lives is one that needs to be approached with sensitivity, understanding, and thoughtfulness. The goal of this design is to provide these young adults with transitional housing that will not only put a roof over their heads, but will give them the tools to succeed and grow out of this moment and into the next.

THE CONCEPT

The overall goal of this design is to provide security to these young adults who need it the most; not only security in their living arrangements, but security in their support system, their present moment, and how they will progress towards the future. This goal of providing security will be accomplished through the use of a color and materials, creating private spaces for them to feel secure, and creating hierarchy in the design that allows them to physically see the forward progression in their lives as they use the resources offered in order to guarantee that security in their future.
Overall the materials will be inspired by Scandinavian design; using muted tones and natural materials such as wood and stone. The fabric color palette will consist of three colors, grey, taupe and creme all with warm undertones. The fabric and finishes will go from light to dark as you move through the space. Also, there will be a series of doors that connect each space, so the client can feel as though they are really moving through their levels of security.