Speelman, Mackenzie (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Arnold, Kristen (Engineering, Applied Science, and Technology; Interior Design)
The numbers in homeless LGBTQ+ youth are rising by the year. These numbers are devastating and mean that eventually these youth can potentially have nothing to live for because they are rejected from their homes. (Dashow, 2017) In Utah these numbers are heartbreaking, as there is not a place for them to be able to go. (Valkenburg, 2013) In partnering with Equality Utah, we would be able to create a space for these youth that would not only provide them with a space to call their own, but also provide resources for success in the real world.
It would also provide them with the opportunity to learn life lessons that they would not normally get if they were to continue to be homeless. It would be a safe place for them to be able to learn, and potentially get a higher education and a chance to be something other than a statistic. This space will be a welcome sight to any who may need it, and a place where they are free to be themselves. It will create a home for those who no longer have one, and would provide a better quality of life for those individuals.
When considering other elements of design in relation to this project, it is also important to consider what can be considered a safe place for these individuals. Dazakir and Read did a study about how people react to different kinds of design in relation to what is considered a safe place for them. It took into account how different types of shapes and forms would elicit a response whether it be in the pleasure receptors and looked at whether or not people felt more comfortable in a space based on those shapes. What they found was "the respondents associated more pleasure within curvilinear forms and would approach and affiliate more with others in those settings compared with the settings with rectilinear forms." (Read, 2019). This will be taken into consideration with group spaces to ensure that there is a promotion of socialization within the space and to help the space feel more welcome for socialization and to make the space seem more like home.
It has been shown that Utah is one of the worst places to be LGBTQ+ and homeless, and in a survey from the Human Rights Campaign 65% of those surveyed in Utah reported being verbally harassed at school, compared to 51% nationally. It also shows 75% of teens in Utah feel they would need to move away in order to "fit in" compared to 63% of LGBT teens nationwide. (UPR, n.d.) As a result of this, we need to ensure that there is a safe place for these youth.