Privacy, Security and Dignity: POE of Safe Haven Dorm Partition Environment

This paper presents post occupancy evaluation findings of a homeless shelter dorm station design-build architecture student project. Fourteen architecture students in a socio-political and design-build studio at Philadelphia University programmed, designed, and prototyped dorm stations for a shelter managed by Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia.

The post occupancy evaluation utilized interview, questionnaire, and observation data gathering methodologies. The evaluation involved three primary groups: administrators, staff, and residents. Specific dorm station design conditions were addressed including:
• boundaries in the definition of territory
• personalization and ownership
• visibility, privacy, and safety