Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen’s (DESK) ResourceCenter with Svigals + Partners

Bright fluorescent troffers hanging from a low ceiling grid. White walls, gray floor.
Heartbeat gets faster, we start to get tense. Coming from the harsh cold weather outside and smelling the warm food makes us feel comfortable for a moment, and we pause. When we come to, we start hearing noises, seeing the hustle and bustle of the busy space around us. The room is loud, full of people, sounds bouncing off the walls. It's overwhelming, a bit disorienting. We turn and see the greeting staff, grab our voucher and see the line. Still nervous, "Is there a seat in the corner of the room where I can be by myself and have space for my bag? Everything I own is in this bag”. So, we get in line and grab a tray.

This is the case of many people in the unhoused population. This outcome is hopeful as this hypothetical guest decided to stay. Institutional spaces and clinical rooms in their traditional configurations tend to isolate, intimidate and even reject some. Vulnerable populations that frequent soup kitchens and other support services are usually left to deal with these scenarios of stark environmental barriers, having to overcome the sterile spaces around them in addition to dealing with the effects of their current trauma, or be left out altogether.

Trauma-informed Design (TID) is an evidence-based practice guiding a set of strategies ideated to design safe, healing and welcoming environments for specific populations and their staff. It goes beyond aesthetics and recognizes that the quality of a space affects users outlook and mood, tying these to physical and mental health. TID was developed by codifying ways to ease or avoid trauma reactions altogether and establishing goals to provide safety, comfort, community, choice and voice. The solutions may range from relatively superficial material and furnishing selections to the programmatic organization of spaces, their security protocols, lines of sight.

For a person like our hypothetical guest to walk in the door and stay, these spaces need to feel inviting so they can relate to the user and gain their trust to continue down the path to recovery from trauma. These needs vary e.g., previously incarcerated people would prefer wide hallways, lots of natural light and biophilia; while an unhoused person would prefer a feeling of hominess, but not as much biophilia.

With construction well underway at Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen’s (DESK) Resource Center, in New Haven, CT, we see these concepts being put into practice. The TID process became critical to this project. It involved interviewing guests and staff whose previous experiences of space established the priorities and values that drove the design forward - and thus began the healing process. On the first floor dining hall we established clear lines of sight to address physical safety. A soft and warm color palette helps soothe, and different seating options allow for choice between a small table or communal gathering. Durable yet home-like finishes with wood patterns, and noise-absorptive fabric panels softening an existing brick wall were among the most desired features for this space so people could relax and feel welcomed.

The second floor features a new commercial kitchen - where choice is also addressed by offering an expanded range of dietary options- and office space for DESK employees and volunteers, and the third floor will house a small clinic with bathing facilities, a consultation and an exam room for guests to access medical, social work and behavioral staff without having to leave the premises. Also, the basement will house basic supplies like clothing and toiletries, laundry facilities, food storage and access to computers, and some quiet spaces for staff to work in.

The main constraints in this major renovation were a narrow, historic building and an unidentified budget -read non-profit. But well beyond the standard soup kitchen, the DESK Resource Center had an ambitious program and strove beyond funding to achieve a lowbarrier, entry-level facility for individuals who don’t (yet) fit in the system, and those who need to warm up to it and find their way forward. The new environment will provide comfort with a dignified space, while also satisfying basic needs (Maslow) of food, support, and healthcare, and ultimately love and belonging, community and connection -all under one roof.

We, the design professionals, have a great deal of influence and decision-making power; we need to approach our work with curiosity and resist the assumption that we experience the world and the built environment in the same way as those for whom we are designing. With that comes the responsibility to carefully consider our impact through the lens of equality and compassion to develop a world in which buildings will help us heal.