Inside a typical transitional homeless shelter, where people stay while waiting to get a spot in permanent housing, 20 or 30 beds might be clustered together in a single room. Privacy doesn’t exist. But a new, modular design (not shown in photo) for shelter furniture, called Dome—a little like cubicles in an office—could help.
The modular design is simple: A 6-foot-tall cabinet has storage, a built-in nightstand, a power outlet, and space for a bed. Arranged together, the cabinets create partitions and privacy in an open space. An optional fabric shade can be pulled down over the opening to each “bedroom” to give even more privacy. Inside, there’s enough room to sit, stand, and house a medium-sized kennel for a pet.
In Los Angeles, someone living in an interim housing facility might be there for six months or as long as two years. The architecture firm behind the design, Perkins and Will, believes Dome can offer more dignity and make the transitional living space feel a little more like home.
