We Belong Here

Homelessness, or the state of being unsheltered, does not have a simple solution, but instead is representative of a state that requires many, thoughtfully designed responses at different scales that encompass the sensitive nature of the human spirit.This group of individuals are often underesti mated and underrepresented in the decisions that rule their lives, and because of this, it is through personal engagement and conversation that perhaps a step forward may be found. Students in the second year studio develop their voice as fledgling designers advocating for their unsheltered clients. While change can and does exist in a variety of forms and gestures, the student-designed Guerrilla Coffee Unit (GCU) roams the streets of San Francisco offering opportunities for the unsheltered community to be served and heard. This involves the act of sharing a cup of coff ee, a simple gesture that sparks conversation, the sharing often me, and a sense of community. The GCU is rolled out on any public space sidewalk that is bound by the sit/lie ordinance (section 168 San Francisco Police Code) which forbids sitting or lying down on the sidewalk, an ordinance specifically designed against the homeless/unsheltered community. The goal is that through the GCU, students are engaged to act and design a homeless shelter with empathy and purpose. The response to homelessness is not resolved through a single act, but rather through a continuous series of empathetic and sensitive gestures that take the challenge on in a multivalent manner. And while a shelter represents a first step, humanity is not one note, but rather a symphony, and it is through the GCU interactions that this symphony is given a voice and audience.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.FALL.19.37

Volume Editors
Amy Larimer, Deborah Berke, Diana Lin, Drew Krafcik, John Barton & Sunil Bald

ISBN
978-1-944214-24-1