Academy of Architecture for Justice

Professionals in architecture have a responsibility to advocate for social justice and equitable environments, not only in the practice of the profession but also in offering social justice reform and models through impactful design. This responsibility should also embrace our underserved homeless populations, often omitted from the dialogue of justice reform but whose actions are often criminalized due to resource deficits. Understanding that designers’ skillsets can be leveraged to address the major deficit of homelessness, this session shares the story of Deployable Communities, a design concept intended to replace homeless encampments. Deployable Communities proposes reusable intermediary shelter, supplemented by on-the-ground services, to find pathways for permanent housing options. Through content generated via collaborative processes across disciplines, and through the ambitious opinions of emerging professionals, the audience experiences this journey to find a model-in-the-middle for deployable, aesthetic, and resilient shelter as one approach to mitigate the circumstantial criminality resulting from homelessness.