Robyn Whitwham works as an architect for Stantec. She says designing the Green Haven Shelter for Women - which offiially opens Friday - taught her about recovery, reintegration and empowerment. This story originally appeared onStantec.com.

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Ihave a confession: the idea I had about a womans path from victim to survivor in cases of domestic abuse was all wrong.

I thought that seeking emergency shelter meant looking for just thatan immediate, short-term, safe place to go that provides basic resources. In reality, a shelter needs to be much more than a roof over your head.

In designing a womens shelter with my teamthe Green Haven Shelter for Women in OrilliaI quickly realized the potential impact the built environment can have on the well-being of survivors of abuse.

In the case of Green Haven, the nearly 30-year-old organization gives survivors of abuse a safe space and allows them to live in an environment of mutual respect. But the former shelter building could no longer effectively serve the needs of its users.

It had become outdated and uncomfortable. So, my design team needed to create a new building with robust security features that didnt feel like an institution.

Walking through the front door of a shelter is not the end of a journey to recoveryits the beginning. One of the main reasons a woman might return to her abuser, even after seeking shelter, is the fear of change and the perceived comfort in returning to a predictable environment.

Uprooting her own life and, if she has dependent children, the life of her family can seem scarier than her former unsafe situation. When creating spaces that offer a new beginning for survivors, designers need to focus on easing this transition. How can a building help propel a woman toward empowerment? How can design contribute to breaking the cycle of abuse for good?

While designing spaces to cultivate a sense of community inside the shelter is essential, you also need to provide the spatial means for privacy. The challenge comes in achieving the right amount of both.

A woman should be given the autonomy to choose the level of engagement and interaction that works for her. For Green Haven, the communal spacewhich includes a kitchen, dining area, lounge, and childrens play areais where that community can thrive.

This is where residents can share meals together, where their children can do their homework, and where there is direct access to the secure outdoor space. Our strategy was to create a space to encourage peer support and break the isolation that can come from abuse.

On the other hand, access to a private space for respite is equally important for women to feel comfortable and secure.

In Green Havens former facility, the rooms with multiple bedsmostly bunk bedscreated a stressful environment for women who shared a room with strangers while in an often vulnerable and distressed state. We ensured the new shelter included only single and double bedrooms with a connecting door between select rooms, creating a suite for instances where a woman has multiple children.

We placed a considerable focus on the wall partitions surrounding rooms, to ensure soundproofing between spacesespecially where private conversations are most likely to happen. In addition, we separated the bedrooms from the semi-public and public zones of the building for those seeking privacy.

A domestic abuse survivor might have a triggering relationship with their home, so its important to leave room for personalization to encourage residents to make the shelter their new home.

This can help the transition into a new place feel more comfortable. In the design, its important to ensure residents can customize their environment to reclaim the sense of belonging that was eroded by abuse. Giving control over lighting levelsboth natural and artificialas well as temperature contributes to the feeling of home.

For Green Haven, the only fixed elements inside the bedrooms are the built-in closets. We wanted all furniture to be movable so that residents can rearrange it as they choose. There is a comfort that comes from having a place to call your own.

When we think of security, we often imagine physical barriers such as bulletproof glass and surveillance cameras. While these are all essential to the overall safety of the buildings occupants, creating an atmosphere that feels physically andequally as importantemotionally safe involves more than key fobs.

Its vital to know the triggers that could make a resident feel at risk. If a woman doesnt feel protected by the shelter, theres a higher risk shell leave and potentially return to unsafe conditions.

At Green Haven, we created a sense of safety through warmth and the straightforward organization of space. The entrance canopy, clad in wood and brightly lit, is welcoming and says, youre here now, and we will protect you. The predictable floor plan has clear sightlines to reduce the need for surveillance cameras.

The mechanical and electrical rooms can be accessed directly from the exterior so that maintenance workers dont need to enter the shelter. Passersby cant see any windows from the sidewalk in front of the building, and there is a high masonry wall separating the backyard exterior area from the street.

Bedrooms have lockable closets to secure personal belongings. These more passive security strategies were intentional to ensure the building doesnt feel institutional and the residents feel protected.

When we use design to reignite a sense of belonging for abuse survivors, we can encourage them to feel empowered to find strength in moments of weakness and choose a path forward to recovery.

I now understand that a shelter needs to be so much more than a room behind a locked door. The space should help restore the individuals sense of identity and their dignity. Hopefully, the design contributes to an environment of normalcy.

Ive learned so much from my experience with Green Haven, and Im thrilled to see this project come to life. Contact me if youd like to learn more about this compelling project and the design that went into it.

Continued here:

New Green Haven is much 'more than a room behind a locked door' - OrilliaMatters