Home For All

Home for All is designed as one of two planned transitional shelter villages, offering individuals a respite from street life and direct access to comprehensive social services. The site design carefully balances the need for security and utility in transitional housing with a welcoming, natural environment that fosters a sense of home and stability. To enhance the streetscape, the site's fence is set back from the property line, creating space for street trees and other plantings. A prominent welcome pavilion at the site's edge serves as a clear entry point along a shaded sidewalk, lined with pollinator-friendly plantings that attract birds and butterflies.

The south side of the site is dedicated to social areas, including a shaded outdoor gathering space with picnic tables and ceiling fans for air circulation, raised garden beds with aromatic herbs, and a community pavilion that houses a warming kitchen and dining room, serving three meals daily.

The plan effectively utilizes the existing slope of the disused private parking lot, minimizing the need for extensive earthwork. Paving has been replaced with plantings, including trees, pollinator species, and native grasses. Low-maintenance ground cover ensures ample green space, and grasses screen the adjacent warehouse's brick wall. All pathways and structures are fully accessible. 

The 14 prefabricated shelters each include a bed, desk, storage, a mini-fridge, heating and cooling, and a lockable door, provided for individual residents. The program focuses on offering a secure place for safe sleep and continuous access to support services, serving as a stepping stone toward permanent housing.

The shelters are arranged into micro-neighborhoods, creating informal zones with various seating options. Each shelter is equipped with a bike rack and mounted solar lighting to illuminate the front door.

The choice of materials emphasizes durability and low-maintenance natural finishes, such as wood and concrete. Murals, organized by Erica Chisolm, Senior Urban Designer for the City of Birmingham, are planned for the fence and other areas.