Jenae Degen

The Aurora Center is a women’s shelter that can accommodate up to 16 individuals in private bedrooms and has a public space for women in need to access throughout the day on the main level. women at the shelter are provided with professional support as well as program opportunities to assist in their transition out of homelessness. The shelter focuses on creating a sense of community among the women to encourage the cultivation of a support system. A general practitioner's clinic is also attached to the shelter, to allow for easy access without the women having to leave the facility for medical advice. The practitioners clinic is also open to the public as well.

The main floor includes the community hall of my shelter along with support spaces and a kitchen. The bottom right of the plan is my clinic area. Inside the shelter is a large open space with multiple different seating arrangements. This is lined with rooms on either side. To the left are the stairs and elevator which have access to the second floor, a classroom space and a couple of offices for one on one meetings. The right has a library, barrier free washrooms, a computer area for the women and a kitchen which serves three meals a day.

Here is a perspective of my clinic waiting area. In this space you can see the wood laminate walls are extruded. This allows for strip lighting to sit on top of the wall and provide light to the ceiling which allows for a luminous, ambient interior.

Here are perspectives from the clinic. On the left is the patient exam room. The floor is a light hardwood which brings a sense of familiarity and warmth to the patient. The right is a perspective of the doctor’s office which has tiled carpet which prevents sound from escaping into the waiting area and reception space.

The second floor contains the bedroom units for women in need of a place to sleep. Women using these bedrooms are able to stay between 3 days and three weeks. The bedroom units surround the perimeter. Each bedroom unit has a bed, a desk and a lockable locker where they can store their belongings. They also each have their own en suite. The communal living area, housekeeping and laundry room are within the center. The communal living area is a space where women staying in the shelter are able to make themselves food, watch TV and socialize.

Here are perspectives of the bedroom units. I wanted the bedrooms to provide a sense of fun and personality so there are rooms with different colored painted walls.

And here are the en suites which have different terrazzo flooring and wall features, with different colored sinks depending on the room. I think the experience of having one’s own washroom space is extremely important especially in this circumstance, so I wanted the washrooms to feel luxurious and interesting.