SAFE SPACE: Architectural Sequence as a Healing Experience

Abstract

Human trafficking is the second largest crime in the world with an estimated 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation today. The goal of this thesis is to explore a new paradigm for the design a trauma rehabilitation shelter for victims of sex trafficking. It aims to further develop the relationship between the built environment and the healing process for trauma-specific victims, to design space as a part of the recovery and not just a place for it. As victims of a sexual crime, this thesis also explores a way to de-stigmatize girls from others and themselves by using site-specific advantages to foster interaction between girls and the public. From understanding the victim experience and how victims react to their surroundings this thesis aims to design for survivors by re-orienting their trauma experience into a “new normal.”