Faculty of Design

Environmental Design - Interior Design Specialization

Aleighia Murphy

01 For Jurying Consideration - NEST

This project approaches the design of the tiny homes using a “housing first” approach, that is, providing independent housing to unhoused people with additional supportive services therefore becoming more attainable regardless of criteria and the idea of being (un)deserving or (un)ready for housing. The tiny homes will be modular, uniform in design, and universally accessible, which allows for the homes to be mass-produced and flexible in their layouts across multiple sites while remaining inclusive of the diverse unhoused clientele who are of varying health support needs, ages, socioeconomic statuses, locations, and lived experiences. Considering the constraints of the site and the overwhelming majority of representation within the subsidized housing waitlist, the homes will be designed for seniors, singles, and couples without dependents. Each home will require two parking spaces, and the prefabrication and modular design approach will contribute to sustainability, less construction waste, and will also support the temporary nature of the homes, being split into two modules which are suitable for transportation by roadway and combined on site to create the homes. Using the Green P parking lot located at 87 Richmond Street East as a proposed site for tiny home integration, a relatively small parking lot of only 21 parking spaces, this parking lot as a precedent will demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of the tiny homes across the Green P parking lots within the Greater Toronto Area regardless of size, layout, and location.

“This project is ultimately about perspectives. The way we as a society perceive and treat unhoused people, the way we view social or tiny housing, the invisible barriers that prevent unhoused people from receiving housing, and the way that we approach designing for low to no income households all comes down to the way we perceive these societal issues. We cannot expect to adequately and respectfully address the issues that unhoused people are subject to from the way we as a community and us as designers currently approach these issues. It is only when we shift our perspective, when we acknowledge barriers to housing, when we address “Not In My Backyard,” and when we shift the societal perspective of social housing and the people who use it to a more compassionate approach that we can unite and create tangible change.”