Safe Harbor
3CDC, Shelterhouse, The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women
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Cincinnati, OH | 20,000 SF
Warm, welcoming environments create a place for women to get back on their feet.
Job loss. Mental illness. Elderly abandonment. Stories of homelessness are as unique as the individuals who experience it. There is no one-size fits all approach to helping people get back on their feet. At The Esther Marie Hatton Center, women seeking temporary shelter can connect to the specific services they need in a welcoming environment.
Protected outdoor courtyard
Because of its location on a busy, urban road, we placed the building in a way that allowed the creation of an outdoor courtyard, protected and away from traffic. Recessed windows in the street-facing bedrooms create additional interior seating, maintain privacy, and shield sleeping residents from the noise and lights of traffic at night.
In trying to improve our services we realized we needed new facilities to separate the men and women. Women typically have different issues from men. Some are seeking refuge. Coming into a facility that houses men was an issue for a lot of women, and a lot of them were choosing to stay on the street.
A variety of room types—singles, doubles, and quads—can accommodate different people with different needs. Rooms are grouped into neighborhoods around shared amenities—like bathrooms and casual gathering spaces—to help break down the scale of the building. Sudden homelessness is physically and emotionally overwhelming. The Hatton Center is designed to help alleviate that feeling from the moment of arrival.
Rooms are grouped into neighborhoods with shared amenities like common lounge space.