Homelessness in public spaces is a significant issue in Eugene, Oregon, that has a visible impact on the community and the individuals that are unhouse. Factors contributing to homelessness include lack of affordable housing, shortage of shelter, mental health issues, substance abuse, and economic inequality. The city has grappled with homelessness for many years and it has become particularly pronounced in public spaces.
Landscape design of the Hult Center, showing the lack of sittin option and cover areas.
The Hult Center for the Performing Arts is a cultural landmark located in Eugene. It serves as a hub for various performing arts events. The Hult Center’s architectural design is striking and modern, featuring a glass lobby and a series of interconnected structures. The complex has a large urban landscape at the front for human interactions and gatherings. The Hult Center, as a cultural and public institution, plays an active role in addressing homelessness in public spaces related to Eugene due to shortage of shelter.
Large, open, and empty landscape at the side of the building.
It is important to note that addressing homelessness requires comprehensive strategies of design and the collaboration of the community and individuals that are unhouse. While the Hult Center may not directly address homelessness, it can have some aspects on the design of the urban landscape that prevent spaces from turning into makeshift dwelling or temporary shelters. The exterior of the Hult Center, urban landscape, creates an inhospitable environment for the unhouse and the general public. As Willow stated, “ a seemingly public oasis”. She explains how no one is using the public space. It seemed a quiet and private space where it should be the contrary, loud and public. According to her, the building does not threaten the human rights of the houseless population but is not a welcoming space due to the secluded courtyard and surveillance.
Some of the design aspects of landscape and interiors can feel somehow uninviting and exclusionary. Even though the landscape can bring many opportunities for the city to create community nooks, it feels very lonely and isolated. There is a lack of design approach, it is empty. Lack of seating options and shading devices prevent people from feeling inspired and spending more time in the area. In regard to homeless people, the space can be intimidating. There are a lot of shallow and long stairs where it could be very uncomfortable to lay over or seat. Because of the lack of shading, the only cover area is in the main stairs that lead to the entry and it feels very private and surveilled.
The covered spaces feel uninvited because of the long stairs and railings.
Railings create enclose spaces and it almost feel like a cage
The gable roof that creates those cover areas makes the space feel enclosed and only for certain people.
Another example of hostile design present in the landscape of the building is the presence of railings on the exterior stairs. These railings, according to Lindsay, are a barrier for the unhouse. Making the dwelling in the stairs challenging. Not only target the unhouse but skaters. The intent is not to protect the building’sinfrastructure, it creates a barrier that excludes the unhouse from freely enjoying and resting in the public space.
Hostile design can take various forms, such as installing uncomfortable benches with dividers, adding spikes or protrusions to deter sleeping or sitting, or designing landscapes that make it challenging to find shelter or rest. These design elements can be seen in public spaces, we can state that the Hult Center incorporates hostile design. Though there is no hostile architecture directly present with clean benches and an absence of spikes, examples of security walking outside to request homeless people to sleep elsewhere are relatively common. (Caslan, “No Vacancy”). This is an example of how hostile design is often applied for safety concerns. Security if wandering around to express concerns about safety when homeless individuals occupy the space. Also, the city of Eugene is expected to keep the Hult Center nice and clean so the lack of seating and covered areas is an implementation of hostile design to maintain aesthetics. The presence of homeless individuals in public can be visually unappealing and may create an unsightly environment. The blank landscaping implies a clean, well-maintained, and visually appealing space for the general public but is not inviting.
Overall, the design choices at the Hult Center offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of creating public spaces that are inclusive, accessible, and accommodating to various communities. (egarret3, “Reimagined inclusivity”). It gives the opportunity to think about all of these aspects because the design focuses too much on rejecting the homeless by not providing covered and sitting areas, but by not offering those places to find “shelter”, the general public feels unwelcome and no one uses the space.
The Hult Center incorporates hostile design in the planning of the landscape making the place challenging for shelter or sleeping for the unhouse people. Nevertheless, in the surrounding areas of the building more forms can be noticed. For example: uncomfortable benches with dividers, covered areas without a seating option, elements that function as barriers, etc.
Benches with dividers to prevent sleeping.
Uneven benches to prevent sleeping.
Hostile design in benches refers to the intentional design features or modifications aimed at discouraging certain activities, often targeting homeless individuals or vulnerable populations. These design elements are implemented to make it uncomfortable or impractical for people to sleep, rest, or occupy the benches for extended periods.
Diagram of bench highlighting elements of hostile design.
Metal bumps limits one’s movement while laying on the bench.
Hostile design can also be observed in bike racks. While the primary purpose of bike racks is to provide secure storage for bicycles, some designs are placed in the street to narrow spacing to prevent makeshift dwelling
Bike racks and planters occupying sidewalk
Diagram showing the barrier that is creating by the bike racks placement.
Bike racks being placed along the parking lot edges to prevent camping on the sidewalk.
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Showing the metal spikes in the planter.
Hostile design in flower beds is less common, but it can be hostile when metal spikes are incorporated to make the area uncomfortable or unsafe for individuals, particularly those experiencing homelessness.
Highlights the point of obstruction.
Photo shows the small metal elements included in the flower bed design meant to deter skaters.
The overall experience of an unhoused person in the urban space surrounding the Hult Center relies primarily on the lack of shelter, stigmatization and marginalization, and lack of privacy and dignity. The urban landscape of the building is not a stable place for a temporary shelter. It does not have sitting or covered areas that allow the unhouse to rest or find shelter. Unhoused individuals often face social stigma, security and surveillance telling them to move the space creates a sense of marginalization and misconception. As a very open space, it creates a lack of privacy, as unhouse people are exposed to the gaze of others. Even though the landscape of the Hult Center does not have obvious examples of hostile design the lack of benches and covered areas create an inhabitable space for the unhouse to find shelter and places to temporary rest.
Bibliography
Hostile Architecture: Benches at the EMX Walnut Station by faithw https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-architecture-benches-at-the-emx-walnut-station/comment-page-1/#comment-89
Hostile designs in campus by jzhou9 https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-in-campus/comment-page-1/#comment-90
Hostile Design at the University of Oregon: Examining Lillis Business Complex by sbaker8 https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/31/hostile-design-at-the-university-of-oregon-examining-lillis-business-complex/comment-page-1/#comment-91
Hostile Architecture: Bike Rack Placement in the Education Annex Parking Lot by faithw https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-architecture-bike-rack-placement-in-the-education-annex-parking-lot/
Knight Campus Hostile Design by bekahe https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/knight-campus-hostile-design/comment-page-1/#comment-92
Hostile Architecture, The EMX Dad’s Gate Station by caslan https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-architecture-the-emx-dads-gate-station-and-concrete-benches-outside-the-emu/comment-page-1/#comment-93
Hostile design by Allan Price Library by tinao https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-by-allan-price-library/
Hostile Architecture at Amazon Park by cmoten https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-architecture-at-amazon-park/
Lane Transit Dirstrict by rilynnz https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/31/lane-transit-dirstrict/
Hostile Design Furniture Targeting the Unhoused by bekahe https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-furniture-targeting-the-unhoused/
Subtle Details of Hostile Design at the Hult Center by bekahe
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/24/subtle-details-of-hostile-design-at-the-hult-center/
No Vacancy – A study of Hostile Architecture by caslan https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/24/no-vacancy-a-study-of-hostile-architecture/
I think that the ‘hostile’ design of the Hult Center is a proper and reasonable response to harsh reality of the current invasion of homeless people in Eugene. Do you really want to create a space outside of the Hult Center that invites homeless people, creating a dangerous and unsanitary environment outside of one of Eugene’s major landmarks? I think that if Eugene didn’t have such a homeless problem, then the Hult Center would have a much more inviting space in front of their building. If they tried to create a more inviting environment in our current reality, it would just be taken advantage of and exploited by homeless people.