by starkv | Jun 16, 2023
Stark Vuksic
History of Interior Architecture III
Solmaz Kive
June 16, 2023
No Welcoming Spaces for Unhoused People in Eugene
Homelessness has emerged as a frontline talking point in recent years. There is more national attention today on this problem than there ever has been. With this heightened attention has come a focus on which cities have the largest unhoused populations and what they can do to help solve this problem. Eugene has been focused on as one of these cities with a large unhoused population, especially in relation to the size of Eugene. With this new focus has come a scramble to push out unhoused people to try and lose the certain label that they have been assigned. In this frantic attempt to decrease the homeless population they turned to short-term resolves using hostile architecture and furniture. They fail to address the underlying issues of mental health, addiction, and an unsustainable economic situation. Instead, they have written in legislation to remove many camps and have changed many spaces to be less accommodating for unhoused people. One building in Eugene that expresses this desire for quick changes without addressing the core problem is Expresso Roma. It stands on the border of the recent gentrification of 13th street as the university funds a complete revamp of the street and in doing so, they have driven out all the unhoused people that used the buildings for shelter.
This building is not obviously a hostile design with it seemingly being a covered, open space because there are not outwardly hostile aspects like spikes or boulders. However, there is an alleyway along the side that has been completely blocked off with a barbed wire fence to discourage people from trying to use the alley as shelter. During the winter a covered space like an alleyway can be extremely beneficial with protection from the wind as well as an escape from the rain. Expresso Roma also stacks their furniture along the outside, under the shading devices to make it difficult for unhoused people to use their coverings as some sort of shelter. As another student pointed out the architecture of Expresso Roma seems to try and force the patrons to use the space in a specific way. (Figure 1) The entire block of 13th street has become more and more unwelcoming to unhoused people. Within the last few years there have been several crackdowns on limiting homeless encampments along this road. It falls under the umbrella of gentrification and discourages any alternative forms of living. Another student points out how Expresso Roma was a blank canvas and a staple of Eugene. (Figure 3) However, this new change to 13th street will hurt these smaller buildings as they only focus on building them upwards. The city of Eugene is becoming increasingly unwelcoming to the homeless population and continually pushes them farther and farther away from the larger urban population. This focus on pushing unhoused people out is more of an out of site, out of mind approach instead of creating public help centers or programs to tackle the problem at the root. They accomplish this through several different hostile methods.
Hostile design is a cornerstone of attacks on the unhoused population. There are several different methods for discouraging them from using some spaces as shelter. One such typology is the modification of spaces. This typology focuses on how institutions are modifying already existing spaces by adding random things to make it difficult for an unhoused person to use it in a different way other than intended. One particular type is how they change covered bus stop benches to be the most uncomfortable for using them in any other way other than simply sitting. One such bus stop is outside Safeway where the bench is metal and broken up in slats so that heat retention becomes extremely difficult. There are also unnecessary arm rests on either side to make laying down uncomfortable. These design changes are not necessary but were made with the sole purpose of discouraging unhoused people from using it. Another bench is along the Walnut Bus Station. There are similar metal slats to disrupt heat retention and an armrest in the middle to prevent laying down. There is also a curved seat which makes it nearly impossible to lie down. Another method is the disruption of flat spaces. When there are flat, usable spaces there tends to be a higher homeless population because there is actually space for them to set up a camp. To discourage this, many institutions install unmovable objects in these flat spaces. One such space is along Patterson where there was a large flat, soft space between the walkway and the road. To prevent camping, they have installed large boulders to essentially cut the space in half. These boulders make the amount of usable space significantly less. Another disruption of flat spaces is downtown where the city installed bike racks along the road to make it unusable for homeless people to camp. It is intentional as they installed them diagonally to prevent people from camping in the spaces in between. Finally, many institutions like to install metal studs in order to prevent and discourage people from laying down on them. They initially made retaining walls and noticed people were using them, so they installed metal studs. There are several installed outside Matthew Knight Arena with extremely long planters dotted with these metal studs. The same idea is used outside the bank along 13th Street which goes along with the gentrification that is already being implemented.
Figure 1: Outside Expresso Roma
Figure 2: Backside of Expresso Roma
Figure 3: Inside of Expresso Roma
Figure 4: Front of Expresso Alleyway
Figure 5: Outside New Science Building
Figure 6: Boulders along 20th
Figure 7: Outside US Bank
Figure 8: Gateway Center
Figure 9: Bus Stop on 13th
Figure 10: Walnut St. Bus Stop
Figure 11: Matthew Knight
Figure 12: Downtown
Figure 13: Allan Price Library
Figure 14: 5th Street
Bibliography:
Figure 1: Individuality of Expresso Roma by ssoto2
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/04/19/individuality-of-espresso-roma/
Expresso Roma by ayakov
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/04/10/espresso-roma/
Figure 3: Burlap, Blank Walls and Believability by rking3
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/10/burlap-blank-walls-and-believability/
Gender, Class, and the Creation of a Diverse Atmosphere with Interior Architecture by sbaker8
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/04/18/35955/
Figure 5: Hostile Design at the University of Oregon: Knight Campus by egarret3
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-at-the-university-of-oregon-knight-campus/
Figure 6: Boulder Blockades by rking3
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/boulder-blockades/
Figure 7: Don’t Choose Here: Hostile Architecture in Eugene by lsmith21
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/dont-choose-here-hostile-architecture-in-eugene/
Figure 8: Hostile Bench in Shopping Plaza by lechengw
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-bench-in-shopping-plaza/
Figure 9: 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/
Figure 10: 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/
Figure 11: Go! (away) Ducks! – (Univ. of Oregon Hostile Architecture) by mlovette
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/28/go-away-ducks-uo-hostile-architecture/
Figure 12: Hostile Design in Downtown Eugene by Jesper Braun
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-in-downtown-eugene/
Figure 13: Hostile Design by Allan Price Library by tinao
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-by-allan-price-library/
Figure 14: The Hidden Hostile Designs of 5th Street by danbiek
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/the-hidden-hostile-designs-around-us/
by mcoon4 | Jun 14, 2023
As a student at the University of Oregon, I have interacted with the unhoused multiple times. I live on Mill street, which is currently filled with tents right now. I am very fortunate to live in such a nice house as a twenty-one year old. The past four years have allowed me to observe the interaction that Eugene has with the unhoused, but today we are going to focus on the interaction the unhoused have with the coffee shop, Tailored. Tailored is located on 13th Ave, which is a very popular street where students get food, go out to bars, and usually is incorporated in the walk people take to and from campus. Tailored is a very popular site, but I believe it is not welcoming to the unhoused in Eugene, OR.
This is a very aesthetic space. The front of the building is all glass and allows for anyone to look in or look out. The design is very minimalistic and has an open floor plan. Students, professors, and all different communities come in and enjoy the coffee and atmosphere. To start off, the garden windows that take up the forefront of the building, in my opinion, reject the unhoused. This aesthetic inside is very aesthetic and modern, which unhoused usually stray away from because they would not fit in as much. Everyone has felt that uncomfortable of going to a restaurant underdressed. I can only imagine that is what this would feel like. Some students disagree with me and state the design has a sense of “home” and warmth and is welcoming for the unhoused. Your own identity flourishes in this space, but that is only if you fit in with the design. Another student suggests that Tailored is similar to the AEG stores, because the consumer is able to see all the expensive design and realize it is indeed an expensive area of purchase, which rejects unhoused again. Another student states that the minimalistic design is alluring for the unhoused, because it provides a space for the unhoused to obtain. With not many attributes to the design, according to this student, it attracts them to the space because it is not directed at one category of people. In a way this is true, but the minimalist space is still a form of expensive aesthetic. There is not much taking up the space, but the details that are seen are curated for people who are able to experience the coffee. Another student talks about the surveillance of the space, there is so much to look at with people filling the space as part of the design and the windows luring people to watch the outside. This goes for the welcoming of the unhoused, because everyone is focused on themselves and having an individual experience because there is a lot to look at. Unhoused could easily walk in, but the design encourages people to watch, rather than have privacy. Unhoused are looking for a space to be comfortable, not to be watched.
The surrounding areas are filled with hostile design’s. From bike racks to benches. A lot of the hostile designs have to do with avoiding the unhoused to sit on anything. 13th Ave and Alder S
t. has a wall that is slated and rejects anyone coming to sit on it. If you make your way further up the street, there are bus benches that have subtle bars in the middle of the beach that prevent the unhoused from laying down and being comfortable. There is a bike rack not too far from Tailored that is there solely for having people not lay in the landscape and take up space on the sidewalk. There is a planter box and makes sure people are not staying for too long. There is a down slope that excludes people from laying on the surface. There is another bench that incorporates more arm rests in the middle of the bench, excluding the unhoused form laying down. Another hostile feature is wire surrounding planters, which is discouraging the unhoused to touch this area. All these hostile designs are blurring the unhoused away from the area. Fortunately, a lot of these hostile design’s were not right next to the Tailored coffee shop.
The opportunity to create Tailored as a welcoming space for the unhoused is there, but currently it is rejecting them. There are too many different aspects that are unwelcoming. If they changed the open plan, strayed away little less from the minimalist design, or didn’t have people using the space as part of the design there might be potential.
Diagram of the inability to sit on the wall on the corner on 13th and Alder.
Railings blocking sitting on wall in front of U.S. Bank Branch.
Highlights the point of obstruction.
Close up of the sliding planter box.
Bike racks being placed along the parking lot edges to prevent camping on the sidewalk.
Diagram of bench highlighting elements of hostile design.
Bench including hostile design outside of Union on Broadway Apartments.
Bus Benches Near Lillis Business Complex
Bus Benches Near Lillis Business Complex
This image provides a view of Tailored’s interior space showing is modern design and homey/personalized decorations
Tailored Coffee Interior Cafe
View of Tailored from the right of the door..
Photo of the font area of Tailored.
Citations
Braun, Jesper, Hostile Design In Downtown Eugene, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-in-downtown-eugene-2/
Anonymous Student, Hostile Design Furniture Targeting the Unhoused, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-furniture-targeting-the-unhoused/
Anonymous Student, Hostile Design at the University of Oregon: Examining Lillis Business Complex, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/31/hostile-design-at-the-university-of-oregon-examining-lillis-business-complex/
Anonymous Student, Hostile Architecurtre:Bike Rack Placement in the Education Annex Parking Lot, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-architecture-bike-rack-placement-in-the-education-annex-parking-lot/
Anonymous Student, Kincaid St Gate, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/15470/
Anonymous Student, Don’t Choose Here: Hostile Architecture in Eugene, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/dont-choose-here-hostile-architecture-in-eugene/
Anonymous Student, Through The Eyes of Modern Design, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/03/through-the-eyes-of-modern-design/comment-page-1/#comment-138
Anonymous Student, The Luxury in coffee: Tailored Coffee Roasters, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/04/26/the-luxury-in-coffee-tailored-coffee-roasters/comment-page-1/#comment-137
Anonymous Student, Tailored CR: A Great Example of Modernist Architecture, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/03/tailored-cr-a-great-example-of-modernist-architecture/comment-page-1/#comment-136
Willow Krois, Humans and their Constant Desire of Personalization, https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/10/humans-and-their-constant-desire-for-personalization/
by caslan | Jun 13, 2023
As a student studying at the University of Oregon, my perspective on the homelessness crisis in Eugene is skewed. I am sheltered behind the walls of university life but observe the struggles of the unhoused population every day I venture into the downtown area. As a method for me to recognize these struggles, I have chosen to observe multiple buildings in upscale areas of town; Bao Bao House, a Chinese dumpling restaurant located in the downtown region, bordering the weekly Saturday Market, Farmhouse Union Coffee Roasters, Whole Foods Market, and 5th Street Public Market. I hope that through the analysis of architectural patterns, and nearby structures and venues, I can express the average experience of an unhoused person attempting to survive in Eugene.
The main gathering spaces of the city are buildings. Bao Bao House is a Chinese dumpling restaurant situated on the corner of West and South Park Street, adjacent to the weekly Saturday Market. The restaurant prioritized the elements of modernism, similar to the ideas of Peter Behrens as described by student Allison Hicks. By presenting the approach with large storefront windows, the restaurant places a strong emphasis on the connection between indoors and outdoors. Secondly, this allows the infiltration of natural lighting into the interior space as well as allowing one to observe from the outside. However, this comfort for the average person is not felt the same for a homeless person as they can gaze inside at the treasure of comfort and shelter which sits tantalizingly out of reach. This disconnect reinforces the idea that these areas in the city are not meant to serve the unhoused equally.
Other Exterior view of Bao Bao House showing the large storefront windows and clear boundary of the store.
The other buildings such as Famers Union Coffee Roasters, 5th Street Market, and Whole Foods are hostile in their own right. Student bekahe connects Farmhouse Union to the reading homelessness in the home stating that the open concept floorplan, with large amounts of glass windows, creates an atmosphere of surveillance, but the interior decoration creates a sense of personalization. Additionally, the porch at the entrance is raised off the ground, isolating the café from the remainder of the city. A lot of the hostile design is psychological in this example like the raised porch signifying the café is above the city. These examples can lead to unhoused people feeling as if they are not welcome in the establishment.
Interior View showing the characteristic of the space.
Whole Foods, as addressed by student Rwyman, has elements of hostile architecture around the element of surveillance. The Modern Movement and Surveillance Society reading dictates the essence of modern architecture is based on streamlined function and optimization, leading to the increase in surveillance. Whole Foods functions the same way, as it is a corporate upscale grocery store chain. Much of the interior follows modern principles regarding corporate surveillance principles with minimal privacy. The front of the store features large storefront windows, the majority of the Whole Foods atmosphere feels open and exclusive, and staff and high-tech security systems monitor patrons and visitors to ensure they are not stealing produce or loitering. This environment can be very invasive to a homeless person. Entering a store can feel like a daunting task as they clearly look like they do not belong with the expected crowd. More importantly, resting outside the store is a nearly impossible feat as security will escort them from the property to maintain appearances.
This view features the interior of Whole Foods with the orthogonal aisle layout and security system.
Lastly, 5th Street Public Market, as addressed by student ssto2, features elements of hostile architecture deliberately targeting homeless individuals. The London Spikes Controversy… Hostile Architecture reading addresses the implementation of evident aspects of the cityscape targeting homeless people such as anti-homeless spikes found on public grounds and features in London as well as hidden elements of hostile architecture including armrests on benches or public “art” under shelter where cover could be taken. 5th Street Public Market is a high-end outdoor shopping space in Eugene’s downtown area. As such, the space is regularly maintained by the staff. The market also features elements of hostile architecture discussed in the reading such as outdoor dining tables and chairs instead of benches. Additionally, security systems are placed along the outdoor spaces constantly monitoring activity. A homeless person is sure to feel unwelcome as they are faced with subtle but uncomfortable furniture indicating that their needs are unvalued as well as imposition on their privacy from the perpetual recordings of the cameras.
This view shows that this area is not well equipped for homeless people. There is barely any outdoor furniture, and this is a high end shopping center with security, ready to remove loiterers.
Going past these building examples, Eugene’s surrounding urban context is filled with examples of hostile architecture targeting homeless peoples’ comfort. Union on Broadway apartments bench is an example of implicit hostile architecture. At first glance, one would not assume that the armrests on the bench were installed for anything sinister. However, the inclusion of armrests disrupts the continuity of the bench, making laying down a difficult task. Student bekahe, says that by incorporating this strategy, the apartment hopes to discourage homeless people from camping out, making their residents feel safer.
The metal handles breaks up the surface, makes it difficult for the unhoused to nest on it. (bekahe image)
Diagram of bench highlighting elements of hostile design. (bekahe image)
Another type of implicit hostile architecture is potted plants and bike racks. Both of these examples serve the same purpose. They are located near the edge of larger sidewalks, and their main purpose is to take up space on the sidewalk preventing the installation of tents and semi-permanent shelters. Student Jesper Braun describes these examples. He says that the city of Eugene deliberately installed these works in the downtown district to incentivize homeless people from camping near businesses. This example is similar to the hostile bench where the end goal is to make the area more approachable to the average person.
Chains and planters blocking off public areas. (Jesper Braun image)
Bike racks blocking the location where homeless tents could be placed. (Jesper Braun image)
Overall, I do not think that the city of Eugene is a good place for the homeless population. Clearly, businesses and the city invest in methods to influence the decision-making of the unhoused. They are clearly presented with a message that they are unwelcome in most spaces through hostile furniture or blatant security systems and employees that aim to make the place appealing to the non-homeless public.
Biliography:
Hostile Architecture at 5th Street Public Market: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/23/hostile-architecture-at-5th-street-public-market/comment-page-1/#comment-116
Under Surveillance: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/03/under-surveillance/comment-page-1/#comment-114
Hostile Design Furniture Targeting the Unhoused: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-furniture-targeting-the-unhoused/comment-page-1/#comment-111
Elevated Interiors: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/04/26/elevated-interiors/
Union on Broadway Apartments: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-furniture-targeting-the-unhoused/
895 Olive Street: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-in-downtown-eugene-2/
800 Willamette Street: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/30/hostile-design-in-downtown-eugene/
Sense of Home at Farmers Union Coffee Roasters: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/h3s23/2023/05/10/sense-of-home-at-farmers-union-coffee-roasters/
by ssoto2 | Jun 13, 2023
It is not a secret that Eugene, Oregon has a large homeless population. We see them living on the streets but no one ever thinks much more about them, especially when it comes to the design of the city and the buildings within it. I chose to examine the Market of Choice on Franklin Boulevard. When I first chose Market of Choice I didn’t think that there was any part of the store that was designed to reject homeless people, but after further examination and reading my classmates’ responses I learned that this was not the case. The environment at Market of Choice rejects the unhoused populations in very subtle ways.
As one of my classmates addressed, one of the most obvious ways that Market of Choice rejects the unhoused population is with their high prices and selective assortment of items that they sell. Everything at Market of Choice is pretty expensive and high-quality. There is not much assortment when it comes to prices, it’s just a higher-end grocery store. Due to the high and limited assortment of prices, Market of Choice makes itself a place that only welcomes people who are wealthy or have at least a decent amount of money. They are essentially rejecting the unhoused people because they are not making it a place where they can afford to shop.
Another one of my classmates brought up the idea that Market of Choice in Eugene rejects the unhoused population with the use of surveillance cameras placed throughout the store to ensure safety and prevent stealing. Even though this doesn’t seem like it would reject the unhoused population, it is actually a type of hostile design that overtly turns the unhoused people away from coming into the store. The use of the surveillance cameras targets the unhoused population and makes them feel like they are being watched when they enter the store. This creates a very uncomfortable and unwelcoming feel for that population.
Overall my observations and my classmates’ contributions have made me realize how the subtle use of surveillance in Market of Choice creates a space that ultimately rejects the unhoused people of Eugene. While there aren’t as many unhoused people on the side of campus where Market of Choice is located, it is still an issue that needs to be addressed.
There are also many hostile designs that surround Market of Choice and Eugene in general. Around campus you will see that lots of buildings utilize different forms of hostile design that is usually pretty subtle but still serves its intended purpose. One of the most common forms of hostile design surrounding Market of Choice is benches. All of the benches around campus and throughout Eugene are specifically designed to influence the unhoused people to stay away from them. A few of my classmates pointed out the benches around Hayward and near the Student Recreation Center. These benches have a unique design, they are staggered at different heights which prevents users from using them for anything else besides sitting. It would be impossible to lay down on these benches.
Majority of the other benches in Eugene are designed similarly. A lot of the benches are made out of separate pieces of wood with some sort of bar in the middle to prevent laying down. Another one of my classmates mentioned how the benches at the AMX bus station have metal bars in the middle of the benches which makes it uncomfortable and impossible for anyone to lay down. Also, the separate pieces of wood that make up the benches allow for air to flow through the bottom of the bench so even if you do lay down, it will be cold because of the constant air flow.
Another common form of hostile design that rejects the unhoused population is the use of retaining walls and flower beds. A classmate noted how the US Bank on campus uses a retaining wall to supposedly maintain the flowers and bushes, when in reality it is used as a way to prevent people from sitting or laying down in that area. Another classmate pointed out the design of the landscape at the Knight Campus. They have turned their landscape design into a space that is completely unwelcoming to the unhoused population. The edges of the flower bed are made up of long and sharp pieces of stone to prevent sleeping/resting, and they even planted flowers in what was once a water feature in order to prevent people from using the water to rinse off or shower. Lastly, another one of my classmates identified how Matthew Knight Arena utilizes laser modern edges that are made out of aluminum to create an uncomfortable area that makes the unhoused population avoid the outdoor space around the building. This looks as if it is used as a decorative element when in reality it was created to keep a specific user group from utilizing the space.
Overall, the built environment in Eugene rejects the unhoused population. This is ironic considering that Eugene is a city with one of the highest populations of homeless people in the United States. Although it may not be obvious to the naked eye that the design of the environment around Eugene is targeting the unhoused population, it is clear that this is the case.
organization of the aisles at Market of Choice
Exterior of the building at Market of Choice
High quality unique foods at Market of Choice
The retaining wall at US Bank on campus
Diagram of the hostile design of the retaining wall at US Bank
An example of the staggered benches outside of the Recreation Center
Examples of the hostile design at MKA
The new gardening beds that replaced the water features at Knight Campus
diagram of the hostile design at Knight Campus
Diagram of how a human could not comfortably sit on the benches around campus
Another diagram of the staggered benches
Another photo of the benches around Hayward field on campus
Another set of the staggered benches around campus
Bench with hostile design at Allan Price Library, not completely a hostile design
Example of the hostile design that the benches at Allan Price library promote
hostile design with flower bed and retaining wall at Allen Hall
Diagram of the flower bed at Allen Hall
Works Cited:
- Selective Public at Market of Choice, by PBB
- Surveillance in Society, stejido4
- Market of CONTROL, sbaker8
- The Relationship between Goods and Spaces, lechengw
- More than a Market… The Market of Choice, faithw
- Don’t Choose Here: Hostile Architecture in Eugene, lsmith21
- Knight Campus Hostile Design, bekahe
- Hostile design by Allan Price Library, tinao
- Hostile Design of Hayward Field, ayakov
- Hostile designs in campus, jzhou9
- Hostile Design on Campus, stejido4
- Go! (away) Ducks! – (Univ. of Oregon Hostile Architecture), mlovette
by ssoto2 | May 30, 2023
The hostile architecture that I observed was right outside of Subway on Franklin Blvd. The items that I found that are considered hostile design are a bench and bike racks. These two examples of hostile design target the homeless population here in Eugene. They are both trying to ensure that the homeless do not use the two different types of design for an unintended purpose. The bench is an example of hostile design targeting the homeless because of the openings on the seat and the raised ends on both sides. The lines that are open on the bench allow air to flow through the bench, so even if a homeless person tried to sleep on the bench it would not be warm because cold air would be entering from the bottom side of the bench. The second type of hostile design that I found was the bike racks. This section of bike racks is surrounded by trees and is somewhat protected from the elements and the street. This was intentionally designed this way so that homeless people could not take advantage of the protected space and use it as a sleep area or even a place to stay. Both of these examples are preventing homeless people from using specific areas of the public space.
This photo shows the openings in the bench, as well as the railings/handles on the side that prevent the homeless people from laying on it
This shows the example of the bike racks that are placed in the protected area behind the trees so that homeless people don’t camp out there
by caslan | May 30, 2023
Design 2:
This view shows the proximity of the bench to the EMU as well as the hostile spikes and surrounding context.
This view shows a section cut of the concrete bench and shows where the disruptive spikes are located. It also shows the context of the height of the foliage creating a difficult space to rest as well as the shade from the surrounding tree.
This plan view shows the location of the spikes and how a majority of them are located on the exposed edges as the foliage already makes sleeping on one side more difficult. The spikes also disrupt a person laying down.
Description:
The concrete bench outside of the EMU is another example of hostile architecture. On the side of the bench accessible by sidewalk, there are metal bumps placed a seats width apart. Though constructed under the ruse of adding texture to the bench and creating permeable dividers to guide the spacing of temporary sitters, its main function is to create discomfort when lying down, clearly targeting the unhoused population. Though it is possible to lie down for a few hours, any longer would certainly create discomfort and pain, preventing the unhoused population from being able to sleep through the night.