Human Scale: Towards Supportive Housing in Ottawa's Byward Market

In 2014, the City of Ottawa adopted a 10-year plan that committed to ending chronic homelessness by 2024. Despite efforts, the waiting list for social housing has expanded dramatically, leaving many still reliant on shelters. Building on the notion that presence prompts awareness, the work argues that an architecture that promotes social interaction between community members and people who are unhoused benefits all. Through on-site documentation and interviews, the thesis first demonstrates the importance of design knowledge acquired through designer presence. Then, a proposal examines the opportunities for a multi-building inclusive site—one providing residential, social support, and community spaces while being conscious of its historical, environmental, psychological, and economic impacts. Overall, the work aims to raise awareness on homelessness and to provide innovative design strategies that invite discussion on the importance of architecture in providing spaces better acknowledging housing as a basic human right.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Denis, Mathieu Mark

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2023 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, distribution to students, research and scholarship. Theses may only be shared by linking to the Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be copied without proper attribution to the author; no part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2023-15637

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/40916