Design of Transitional Housing: Women and Children

Design of Transitional Housing: Women and Children

This webinar is part of the RAIC 2024 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream!

Topics: Housing, Planning and Urbanism

Length: 1 hour | What's Included: Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion 

Women come from all walks of life, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, education levels, and socioeconomic status. Women and children have a variety of needs for support, including for physical disabilities, health needs, mental health issues, or substance use issues. BC Housing Design Guidelines for Women's Safe Home, Transition Houses, second Stage Housing and Long Term Housing was published in 2019 (updated 2021) to assist development teams with the planning, and design processes for upgrading existing buildings or constructing new buildings that are to be used for the women and women with children. This multi-stakeholder presentation will review BC Housing design guidelines and standards for women transition house as well as a case study showcase on the recently completed UGM Women’s and Children’s Centre. The session will describe how the various women and family programs work within the building, including the daycare for infant, toddler, and pre-school 3–5-year-old.

By the completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Support architects, development teams and non-profit societies with the planning, and design processes for upgrading existing buildings or constructing new buildings that are to be used for the women transition housing
• Recognize how well-thought functional program design can respond to the identified needs of operator’s requirements, and client’s group to be served
• Describe the detailed design decisions that enhance the functional program for residents, staff, operation, and maintenance considerations
• Explain how the building enhances the lives of the residents and staff.

Subject Matter Experts:

Brian Dust
B.Arch, Architect AIBC, MRAIC, CHES
Principal, NSDA Architects

Brian Dust has a strong personal interest in the design of special needs housing and residential care healthcare facilities. Brian has attended numerous international symposiums and toured leading edge facilities throughout Canada, United States and Europe to expand his knowledge of the issues in creating a nurturing environment for people with special needs.   

He worked on the UGM’s Women & Family Centre from initial programming to completion of construction. Through floor plans and photographs he will take the audience to a tour in this building! 

Sadia Afrin
B.Eng. Civil
Senior Manager (Act) Construction Services at BC, BC Housing

Sadia Afrin has over 15 years of working experience with BC   Housing in a variety of social housing construction projects. She has an academic background in Civil Engineering and Business Administration, has led a wide range of projects and initiatives and continually makes improvement in BC Housing design and construction. 

She is also the responsible for creating a series of BC Housing documents, including Design Guidelines and Construction Standards, Shelter Design Guidelines, Modular Design Guidelines, Commissioning Guidelines and Women’s Transition and Supportive Housing Guidelines. 

Tara MacDonald
Sr. Director, Women & Families Programs, Union Gospel Mission (Vancouver)

Tara MacDonald is the Senior Director of Women and Families Programs for Union Gospel Mission located in the DTES and across the Metro Vancouver area. With great passion and care for our community, and a specific focus on women’s health, well-being, and family development, she is a champion for women’s recovery and seeing mother’s and children have every opportunity to stay together and thrive. With specific work in advocating for wholistic approaches to recovery for the whole family Tara and her team have worked alongside FIR Square at BC Women’s Hospital, Sheway (Vancouver Coastal Health), the Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project and other strategic community organizations and partners.

Hailing from Windsor Ontario originally, Tara has a background planning, developing, and leading recovery-based programs at every level. Seeking a more equitable and robust future, she values the opportunity to learn, listen and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, travelling, time in nature, and good conversation.