Rules, Restrictions and Resident Empowerment in Domestic Violence Shelter Design

A recent study identified that approximately one in four women in the United States has experienced physical violence by an intimate partner during her lifetime, equaling approximately twenty-nine million women (Black, et al., 2011). Victims of domestic violence often are isolated and controlled by their partners and made to feel helpless and imprisoned. Domestic violence shelters can provide a safe place for women to heal and begin again, and these shelters often have the goal of empowering their residents so that residents can begin to make positive life changes (Gengler, 2012). Sheilds (1995) has identified three themes that characterize women's empowerment: • the development of a strong sense of self; • the ability to base decisions on that sense of self; and, • a connection within a larger community. Many domestic violence shelters have empowerment programs; however, some researchers note that many "empowering" domestic violence shelter programs have an overabundance of rules and restrictions that residents may view as controlling or patronizing (Gengler, 2012; VanNatta, 2010). Recently, many contemporary domestic violence shelters have begun to move away from this type of environment and replace it with a minimal rules policy (Tautfest, n.d.). This interior environment study was driven by the notion held by some researchers that rules and restrictions are often created in response to the built environment, prompted in part by the many challenges of housing multiple people in one location (Tautfest, n.d.). It is therefore possible that the design of shelter built environments may create unnecessary rules or improperly respond to minimal rules policies that in turn can negatively affect empowerment. This study sought to understand if domestic violence shelters might be better designed when empowerment is the goal. Interviews with domestic violence shelter staff focused on the current shelter's minimal rules policy and shelter architectural design in relation to resident empowerment. Sheilds' themes of empowerment were used as an underlying framework throughout the study. Shelter staff members interviewed believed the built environment supported their minimal rules policy. However, findings suggested the need for defined quiet spaces and structured design solutions that better support the minimal rules policy, particularly in the kitchen area. Interviews also revealed that the study's shelter could benefit from more areas that support resident goal setting and decision-making. The existing built environment supported resident identity formation and community well. The interviews led to the creation of a proposed design solution for a hypothetical domestic violence shelter as well as design guidelines intended to assist the creation of future shelters. The guidelines and resulting design focus on resident empowerment and supporting a minimal rules environment by designing to accommodate multiple users and functions. Some highlights of the design include custom storage and display space in resident bedrooms that encourage personalization and identity formation, large community areas with flexible furniture, and a myriad of quiet spaces that support resident decision-making and goal setting.