Filling the Gap: Designing for new approaches to diversion, healing and rehabilitation
Filling the Gap: Designing for new approaches to diversion, healing and rehabilitation
Present day societies are facing a wide variety of crises, ranging from the influx of highly addictive drugs to climate change, war, poverty, discrimination, homelessness, the suppression of Indigenous culture, as well as an increasing need for mental health care and support facilities. This in turn is leading some marginalized and struggling members of society towards anti-social behaviour and crime.
While they are often on the frontline of these situations, traditional justice institutions such as police stations, courthouses, and custodial facilities are not always designed to respond effectively to these challenges facing society. As a result, many affected people are falling through the gaps.
Various formal and informal strategies are emerging to address this shortfall, from tent cities and squatter villages, to transitional housing, safe injection sites, Indigenous community centres, organizations providing access to social and mental health services, substance abuse programs, crisis centres, and diversion programs for certain criminal charges. These new typologies seek to avoid institutionalization of the individuals involved and instead try to set them on a path to healing, recovery and rehabilitation.
The Challenge:
The Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice (CAAJ) invites architecture students to speculate on these issues in a design competition for a new community-oriented building that helps to fill a gap. This involves the selection of a site in a community of the competitor’s choice, identification of the specific crisis (or crises) being addressed, and the development of an architectural or urban design solution.
Design submissions will be evaluated by a jury of justice experts, architects and industry professionals. Participants are highly encouraged to explore a wide spectrum of architectural responses from functional and practical at one end to philosophical and social at the other, including ways in which the building integrates into the community, and acts as a catalyst for building positive relationships with the community it serves.
Design Parameters:
– A community-oriented justice facility that includes program elements that are seen as contributing to help solve the specific crisis that the competitor is addressing, such as health and/or social services, transitional housing, library, educational facility, place of worship, etc.– A site located in a community of the competitor’s choice– New, adaptive re-use and/or additions to existing buildings are acceptable, as well as other architectural interventions.
Goals:
Goals of the community-oriented building could be one or more of the following:– To reduce crime and recidivism by addressing issues that are relevant to the community such as homelessness, substance abuse, mental health, or poverty– To provide health and/or social services appropriate to the chosen context, in order to address root causes of criminal behaviour– To divert individuals away from incarceration through community service, addiction programs and other rehabilitation services– To bridge the gap between the community and its marginalized members– To give justice-involved individuals a place to feel comfortable, welcome and safe– To repair fractures within the community.Through their design submission competitors are asked to:– Contribute to the public realm and surrounding context– Integrate principles of sustainability– Incorporate features into the physical environment that promote calm, healing and stress relief.
JURY
Carlos Augusto GarciaAssociate Principal, Brooks + Scarpa Architects
David ClusiauVice President of Design, NORR Architects & EngineersCAAJ Chair
Khalil A. CumberbatchDirector of Strategic Partnerships, Council on Criminal Justice
Susan DavisExecutive Director, Gerstein Crisis Centre
Jacob KummerArchitect & Justice Specialist, Montgomery SisamCAAJ Vice Chair
Michael MoxamVice President & Practice Lead for Design Culture, Stantec
The Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice (CAAJ) challenges architecture students to design a community-oriented building that addresses societal crises such as addiction, homelessness, and mental health. Participants are tasked with selecting a site, identifying the specific crisis being addressed, and creating an architectural solution that helps bridge gaps in traditional justice institutions. The goal is to propose innovative spaces that promote healing, recovery, and rehabilitation for marginalized individuals.
Canadian Academy of Architecture for Justice
Link to Registration form
1st Prize: $3000 CAD2nd Prize: $1000 CAD3rd Prize: $1000 CAD
Open to the public/Minimum requirements (Open to anyone that complies with the requirements), Single stage (Winners selected immediately)
This is an international competition – we welcome students worldwide to enter
Individual competitors or teams are welcome to participate
Participants must be currently enrolled in a school of architecture – winners will be expected to provide proof either consisting of a recent transcript or letter from the school explaining your status
Registration Opens February 10, 2025Registration Closes June 30, 2025Deadline to Submit Project June 30, 2025Winners announcement Date August 31, 2025
Location of Project (if developed)
Banner, Poster, Brochure or Triptic of Competition
