Designing a long-term supportive housing facility for people with schizophrenia

The 1960s witnessed a shift in perception for care of the mentally ill which resulted in

the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. This meant that this fragile population found

themselves shifted from institutional care to community care. The community environment was unprepared with affordable housing for the mentally ill and so they found themselves in substandard housing, homeless or in the prison system. Furthermore, government

policy implementing cut backs in income support and affordable housing added to the

burden of the mentally ill and accessibility to supportive housing and rehabilitation was

further compromised. As a result the mentally ill, specifically those with a major mental

illness like schizophrenia, found themselves not only further marginalized but additionally

further stigmatized. Supportive housing that takes into account the cognitive deficits and

coherent recovery programs for the mentally ill can not only provide a safe and supportive

environment for recovery, but further to this, improve the quality of life for those with

schizophrenia.

This thesis initiates with a discussion of schizophrenia as a life altering brain disease with

symptoms so pervasive that they impact all areas of cognitive function, including a failure

in the processes of thought, emotions and finally behaviour and as an outgrowth, the necessity of a supportive housing that maintains drug therapy while providing psychosocial and

cognitive behaviour therapy. Secondly, the thesis goes on to a discussion of the symptomologv of schizophrenia which implies significantly on the design features of a housing facility that supports optimal recovery and rehabilitation. Thirdly, a discussion of psychosocial

therapy is presented, since it is part of the recovery process and has significant implications

on design selections. Fourthly, the thesis turns to a detailed discussion of housing, including

policy shifts in government that led to a shortage in housing and income for the mentallv

ill, a discussion of the types of housing currently available, as well as the kinds of housing

conditions possible, including consideration to preference in housing situations on the part

of the residents, which tend to reflect a more consistent rate of recovery. Moreover, this

section includes a discussion to features that address security

for the residents and integration as a method for rehabilitation. Finally, the chapter examines two presently functional

supportive housing facilities that act as models for the design of the housing facility and

provides examples of design features that have been successful and not successful.

The design portion of this thesis presents a site analysis of three different housing facilities

in Ottawa and follows with a discussion of the site chosen for this research design project.

Following this, the design of a supportive housing facilitv for people with schizophrenia is

presented. Three anchoring objectives drive the design, including the aim to improve the

qualitv of life for the residents suffering from schizophrenia, to strengthen peer support in

the mentally ill community and to achieve integration between the society and the mentally ill population.

Finally, the thesis offers a postscript which presents the intentions behind the project design

and concludes with a

response to the objects set out in the initiation of this design project.