reStart Housing

Over 800 individuals age out of foster care each year within Jackson County, Missouri alone. Quality housing is critical to allow those who have not had a stable home in their formative years to start adult life in a dignified and supportive environment. Furthermore, those who age out of foster care and have mental health diagnoses experience homelessness over three times the general population. The reStart Housing development, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides a holistic environment to support these specific individuals’ transition to adult life within our community. In contrast to the typical HUD-funded housing layout, the building leverages the cost of the primary circulation system to also function as connected open-air courtyards, providing natural light from multiple directions, cross-breeze ventilation for each dwelling, and a porch at the apartment entrances. In direct response to engagement sessions with potential residents, each of the 14 one-bedroom apartments are designed as a series of spaces of varying levels of privacy, allowing the individuals to control their own opportunities for social interaction; from bedroom to living room to vestibule to porch. A shared community building is attached to the residents by a common roof, offering space for education, events, and the greatest opportunity for social interaction with each other.

The reStart Housing development is the result of over five years of research, design, community engagement, and governmental cooperation. The outcome of this effort provides permanent housing, support services, and an opportunity for self-sufficiency; preemptively addressing homelessness before it begins.

Work completed while at El Dorado.

reStart, Inc.

2017 Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED) Network, Honorable Mention
2016 AIA Central States Region Design Excellence Awards, Merit
2016 AIA Kansas City Design Excellence Awards, Citation
2015 Kansas City Business Journal, Capstone