What & Why

Design & Development

Social Criticism

We are all Azarim

Architectural Triage

Manufacturing Sanity

This is Not a Homeless Person

Social Service Culture Jam

Gonzo Academia

Madness in the Matrix

The Ruins of Maya

MOBILE SANCTUARY PROJECT

What & Why

Design & Development

Social Criticism

We are all Azarim

Architectural Triage

Manufacturing Sanity

This is Not a Homeless Person

Social Service Culture Jam

Gonzo Academia

Madness in the Matrix

The Ruins of Maya

Photo by Rosie Holtom

The Mobile Sanctuary went through many iterations in its development. This is one of the earlier concepts. Click here to see the details of the design process.

Homelessness often has roots in mass social inequities, like sexism, and brutal injustices, like genocide. Read a creative non-fiction piece about my family history that explores these dynamics here .

Is our understanding of so-called “mental illness” based on objective measures, or is cultural consensus more the determining factor? This essay explores this question.

The brutal and intolerant urban environment can take its toll on the homeless. Read how the Mobile Sanctuary is intended to relieve some of this burden here .

We looked at many precedents as inspiration for the Mobile Sanctuary. See the unique creations that informed our final design, including this modern take on a traditional sweat lodge, here .

What, in a nutshell, is the Mobile Sanctuary Project? Read the intro here.

Expressions of suffering, such as addiction and homelessness, often have roots in horrific events that took place generations earlier. This essay explores this phenomena.

Photo by Rosie Holtom

Photo by Rosie Holtom

The wise have told us for eons that suffering and brokenness are intimately connected to esoteric states of consciousness like transcendence and grace. This creative essay uses the techniques of poetry and fictional storytelling to illustrate this

What was the approach taken to design and develope the Mobile Sanctuary? Read here .

This precedent showed how a small space can be creatively designed to feel expansive. Read more about the Mobile Sanctuary design process here .

My mother’s experience as a homeless woman on the streets of New York informed and inspired the Mobile Sanctuary project. Read more about this personal history here .

It is known by many names…Scandinavians call it a “sauna,” for Native Americans it is known as the “sweat lodge,” Jews call it a “Schvitz.” Communal heat has been used by many cultures throughout human history for physical and psycho-spiritual healt

Some acts of brutality are so unfathomably cruel that brokenness and madness seem like the only sane response by those who were directly impacted by, and bore witness to, such inhumanity. Read more here .

Does the social consensus of “normal” muzzle our howls and clip our wings? Read the exploration of this question here .

Photo by Rosie Holtom

What’s in a name? What does the language we use around homelessness (like the word “homelessness”) say about our perspectives and biases about the subject? Could there be alternate terms that better frame the issue? Read more here .

This arch-shaped sauna informed and inspired aspects of the final design of the Mobile Sanctuary. Learn more about the development process here .

To fully address homelessness we have to explore the deep roots of inequity and injustice that leave trails of suffering that span generations. Read more here .