A Community of Healing: an Exploration of the Role of Architecture in Fostering Relationships Within a Community

Abstract

Esprit de corps is a term used frequently in the military community to describe the strong feeling of camaraderie amongst its members. This thesis will explore the possibilities and potentials of healing through esprit de corps and how architecture can be the vessel for that healing process. This project will be a community center tailored for veterans and focused on their physical and mental health. There is a huge sense of community between members of the military when they are in the service. However, when their time of service is over, many members lose this community. They move, go to school, or get jobs and find themselves without esprit de corps. I believe finding a way to get that feeling back can help with issues of reclamation, rehabilitation, PTSD, depression, suicide, and dropping out of school. If there is a place where a veteran who is learning to walk again can be with a veteran who has trouble sleeping at night, they can share their common experiences and understanding, and hopefully heal each other. Architecture can help with this by creating a space that is calming as well as collaborative. The goal of this project will be to use architecture to facilitate relationships between veterans. These relationships will help to reestablish the sense of community they have with one and other, and this community will help to heal its members.