A refuge for Women

The workshop will be the opportunity to test the notions learned in the other didactical modules, as students are called to give strategic solutions to a real architectural project. The workshop is organized in collaboration with Women for Freedom, a humanitarian association whose aim is to offer protection and education to women and children in highly vulnerable contexts. The object of the workshop is to build a structure for the organization in Bolivia. Bolivia is one of the most affected Latin American countries by phenomena such as sexual exploitation and violence against women. In line with the other international branches of Women for Freedom, the project will include a recovery centre, where the victims of violence and abuse can find sanctuary, safety, and rehabilitation. A place with a strong symbolic value, which can become a shelter and a place of rebirth for children and women migrants, promoting the respect of their rights and a culture which puts humans at the centre. Considering the special characteristics of the context and the purpose of the structure, the workshop will be a precious opportunity for architects who will have to deal with the complex Bolivian context, the many aspects of the job of the volunteers of the association and, last but definitely not least, the stories and psychological needs of the young guests of the structure.