Overview

Small changes make big differences—without changing the spatial structure, how could we finetune the functional zoning and design to facilitate better utilisation efficiency?  

“Small Group Homes” (SGH) is a form of the Residential Child Care Services (RCCS) managed by the Social Welfare Department (SWD). This family-like care is provided for children and young persons aged 4–18, whose families are having difficulties taking care of them. Most of the SGHs were set up over thirty years ago, and some facilities and equipment are outdated or have become obsolete. Following the rapid development of society, the developmental needs of children and youths have become more complicated. Therefore, RCCS as a whole also progresses with time.  

The Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (J.C.DISI) collaborated with the architectural firm c-lab (HK) Ltd, a social innovation and community design workshop arm of LWK + PARTNERS, to illustrate design for an operating SGH flat. Based on user engagement, research outcomes and trauma-informed care design concepts, the project delved into the needs of residents aged 4–18. The design principles of space integration and “resident need-oriented” were applied to reimagine and plan the environment of a SGH (Note[1]). The goal is to enhance residents’ self-care abilities for independent living after leaving SGH and improve their physical and mental health. It eventually benefits the residents, house parents and deputy house parents (Note[2]), social workers, and frontline workers of SGHs.  

Outcomes

This action project went beyond devising design considerations and spatial design concepts. It also aimed to foster the rethinking of the possibilities of an Environmental Improvement Project (EIP) from the users’ perspective, enabling social workers to better understand how to overcome technical barriers and meet stakeholders’ expectations with limited resources and under environmental constraints. It also incorporated trauma-informed care design considerations and the WELL Building Standard^TM to mitigate negative stimulations in SGHs and to develop a strength-based indoor environment to support the healthy growth and personal development of residents. Additionally, the team also explored the feasibility and effectiveness of reallocating personnel and undertaking space reconfigurations across different floors of SGH units, so as to provide a reference for future homes and other RCCS flats.  

Process

Inspiration

In 2020, J.C.DISI began exploring the topic of SGH from the perspective of social innovation at the invitation of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust team. As Operation SoInno 2.0 began in 2021, J.C.DISI also kicked off its research and approached RCCS units to understand the current situations and difficulties faced by the operators. We seek to apply innovative solutions to improve the SGH environment from children’s perspective, aim to augment the feeling of home, as well as to respond to the problems faced by this sector. Through user engagement activities for residents, house parents, deputy house parents, social workers and frontline workers, the design by J.C.DISI and c-lab mainly targeted the following pain points: 

1. The 8 residents in a SGH have varied caring needs as they are of different ages and backgrounds.  

2. The family backgrounds of children and youths have become more complicated. The proportion of children and youths with special educational needs is on the rise. Without proper skills and resources, it is more difficult to take care of the varied needs of children and youths. 

3. The overall manpower shortage of SGHs is severe. 

4. Design constraints of the SGH living environment.  

5. The pandemic outbreak is beyond control.  

6. Inadequate support for “graduates-to-be” aged 18 or above.  

In addition to exploring the psychological support for children and the spatial relationship, J.C.DISI also actively investigated the difficulties encountered by frontline social workers and house parents, as well as the RCCS system in an attempt to solve some pain points of the service.

Ideation

The SGH main users are its residents, house parents and social workers. Therefore, the project team organised a series of user engagement activities. Based on voluntary and equal participation, these enabled users of various ages and backgrounds to adequately express their ideas.  

Besides user engagement, the project team also incorporated “trauma-informed care” and other childcare concepts throughout the design process as a way to better respond to the needs of children with different developmental experiences. For this, the project team derived the following design considerations: 

• Spatial reconfigurations and design based on the perspective of children and youths. For example, providing private spaces and social interaction spaces; designs that match the users’ age, retaining the “One Room / Item / Floor, Multiple Uses” in the functional design of the public space of the SGH, so as to include everyone’s spatial needs. Flexible spatial utilisation could also prepare for new residents who may join the SGH in the future.  

• Removing sensory triggers by designing to support emotion management and build resilience. The indoor environment, including ventilation and lighting may seem to be minute details, yet, for those who are highly sensitive, these details may trigger stimulation and are unfavourable for emotion management. As such, the project team also placed strong importance on the balance and setup of a multisensory environment design.  

• Incorporating trauma-informed care design considerations to boost the sense of attachment of children and youths. To provide multi-level and categorised storage space, loft bed combos are used such that the upper level is the sleeping area and the lower level functions as a desk. By maintaining this private area, residents can set up and manage their own personal space. This is an opportunity to nurture their sense of ownership and enhance their sense of belonging.  

• Early planning to create a strength-based environment improvement project, incorporating design to support modern living. Most of the SGHs were set up over thirty years ago, and some facilities and equipment are outdated or have become obsolete. Making the units ready for future technological advancements, such as group e-learning, is critical to support the learning and development of children and youths; this also helps alleviate the caregiving pressure on SGH staff. As post-fitout additions are extremely expensive and at times not feasible, a clear understanding of the minimum spatial requirements and utility upgrade required will help designers and contractors with the environmental design and cost estimation. 

Implementation 

Through in-depth user engagement activities, the project team thoroughly understood the indoor environment of SGHs, as well as the constraints to support the physical, mental and personal development of their residents. This action project was not merely an interior design project for the SGHs, but rather a starting point for a comprehensive reimagining and evaluation of the provision of RCCS, which began with a new interior design to explore other innovative possibilities.  

The action project presented two design proposals. Design Proposal 1 separated residents by age and gender. Although Design Proposal 2 also separated residents by age and gender, it reduced the capacity of the second and third floors to 6 residents each, while the ground floor could still accommodate 8 residents. This change provided more personal space for each resident and eased the caregiving burden on the SGH staff. Although this spatial reform project was based on a SGH operated by S.K.H. St. Christopher’s Home and located in a typical harmony standard block of public rental housing, its design principles and concepts can be applied to other RCCS. 

The project team summarised eight design principles for improving the SGH environment: “Bringing out Children’s Voice”, “Trauma-Informed Care Design”, and WELL building standard™ are the important elements throughout the process. They are crucial to exploring the potentials of improving a space to promote better physical and mental health.