PATRICIA ARJONA

This project is based on an RSA brief called “Just About Managing” which asked me to consider how I might enable households and families to be more economically secure through design. I decided to focus my project on single mothers as statistics show that they are very likely to be economically insecure. Single mothers are more likely to struggle to make ends meet as basic expenses are often too much for only one parent to handle.

​

With my project, I wanted to help single mothers both socially and economically, through the idea of the women helping themselves. Housing, work and childcare are one of the largest struggles these women face so I wanted my project to address all of these issues in some way or another.

This was done by designing a co-living space for single mothers, which includes a large kid’s café on the ground floor. The concept is tied together by a collective, which enables single mothers to network with other women who are in the same position.

​

The co-living space is located at the top two floors of the building. It acts as a temporary living concept for single mothers who have young children and are struggling the most with finding affordable housing. Two mothers and their children share a home and split the bills, the house chores and childcare duties between them.

​

On the ground floor is a Kids Café, which is open to the public. It adds revenue to the concept and serves as an optional workplace for the women. The space includes play areas for the children and a café for the parents. It’s a great place for the single mothers to meet up with friends, while their children play.

The collective prepares the single mothers economically and socially and acts as a jumpstart into their future careers. The women who live in the co-living apartments are part of the collective and they, along with other single mothers, meet regularly and help each other by at­tending workshops, lectures and networking meetings which take place within the building. The women interact through an app, where they can chat, plan meetings and sign up for lectures or workshops. The whole concept empowers the women and helps them with confidence, work experience, life skills and business skills.