B.lab Community-Based Design

Students led a participatory design process with formerly unhoused residents at the Mandela House to prototype and build modular furniture for a new community room. The furniture creates communal spaces essential for resident connection and healing. Previously a motel, the building is undergoing renovations to become permanent supportive housing. Located in West Oakland, Mandela House provides 105 units of housing. It plays a key role in Oakland’s broader strategy to rehouse individuals transitioning from encampments that the city is aggressively closing. Unfortuately, lacking at Mandela House was a communal space to replicate what the residents previously had in the Wood Street encampment. A sense of community plays a crucial role in healing and growth for the residents. Students designed and prototyped a modular furniture system incorporating feedback from community workshops and Mandela House management. The project comprises of a kit of 25 objects: 12 configurable art walls, a multi-purpose table to support group work and individual study, six lounge chairs, and six flexible side tables doubling as stools. The furniture system accommodates flexible layouts that can be reconfigured by residents for robust daily use, accessibility, and inclusive social interaction.

Faculty Sameena Sitabkhan, Eva Chiu