In the fall of 2024, IKEA designed, built, and donated a housing unit to Towne Twin Village in San Antonio, Texas — a tiny home community devoted to getting homeless seniors off the streets.
But this wasn’t just any tiny home — the global retailer specially designed the house with “trauma-informed design” in mind.
“As experts in small space living, innovative solutions and democratic design, IKEA U.S. is uniquely positioned to amplify this empathy-based design approach to our communities, co-workers and customers,” Sam Eisenman, sustainability business partner at IKEA U.S., said in a press release.
Trauma-informed design — also known as TID — is a research-backed approach to affordable housing.
The principles of TID focus on creating warm, open spaces that are filled with natural light, communicate a sense of calm, and built with safety in mind.
“For instance,” the company stated in the press release, “data showed a preference for a combined shower/tub as opposed to shower only — and that residents want the option to accommodate guests, so furniture that is flexible and multi-purpose increased resident satisfaction.”
More than 80% of homeless individuals have experienced life-altering trauma at some point in their lives.
In fact, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, people experiencing homelessness are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to commit such crimes.
Many people who are chronically homeless — homeless for more than 12 months at a time — experience trauma in many forms including exposure to extreme weather, physical assault, loss of belongings, and social isolation.
Rachelle Macur, a social scientist and architect, says that TID is not simply about avoiding “triggers” — it’s about building a space in which people can “heal and flourish.”
“By working to understand people’s lived experience and combining that with the research on our biological connection with nature, we can create spaces for people and communities to heal, to have resiliency, and to thrive,” Macur told Trim Tab magazine.
Speaking for IKEA, Eisenman emphasized that their vision for the company goes beyond “home furnishing” — with the intention of creating a “better everyday life” for communities around the world.
“We are on a journey to be a facilitator of and advocate for trauma-informed design as a tool to address the root causes that contribute to the affordable housing crisis in the US,” Eisenman stated.
In the coming months, IKEA plans to break ground on similar pilot projects across the country — from Memphis, Tennessee to Washington, D.C.
The company is also developing and leading trauma-informed design training courses for their employees in order to prepare designers for future “tiny home” projects.
“This is the beginning of a journey at IKEA,” the company stated in October.
“In the long term, IKEA envisions bringing together stakeholders and advocates across all markets to support existing efforts and encourage others, across sectors, to adopt a trauma-informed approach in their respective industries.”
Header image via IKEA U.S.
