A
EXTENDING SHELTER
Name
Lærke Simone Berg Helmer
Education degree
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Architecture
Institute
Architecture, Urbanism and Landscape
Program
Urbanism and Societal Change
Year
2026
EXTENDING SHELTER Trauma-Informed Transitional Co-Living
Violence against women remains a persistent issue across Denmark, with the number of women seeking refuge in crisis shelters having increased significantly over the past eight years, placing growing pressure on shelter services. The challenge is particularly acute in Copenhagen, where shelters frequently operate at full capacity. Simultaneously, the city's ongoing housing shortage restricts access to stable housing after a shelter stay, revealing a critical gap in the transition from temporary protection to independent living.
Responding to this gap, the project investigates how transitional housing can extend support beyond a crisis shelter stay. Through a scattered-site model, underutilised roof spaces across Copenhagen are transformed into small-scale co-living environments embedded within the existing city. Informed by principles of trauma-informed design, the proposal explores how housing can foster safety, stability, autonomy, and social connection, supporting women in rebuilding their lives while creating the conditions for long-term recovery, dignity, and belonging.
The project responds to the growing number of women seeking refuge in crisis shelters and to the prolonged shelter stays observed in cities with housing shortages such as Copenhagen. By addressing the gap between crisis shelters and permanent housing, the project investigates how more and higher-quality transitional housing can reduce pressure on shelters and provide better housing opportunities for women when protected shelter accommodation is no longer needed.
Initial Research
Women at crisis shelters often have high levels of PTSD; therefore, the project applies the principles of trauma-informed design in the creation of the transitional housing.
Trauma-Informed Design
The project implements the principles of trauma-informed design in a scattered-site model. The scattered-site model transforms underutilised roof spaces across Copenhagen into small-scale co-living environments. Distributing housing across multiple locations, thereby accommodating various safety and logistical needs for the women while avoiding institutional forms of accommodation.
The Scattered-Site Model
The project uses the testing site of Dagmarsgade in Nørrebro for the implementation of trauma-informed collective transitional housing. The site aligns with the criteria of the scattered-site model, offering proximity to vibrant urban areas, green spaces, public infrastructure, and essential everyday amenities.
Testing Site
Early Process Hand Sketch
The trauma-informed design principles are embedded throughout the testing site, shaping spaces that support recovery while adapting to the constraints and opportunities of the existing roof structure. The transitional housing is integrated in a manner that responds to the logic of the roof while accommodating the spatial requirements of the new programme, establishing a series of relationships between existing and newly introduced elements and creating varied shared and private spaces.
Trauma-Informed Design In the Transitional Housing
Plan, Sections and Elevations of the Transitional Housing
Sections and Elevations
Perspective Sections
Visualisations
The Royal Danish Academy supports the Sustainable Development Goals
Since 2017 the Royal Danish Academy has worked with the Sustainable Development Goals. This is reflected in our research, our teaching and in our students’ projects. This project relates to the following UN goal(-s)
