The Harbor House Youth Shelter was inspired by the buildings location being in the historic part of Portland, Oregon. The idea that the site is in a historic part of town gives the impression that it’s a rooted structure and parallels the idea of a family tree which is also rooted or grounded. Through the goals of the shelter helping the youth overcome their troubles, building a new stable environment with home like features is the inspiration for this design. For the design, the concept is taking the old of the building and mixing it with the new. This was achieved by mixing the old of the building beind left throughout the site to show the rough past and struggles of the youth. While the warm bright new of the building representing the issues the youth have overcome blending the old with the new. Throughout the design there will be places that show the historic features of the building in a unique way by using reclaimed materials while using them in a modern way.
