The Helper Care Center
Interior Perspective
Space Planning
Design Details
Material Selections
Furniture Layout
Lighting Design
Color Palette
Safety Features
Play Area Design
Sensory Elements
Reading Space
Final Presentation
Waiting Room Floor Plan
Sensory Room Section
Reading Room Elevation

The Helper Care Center

ArchitectureSpatial DesignRhino 3D

The Helper

Spring 2025

Designed a trauma-informed care center for young children in the foster system, creating a safe and supportive spatial concept that balances California courthouse requirements with emotional well-being through empathetic, user-centered design.

Role & Objective

  • •Led spatial design for The Helper, a trauma-informed temporary care center created to support young children in the foster system within the constraints of California courthouse regulations.
  • •Tasked with developing a functional and emotionally supportive environment that prioritizes child safety, comfort, and well-being through user-centered, trauma-informed design principles.

Actions Taken

  • •Designed the full spatial layout of the care center, including floor plan, section, and elevation drawings using Rhinoceros 3D.
  • •Created detailed architectural drawings and renderings to visualize the design intent and communicate key programmatic zones.
  • •Defined distinct spaces within the layout—including a play area, sensory room, reading nook, bonding room, and restorative restroom—each tailored to specific emotional and developmental needs.
  • •Integrated trauma-informed elements such as curved, multipurpose furniture with no sharp edges, carpeted wooden floors for comfort and safety, and child-friendly aesthetics with privacy-aware window placements.
  • •Collaborated with teammates to incorporate direct insights from interviews with former foster parent Lindsay Goodwin, ensuring that user needs directly shaped spatial and sensory decisions.

Results & Impact

  • •Delivered a comprehensive spatial concept that demonstrates the ability to balance strict regulatory requirements with the emotional, developmental, and safety needs of young children in foster care.
  • •Showcased strong architectural design skills through technical drawings and environmental renderings that support healing, play, and caregiver-child connection.
  • •Reinforced a trauma-informed design approach that transforms temporary institutional care into a space of comfort, agency, and emotional support.