View from the entrance
Over the past decade; increasing numbers of single mothers have turned to sex work as a way of avoiding poverty, with the recent covid crisis these numbers are only expected to increase dramatically as many women continue to lose their jobs or struggle on basic universal credit. This is only emphasised societies long-standing neglect and refusal to tackle this age-long issue. As architects, how can we promote the health and safety of these single mother sex workers and their families, and push for a fairer and more compassionate society through the treatment of these women?
Mommune Emblem
S.W.A.F.M is a co-housing scheme inspired by revolutionary formats such as the Belton's Woman’s Commonwealth and more recently single mother mommune concepts, all endorsed by leading Sex Worker Unions the English Collective of Prostitutes (E.C.P) and Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (S.W.A.R.M). Working alongside these organisations we have designed a scheme which seeks to put family and the health and safety of these single mother sex workers at the core, culminating in a supportive collective of like-minded women, free to raise their family away from the stigma of wider society.
Site Section
The scheme houses 41 residents with communal spaces. The existing building on the site provided a great opportunity to inhabit the community space. By reflecting on schemes like the Grandby Street Project helped us with designing and re-purposing the building. Looking into schemes like Belton Woman’s Commonwealth really helped bring the community of mothers and need.
A key aspect to the success of this scheme is the Cocoon, a space in which mothers can freely transform into their sex worker persona, and vise versa. ‘Cocoon’ noun: a protected place. Creating this intermediate space between work and home creates a clear and distinguished threshold from being ‘mum’ to being someone else and allows these women to retain the level of respect and dignity they deserve.
Luke Thomas