ARCHITECTURE OF HOPE: SAFE HOUSE AND OPPORTUNITY CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE IN ACEH

• Main Author: Rifani, Aditiya
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Arsitektur
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81522
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Domestic violence and sexual abuse are forms of violence that usually have women and children as victims. Even though there are also cases where men become the victims, the number is still very small compared to cases where women are the victims. Architecture itself has a relationship with this phenomenon as a space where acts of violence occur. However, the actual involvement of architecture in this phenomenon is much greater. Architectural elements are often used as a tool for perpetrators to commit acts of violence. This might result in trauma for the victim when entering a room with certain architectural elements. Apart from that, architecture also plays a role in handling cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Architects can play a role in designing infrastructure to support recovery for women and children survivors of violence. Based on data on cases of violence in Indonesia, the number of cases of violence continues to increase progressively every year. This phenomenon also occurs in Aceh. Moreover, this data does not consider the possibility that there are cases that have not been recorded. Of the cases that have been recorded and handled, many of them were also not resolved properly. This is a very ironic condition because the ones who will be harmed in this condition are most likely the victims. These issues encourage the idea of the necessity of using a new approach in handling cases of violence against women and children. It is hoped that architecture which has a close relationship with this phenomenon can become part of efforts to prevent and handle cases of violence against women and children. One of the reasons why there are still many cases of violence that are not recorded and not handled properly is because the victims are still dependent on the perpetrators emotionally and financially. This makes victims afraid to report their situation. In fact, in some cases many victims decide to withdraw their reports. Victims can lose their place of residence and income and will have great difficulty meeting their daily needs, especially victims who already have children. They feel more afraid that it will have a worse impact on their child's life. This is what makes the victims, in the end, decide to just endure the suffering they are experiencing. From this description, it can be concluded that during the process of handling cases of violence, the things that victims needed the most were accommodation and empowerment to become financially and emotionally independent without the help of the perpetrator. This is the background to the initiation of the project ‘Safe House and Opportunity Center for Women and Children Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse in Aceh'. This project aims to provide temporary accommodation facilities as well as empowerment facilities for victims. It is hoped that with the existence of this infrastructure, cases of violence against women and children can be handled well so that it can help the victims recover and return to society with a better quality of life. Apart from having to be made functionally well, the design must also pay attention to the quality of space and other architectural elements. Victims of violence have suffered major trauma, so it is very easy for new triggers to appear, which can cause stress and delay the victim's healing process. Therefore, a good design approach must be used so the facilities can improve the victim's healing process. This can be done by creating a design with a therapeutic concept and paying attention in detail to avoid architectural elements and designs that can cause discomfort to women and children who are victims of violence.