Public space is not always protective of women, nor are their homes. So where can they be supported?

The brief is divided into 3 scales for sisterhood – the city, the centre and the satellites.

Sites were identified based on issues such as vacant and derelict land, feelings of safety, and areas of deprivation.

The streetlight was imagined in response to the reality that women feel threatened by cities, night time, and strangers. It acts as a physical representation of safety in the city. It emits light which responds to movement and noise, and also includes brightness and emergency help controls.

Ideas at the city scale include improving existing green spaces by increasing provisions of lighting and to ensure a community presence in such spaces. The M8 underpass, which leads pedestrians and cyclists to the centre for sisterhood, should also see improved lighting provisions and allow clear cycle routes.

Simple modifications can be made to existing pieces of the urban fabric to improve overall feelings of safety for passers-by and to activate spaces which may otherwise be quiet, especially at night. Bus stops should be well-lit and close to activated street fronts, and telephone kiosks can be used as a space to protest and make calls for help if needed.

The centre for sisterhood design response developed based on brief requirements and existing site context- such as the residential building at Speirs Wharf. 5 key blocks were established with a central corridor linking typologies. Inclusion of green space throughout the site was driven by the aspiration to include safe, enjoyable outdoor spaces for women.

Key spaces include a centre for unpaid care and domestic work, housing blocks, social and community services, a lookout tower, and community park. It is hoped that the shared spaces would be primarily operated and used by residents of the centre, however, community members from surrounding neighbourhoods would also be invited to make use of the community spaces.

Externally, it is hoped that the streets would be activated by the activities from within and there would be a strong presence of natural community surveillance by the placement of openings, balconies, and windows across the elevations.

The housing blocks and community services are located in the heart of the site. The requirements for the community services are based on discussions with a diverse group of women, who suggested we need ‘in-between’ spaces for people to access help and support, without direct intervention.

The centre for unpaid care and domestic work challenges existing approaches to unpaid care and domestic work by providing a shared space for the work to become visible and portrayed as a productive activity within the community.

The tower is the control centre for safety around the city and represents Jane Jacobs’ conceptual theories for ‘eyes on the street’. Visually, it is a metaphor for representing safety in architecture by adopting elements of watchtowers and lighthouses.

A laundrette cafe in the centre for unpaid care & domestic work.

A communal kitchen and dining space in the centre for unpaid care & domestic work.

The urban green route of Canal Street connects to neighbouring communities and the city centre.

The South satellite transforms Old Caledonia Road Church into another centre for unpaid care and domestic work. This would primarily serve existing communities in the Gorbals and in Laureiston. A tower element is included to form a connection to the other sites for sisterhood which helps establish cohesion throughout the scales.

The communal kitchen provides a shared productive domestic space. It should allow users to take control of the space and form social connections.

The city centre site adopts a piece of vacant land in the city and focusses on improving feelings of safety by introducing another lookout tower.