ABSTRACT
The redesign of the Ten Friends Diner was facilitated by Master of Architecture student Julia Jovanovic, in the Activist Architecture and Design studio at Lawrence Technological University. Her statistical and observational research into issues of mental health and youth suicide in Canada led Jovanovic to the Ten Friends Diner, a workforce reintegration opportunity for those recovering from mental illness in Windsor, Ontario. Jovanovic facilitated a participatory design process that empowered the Ten Friends staff to analyze needs, respond to design suggestions, and propose counter solutions to address problems with its facility. She regularly documented and presented the process and design iterations to her classroom peers. Jovanovic partnered with Ten Friends to solicit donations, organize volunteers, and promote the project and the Ten Friends mission. The completed project supported the community partner’s goal of empowering its staff, and inspired them to initiate additional projects, such as a community garden.
