FREEDOM BY DESIGN

THE SERVICE ARM OF AIAS

Freedom By Design is our non-profit community service program that uses the talents of architecture students to impact the lives of people in their community through modest design and construction solutions. Freedom by Design allows anyone to volunteer regardless of their skills or ability. It is designed to give students of all levels experience in the design build process.


In 2020 the Denver City Council approved a measure to allow sanctioned camps, also known as a “safe outdoor space” (SOS), to be established within the city limits. There are plenty of rules, regulations, and permitting constraints, but the Denver-based non-profit organization Colorado Village Collaborative (CVC) has partnered with the City of Denver to fund, setup, and manage SOS locations. Since the winter of 2020, CVC’s SOS locations have provided temporary shelter for 30 to 50 residents at each site. Currently three SOS locations are operational, two more SOS locations are expected to open by June, and additional SOS locations will hopefully open before the end of the year. The CU Denver AIAS Freedom by Design project for 2021-2022 is focused on socio-economic barriers related to housing and supporting people that are experiencing homelessness. CU Denver AIAS FBD has partnered with CVC to design solutions to improve the quality of life for people living in Denver’s SOS locations, in particular, FBD is designing and building a new shelter prototype to be used for future SOS locations.


FBD tasks that you can help with, email richard.mcswain@ucdenver.edu with the tasks you want to manage or support



Useful Information from Colorado Village Collaborative

A student-run, community-service program radically impacting Denver through design, construction, and engagement