The main goal of this project was to provide unhoused people in Eugene safer access to the dining resources provided by Food for Lane County during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team behind the project was a collaboration between the UO School of Architecture’s Spatial Justice program and the American Institute of Architecture Students Freedom by Design group.

Applying their skills as architecture students to give back to their community, the team of students—led by Adam Abu-Sukheila, partnered with The Dining Room, a Food for Lane County center—designed and built a wash station for their outdoor dining area. The team endured many obstacles throughout the project, including but not limited to the inability to meet in person, the limited bandwidth of nonprofits during the pandemic, the Oregon fires of the summer which halted outdoor work, and the ability to stay motivated during a global pandemic.

Adam’s team had to step away from the project during November due to a combination of these obstacles but managed to regroup and complete the sink area in December. The wash station now provides improved safety of employees' and guests' during the pandemic, allowing the restaurant to continue operating.