In a country where more than 600,000 people are released from prison each year, too many return to uncertainty, instability, or homelessness. Not only that, within three years, two out of three are rearrested. Over half are reincarcerated. These figures, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, underscore a deeply broken re-entry system — one that fails to provide the support, infrastructure, or compassion needed to help people rebuild their lives.
But what if design and architecture could help disrupt this cycle?
That question drives the work of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces (DJDS), a nonprofit architecture and real estate development firm working to end mass incarceration by reimagining the built environment. From restorative justice hubs and community centers to housing designed for second chances, DJDS creates spaces rooted in dignity, healing, and opportunity.
One of their most forward-thinking initiatives is the Mobile Refuge Room, a modular housing prototype designed for people transitioning out of the prison system.
A New Vision for Transitional Housing
Launched in 2019 in Oakland, Calif., the Mobile Refuge Room was developed in partnership with Laney College’s Restoring Our Communities program and the Oakland Probation Office. The design was shaped through a two-month community engagement process centered on individuals with lived experience of incarceration — a method that informed every detail.
Compact and transportable, each unit features:
- A fold-down Murphy bed for comfort and spatial flexibility
- Built-in desk space and storage
- Flat-pack construction for easy transport and adaptability
DJDS applied trauma-informed design principles, prioritizing natural materials, warm finishes, and spatial clarity. The result is a dignified, cost-effective living space that supports successful re-entry and challenges the institutional language that so often defines justice architecture.
The Fire Code Challenge
The project recently gained more traction and attention when the Mobile Refuge Room was selected for the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial, titled Making Home. On view through to August 10, 2025 in Manhattan, the exhibition explores how innovative design is reshaping concepts of domesticity and belonging.
Participation in the Triennial came with a critical challenge: meeting institutional fire safety requirements. The original prototype had been constructed using standard, non-rated plywood — materials that, while visually compelling, wouldn’t pass the fire codes required for public indoor exhibitions.
DJDS needed a solution that could bridge the gap between aesthetic integrity and code compliance — one that wouldn’t compromise the warmth, materiality, or CNC-fabricated construction central to the design.
The answer came through a partnership with Garnica, a global leader in sustainable, high-performance plywood solutions. They provided DJDS access to their Fireshield® panel — an innovative, fire-resistant plywood engineered to meet the most stringent safety codes while maintaining exceptional design quality.
Fireshield® stood out for several key reasons:
- ASTM E-84 Class A and CAN/ULC S102-10 certification, offering the highest level of fire resistance for wood products
- 100% panel fire resistance, even after sanding, cutting, or machining — unlike surface-treated alternatives
- A visually clean, high-quality finish, ideal for exposed interior surfaces
- Lightweight, stable construction using poplar from sustainably managed European tree farms
In essence, Fireshield® enabled DJDS to preserve the original design intent while ensuring the installation would be safe for institutional exhibition — and eventually, for future deployment in other public and residential settings.
Building Toward Impact
This collaboration is more than just a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic evolution. By adopting a fire-rated material with robust sustainability credentials and exceptional performance characteristics, DJDS has made it possible to scale the Mobile Refuge Room to more communities and settings, including other institutional and urban housing applications.
Garnica’s involvement is representative of a larger shift in the materials industry, where social impact and safety are becoming integral to product innovation. For the company, whose production processes emphasize renewable energy, low emissions, and FSC/PEFC-certified sourcing, this partnership aligns with a broader mission to deliver wood solutions that meet the evolving needs of architects, builders, and communities.
“At Garnica, we believe that material choices matter — not just for performance, but for people,” said Jaime Alvarez, VP of marketing at Garnica. “Collaborations like this one with DJDS demonstrate how design and material innovation can work hand in hand to make a tangible difference.”
Designing Justice, One Panel at a Time
The Mobile Refuge Room is just one example of how architecture can serve as a tool for social transformation. But it’s also a blueprint — a model that can be replicated and adapted for countless other applications where space, dignity, and safety intersect.
Brian Wrike serves as VP of Sales, Garnica North America.
