Built To Heal: Recovery Housing Design Guide

Most trauma-informed design writing stays at the level of principle. This book stays there for exactly one chapter, then gets specific: real square footage, real regulatory citations, real fixture specifications, zoned by exactly how much security a given facility type actually needs — no more, no less.

Built for operators and design professionals who need something they can hand to an architect, not just something to feel inspired by. Includes both a print-ready PDF and an HTML version.

The technical companion to The Healing Home — for the people who design and run the spaces recovery actually happens in. Sober living operators, transitional housing programs, crisis stabilization units, and the architects and builders who work alongside them.

What's inside:

• Why the Building Matters — CPTED and trauma-informed design theory, and where they genuinely conflict
• Facility Types — sober living, transitional/group housing, and crisis stabilization units, and how security needs scale across them
• Sightlines & Egress — nurse station design, corridor planning, door hardware
• Shared Space Design — territoriality theory applied to shared bedrooms, kitchens, and common rooms
• Sound & Materials — STC ratings, lighting specifications, the "institutional without looking institutional" principle
• Safety-First Fixtures — ligature-resistant hardware, zoned by facility type and regulatory requirement
• Staff & Boundary Spaces — comfort rooms as a restraint-reduction tool, staff duress systems, staff respite
• Three fully worked sample blueprints: a sober living home, a transitional housing facility, and a crisis stabilization unit
• A codes & standards appendix — Maryland's regulatory framework as a worked example, plus a directory so readers in any state can find their own