The death of big box stores could lead to a new kind of homeless housing. Here's what that might look like

The longer a resident stays in the program, the more privacy they are afforded with their rooming accommodations.

The design is only a small part of what makes Re-Habit unique. According to Senden, the project is "more about the programming" than the layout.

"The idea is that people would come in with a lot of trouble and, through a very set curriculum and program, could go from being highly cared for ... [to gradually obtaining] greater freedoms," he said.

In addition to job training services, the development would offer support for residents suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. The end goal is to have residents contribute to the facility by running its operations or working in its retail store.

It also features a garden, where residents can grow fresh produce to be used in the kitchen or food shops below.

The design is intended to be uplifting, said Senden.

The project is also a way to bypass the bureaucracy that tends to accompany plans for homeless housing. "A lot of solutions have been tried and tested that just can't get over the political hump," he said. While many government-led initiatives are bogged down by a lack of funding or excess of paperwork, Re-Habit helps to eliminate some of that red tape.

The project is designed to scale far beyond pilot programs found in cities like Los Angeles or Seattle. "I see people out there with gold shovels doing groundbreakings and big red ribbon cuttings and patting each other on the back for little tiny projects that are good ... but doing very little to put a dent in this problem," Senden said.

Even so, he acknowledges that the project will require a massive alliance of designers, landowners, developers — and, yes, even politicians. "We have ideas, but it takes a lot more people to be involved than just us," Senden said. "I don’t think this is a problem that you can necessarily design your way out of."