Behind Veiled Walls: A Trauma-Informed Sanctuary for Women in Karachi
Behind Veiled Walls is a design thesis proposing a safe sanctuary in Karachi for women and girls escaping abuse, domestic violence, and the threat of honour-based violence. The project responds to the urgent need for secure, dignified, and restorative environments that provide immediate protection while supporting long-term recovery and independence.
The sanctuary is organised around three key principles: safety, health, and financial security.
Safety is the foundation of the scheme. Controlled access, protected circulation routes, privacy-conscious planning, and carefully managed thresholds create a secure environment without making residents feel confined. The architecture balances physical protection with emotional comfort, recognising that healing begins with stability, trust, and a renewed sense of control.
Health is supported through spaces for physical and psychological wellbeing. The programme includes counselling rooms, healthcare services, communal and private living areas, natural light, and restorative outdoor spaces. These areas are designed to encourage recovery, rebuild confidence, and offer opportunities for both social connection and personal reflection.
Financial security is embedded as a pathway towards independence. Educational spaces, vocational training areas, workshops, and employment support services give residents access to practical skills and routes into economic resilience. By combining refuge with empowerment, the project moves beyond emergency shelter and creates a framework for sustainable futures.
Through a design approach centred on protection, wellbeing, and autonomy, Behind Veiled Walls reimagines refuge as a place of safety, healing, and renewed possibility. It gives women and girls the opportunity to rebuild their lives away from abuse and towards more independent, positive futures.
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Email: anisha16x_@hotmail.com