Building Dignity: Redefining Interim Housing Design and Delivery
How do we deliver interim housing that’s fast, affordable, and truly dignified? DignityMoves, Gensler, and Swinerton are answering that question through a shared commitment to design innovation, creative project delivery, and partnership.
This conversation will explore how the team is redefining what “temporary” housing can be—using modular design, streamlined project delivery, and integrated collaboration to create communities that are cost-effective, buildable, and human-centered. Together, we’re proving that interim housing can be both beautiful and budget-conscious, balancing opportunity and risk through teamwork and innovation.
Attendees will gain insight into how design and construction strategies—like prefabrication, design-build delivery, and public-private partnerships—are being leveraged to meet critical housing needs faster and more efficiently. We’ll also discuss the challenges that come with moving quickly, scaling impact, and maintaining quality within tight budgets and timelines.
Through shared lessons and real project stories, panelists will highlight how creativity, coordination, and purpose are driving a new model for interim housing in California—one that bridges the gap between urgency and excellence.
Project Delivery Series
AIASF's education and training highlight current and future trends, emphasizing design-build and integrated project delivery.
Elizabeth Funk is the Founder & CEO of DignityMoves, an innovative nonprofit committed to ending unsheltered homelessness through disruptive and scalable solutions. Elizabeth began her career at Microsoft on the founding team of Microsoft Office. As an early employee at Yahoo! she helped shape the early consumer internet. Elizabeth was one of the early pioneers in impact investing, founding the Dignity Fund in 2004. One of the first for-profit funds mobilizing investment capital for the microfinance industry, her fund demonstrated the benefits of harnessing capitalism to accelerate an industry that had previously been driven by philanthropy and the public sector.
Elizabeth has been actively involved in homelessness in California for nearly two decades. She served on the board and chaired Glide Memorial’s Community Housing initiative, and on the board of LifeMoves, a leading homelessness services organization in Silicon Valley. Elizabeth is an active member of Young President’s Organization where she served on the International Board, co-founded the impact networks. Elizabeth holds an undergraduate degree from StanfordUniversity and an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar.
Patrick Otellini is the National Affordable Housing Director with Swinerton and leads their affordable housing efforts in Company-wide. Prior to joining Swinerton, he served as the Chief Resilience Officer and Director of Earthquake Safety for the City and County of San Francisco under Mayor Edwin Lee and was responsible for the creation and implementation of the city’s resilience strategy: Resilient San Francisco – Stronger Today, Stronger Tomorrow. He received his Master of Construction Management from New School of Architecture and Design and his Bachelor of Political Science from Westmont College.
Tim is a versatile and detail-oriented architect with a passion for translating visionary ideas into impactful design solutions. Deeply committed to creating positive social impact, Tim believes in using design as a tool for driving change and supporting the mission-driven organizations working in our communities.
5:30 - Doors Open
6:00 - Program Starts
7:30 - Program Ends
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Join AIASF’s Project Delivery Salons to explore cutting-edge strategies shaping today’s built environment. From legal and risk management fundamentals to advanced approaches like Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), BIM, prefabrication, and AI-driven tools, these sessions spotlight the future of project delivery and collaboration.