Place has the power to advance humanity. Not only through masterplans and infrastructure, but through the everyday environments that shape how people feel, recover and rebuild.

For people starting over, that environment is everything.

When ERA-co began working with co-founders Ren Fernando and Ben Stammer, and the ReLove team, the organisation was still in its early stages, operating from Sydney with a clear and compelling premise: people leaving crisis deserve more than temporary shelter. They deserve a home that feels like their own.

Many of those supported are women rebuilding their lives after domestic violence, stepping into unfamiliar spaces with little more than a key. 

ReLove creates a space where people choose the furniture and essentials that reflect who they are. In doing so, they rebuild not only a home, but a sense of autonomy at a moment when it matters most.

Through partnerships with businesses, high-quality surplus furniture is given a second life, connecting circular practice with personal recovery. A dining table, a sofa, a lamp. Each piece carries a quiet form of care.

Zabe Carruthers, who led ERA-co’s work on the project, reflects,

“As designers we often talk about placemaking and environments at a big scale, but ReLove brings it back to something very simple. When someone is empowered to create a home they genuinely love, it changes how they feel about themselves and their future. That sense of comfort and pride is incredibly grounding, especially for people rebuilding their lives.”

“What stayed with us most was how personal the experience was. People aren’t just receiving furniture, they’re choosing pieces that make their home feel like their own again.” Zabe says. 

ReLove’s early model responded to urgent need with donated furniture and volunteer effort. As demand increased, the organisation needed a clearer structure to support growth while protecting the experience at its core.

Working alongside the team, ERA-co partnered with ReLove on a pro bono basis, drawn to the clarity of its mission and the urgency of the need. Together, we defined a positioning centred on choice, ownership and empowerment. That clarity helped shape how ReLove communicated with partners and supporters, while strengthening the experience it set out to create.

ReLove Founder Ren Fernando reflects on the partnership, saying, 

“What matters to us is that people feel proud of where they live, regardless of their circumstances. As we’ve grown, everything we’ve built has been about protecting that experience.”

What emerged was more than a refined position. It was the translation of ambition into impact, supported by trust and a shared belief in what the organisation could become. 

Today, ReLove operates across Sydney, supporting around 25 families each week while remaining grounded in the belief that recovery is shaped by environment.

For ERA-co, the partnership reinforced a broader observation: the environments people come home to shape who they believe they are. That’s true at the scale of a city, and equally true at the scale of a single room.

To get involved, visit relove.org.au/get-involved.