This facility is the result of research-based programming and humanitarian intent. It provides a sturdy, reliable platform for impactful design.
Non-profit, government, healthcare, and law enforcement agencies came together to break the chronic homelessness cycle that spans from the street, through multiple crisis-driven care services, and back to the street again.
Compiled data laid bare all associated costs of the community’s homeless policies. The financial cost of services for four studied individuals totaled nearly $3-million over five years. Such staggering economics only underlines the human cost for those involved.
State and county funding aided to implement a pilot program that melds three primary programmatic components into permanent, unconditional housing: shelter – 24 one-bedroom apartments; community – large and small, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces; and health – optional on-site social and physical health resources.
The team designed a place that feels like home, where residents can exercise control and experience autonomy. Safety and belonging allows residents to receive care with dignity, without being treated as a criminal or public nuisance.
The design utilizes durable materials, a high-efficiency VRF heating/cooling system with individual controls, operable windows, and a 53-panel rooftop solar array. The project’s ‘universal design’ approach allows the building to adapt to a range of tenant types and abilities. Perhaps most importantly, the 14,300-sf building is adjacent to commercial, retail, multi-family, and single-family neighborhoods in a walkable community well-connected with bus lines and bike trails. Construction cost: $3,128,000.
Project Type: Housing, Healthcare, Humanitarian
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Size: 14,000 SF
Completed: 2019
Awards:
2020 AIA Central States Design Award (Merit)
2020 AIA Iowa Design Award (Honor)
2019 AIA Iowa Impact Award
