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Project Description
12 E. 5th
Ave., Spokane, WA
Completed May, 2009
The new headquarters building for Catholic Charities Spokane brought
together, under one roof, nearly all of the organization’s 15 community
enhancing programs. The remaining charitable programs are within a
short walk. The building remodel is ideally located near Catholic
Charity’s programs such as St. Anne’s Children & Family Center, St.
Margaret’s Shelter, and the House of Charities and can be easily
accessed from the hospital campuses, downtown, or the surrounding
residential neighborhoods. The new Family Services Center strives to
take on some of the same aesthetic language as St. Anne’s, which is
located across the street, by replicating materials and forms, thereby
giving a contextual but modern look and feel.
Beyond the
organization’s community outreach programs, the building uses monumental
facades to both identify the contemporary rehabilitation of the
building, and scale a once stark façade to an inviting level. The use
of art pieces such as the organic steel fence and the gallery of
Catholic Charities work, provide an affordable and distinctive beauty to
areas that might otherwise be overlooked. In the design’s efforts to
achieve a LEED Silver ranking, the use of native materials in the
landscaping and rooftop garden offer comfortable and sustainable outdoor
spaces for clients and employees alike. With every hour of the day, the
sunlight’s playful dance on the façade alters, continually renewing the
exteriors appearance. A covered drop-off, upfront parking for only
accessible vehicles, and bicycle storage with shower facilities
encourages alternate forms of transportation for the public and employee
alike. Working closely with the parameters established by the
newly-revised sign code for Spokane, the signage on the north and west
elevations clearly gives freeway traffic, and other passers-by, a strong
message regarding the fundamental purpose of the building without
imposing on the surrounding neighborhood.
Internally, large
conference rooms, and a memorial space with adjacent courtyard, offer
versatile areas for both public and private functions. A reflective
space provides a sanctuary for spiritual needs, while expansive
skylights offer a bright, uplifting area for employees and passers-by.
Offices are laid out to not only be efficient in operation, but also to
provide a sense of security to those that seek it. Key markers, such as
the balcony overlooking the memorial space, which doubles as a sitting
space for the internal café, help give undeniable reference points for
those experiencing the building.
The Catholic Charities
Spokane Family Services Center is a distinctive major remodel which
takes pride in not only providing warm and welcoming spaces for the
public but comfortable and sustainable spaces for the employees, as they
are ultimately the people responsible for giving the building and
community its vitality.
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