This project focused on the renovation of a 100,000 square-foot historic structure in downtown Atlanta owned and operated by the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless. The site housed the organization and its advocacy work, homeless services (from daily needs to counseling and transitional services), a state-wide hotline, and the largest overflow shelter space in the south eastern United States hosting up to 600 guests each night. The goal was to redevelop the building to better serve the needs of the organization and its daily and overnight guests and included plans to have various levels of housing from emergency overnight to longer term supportive and program housing, a community kitchen for daily meals, a roof top garden for leisure and food production, a coffee shop for neighborhood engagement, and job training opportunities with each component of the program. Needless to say the project was much more involved than the bricks and mortar and was very socially and politically charged. A lot of progress was made on the design and in transforming our relationship with the city but ultimately the project never was realized. To this day, however, the Task Force is still housed in the building and continues to serve hundreds of guests each night.
---
Host Organization
- Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless
Design Organization
- Design Corps
Architectural Consultant
- Perkins + Will
Architectural Designer and Project Lead
- LCT