Shelters Enter the 21st Century

by Josie Raymond · 2010-01-14 14:00:00 UTC
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Behold the next generation of homeless shelter: The Bridge Homeless Assistance Center in Dallas has been helping that city's 6,000-person homeless population -- and racking up architecture awards -- since it opened in May 2008.

Most recently, The Bridge was awarded the American Architecture Award, which it can add to the trophy case that already holds the American Institute of Architects National Housing Award and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Award. Design features that optimize daylight and reuse water and a roof partially covered by vegetation helped it get LEED silver certification, making it just the fourth "green" shelter in the country. Glass window panels inside The Bridge are inscribed with poetry written by the homeless and the architects made a conscious decision to have classrooms visible from the street. It was financed by a city bond program.

More important than how it looks is what the center does. The Bridge, open 24/7, is a hub for the services of dozens of local organizations. Among its goals are providing emergency care for 700 homeless people, emergency housing for 350 and permanent housing for 125 every four months. It removes the barriers of some other shelters by offering health care, laundry, recreational activities, storage, a kennel, stable mailing addresses, veterans benefits assistance and more.

The Bridge's architects, Overland Partners, will unveil the largest homeless services center in the nation, Haven for Hope in San Antonio, in March. The $90 million Haven for Hope will be another one-stop center, with dimensions that are hard to wrap your head around: 440,000-sq.-ft. on 37 acres, with room for 998 beds and a courtyard that can sleep 500 more.

Photo credit: Overland Partners

Josie Raymond is a Change.org editor who has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
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