Project Area

30,000 sf

Owner

Grand Valley Catholic Outreach

“You can’t homelessness without homes”  

Grand Valley Catholic Outreach has long maintained that “you can’t end homelessness without homes”.  Mother Teresa Place will be their fourth housing project with Chamberlin Architects to build more housing to this end.  At 40 units, it is larger than previous projects, and is also unique in focus on more vulnerable, chronically homeless individuals.  As permanent supportive housing, it will include more amenities for fostering individual growth and stability of residents.  Offices and a small conference room allow for in-house mental health and other services.  An exercise room encourages physical health and includes an overhead door for connection to the outdoors.  A communal kitchen in the large commons, along with a variety of lounges and outdoor seating areas encourage social activity while providing options for different levels of privacy.

Apartments are all single occupancy, slightly over 400 sf each, with a full kitchen and large windows.  The bedrooms are separated from the living area by a partial height wall to improve air circulation, increase natural light and help the units feel more spacious.

Principals of trauma-informed design influenced many aspects of the design, starting from the entry sequence.  Since the site is in a busy, urban area, the L-shaped building and a wall that matches the building enclose a semi-private yard that provides a sense of security, refuge, and comfort.  The wall also encloses a lush garden, which connects to the interior commons through expansive windows.

Chamberlin is honored to team with GVCO in another project that advances their mission “to proclaim the dignity and worth of each person and respond to human needs, while striving to show the compassion of Christ.”