MERIT AWARD

The new Meeting and Guest house at the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania welcomes important guests to campus, provides a place for strategic meetings and trustee gatherings, includes touch-down space for visiting dignitaries, and hosts special events.

The project, submitted by Deborah Berke Partners, transforms a pair of late Victorian townhouses into a 21st century destination for visitors to campus, including the adjacent President’s House, the Perry World House, and the Kelly Writers House.

The historic Walnut Street façade is preserved and updated with repointed brick, a new roof, re-glazed original windows, and repaired decorative elements. The primary entrance to the Meeting and Guesthouse is reoriented to the south side of the building facing Locust Walk in a new at-grade, fully accessible addition off a shared motor court. A former parking lot is transformed into a landscaped bluestone terrace for outdoor and tented events. The space is a quiet refuge from the busy 38th Street thoroughfare.

Inside, the new lobby at-grade has floor to ceiling glass window walls that open out to the terrace. A staircase and elevator bring guests up a half level to a conference room that adjoins a flexible meeting and event space. The second floor contains a board room and multi-purpose meeting spaces as well as offices, while the third and fourth floors are more private, with four guest suites and offices for guests on campus.

The rear and east side of the building feature a new terracotta façade in a tripartite arrangement that reflects the massing of the original building. The material relates to but reinterprets the roman brick of the original building. Transparent and “veiled” glazing creates a varied day-tonight expression for the building and allows it to glow like a beacon. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.

How do you create a home for the homeless? Youth who find themselves on the streets now have a safe and accepting place to take a breath and change their lives. Submitted by FXCollaborative, Covenant House New York contains nearly everything atrisk young adults will need—a safe and respectful place to live, access to legal, physical, and mental health services, along with educational and spiritual support.

Born out of a creative real estate transaction, the new home sits in the Hell’s Kitchen community. The building’s design is hand-crafted and humanely scaled to contrast with the glass towers. At 12 stories, the building is substantial and bold. Natural materials create a secure and welcoming experience. Solidity and transparency are balanced: connections to the city are enhanced from the community spaces, while solidity provides shelter and refuge. The main lobby welcomes all into the building, providing a singular identity and a central security point.

A Welcome Center, a Wellness Center and the CovCafé are located on the first floor, providing the necessities of care, food, and health. The Café opens directly to a courtyard that serves as a community gathering space for relaxation or engagement.

A defining gesture is the gracious wood stair, dubbed the Stoop, which literally and figuratively transports at-risk youth from the street to an oasis of calm one floor above. The wood interiors of Pride Hall extend to a large, landscaped terrace: nature replacing pavement. The Hall is light filled throughout the day with city views facing both North and South. An Art room and Hope room are provided for youth expression and contemplation.

Throughout the building individual bathroom and bathing facilities respect the gender identity of all youth, a detail that embodies the safety and security Covenant House provides to all.

Institutional Covenant House New York

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

SUBMITTED BY: FXCOLLABORATIVE