MenuCovenant House Care Center
Covenant House asked Small Center to help re-envision its Care Center Lobby in order to optimize available space, adapt to the evolving needs of staff and residents, and provide an atmosphere of care, compassion, respect, and welcome.
Project Dates
August 2021–January 2022
Context
Covenant House occupies a site on N Rampart street adjacent to the French Quarter in New Orleans. Despite its significance as a ‘historic’ avenue bordering the oldest part of the city, the area surrounding Covenant House has experienced challenges regarding safety and security. The re-envisioning of the outer lobby and courtyard space forms an important component in positioning Covenant House within its context as a destination for young people in need. Creating a welcoming, supportive environment for new and existing residents in accordance with standards of trauma-informed care would allow Covenant House to offer stronger connections with its constituents and to remain a reliable anchor within the surrounding community.
Small Center Engagement
The team worked closely together to identify existing challenges, with staff and residents providing key insights that helped shape a new vision for the lobby and surrounding areas, focusing on community, safety, and logistics.
Partner Organization
For 33 years, COVENANT HOUSE NEW ORLEANS (CHNOLA) has served and advocated for youth and young families experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and exploitation. Emergency crisis intervention and safe shelter is provided to all youth ages 22 and under. CHNOLA offers extensive residential care and comprehensive services. The overarching goal of CHNOLA’s professional services is to help youth achieve housing stability, heal from past trauma, tap into their innate resilience, and hone their skills to forge new pathways to independence and successful living.
Outcome
Covenant House New Orleans residents, staff, and leadership provided a vision for the Care Center Lobby, and the design team reimagined the entry as an approachable hub, providing multilateral interaction throughout the space. A new private intake area was created to allow counselors to engage with new clients in a private and comforting setting. Wayfinding was addressed in the courtyard, and security was relocated to provide a needed service in two locations at once. The team used the principles of trauma-informed design to choose colors, share surfaces, create window graphics and other elements that will make the Covenant House New Orleans a haven for years to come.
You can learn more about the final project here.
Collaborators
Covenant House New Orleans
- Covenant House Residents
- Rheneisha Robertson
- Brian Gorman
- Wyatt Hines
- Haley Khoury
- Greg Fortenberry
- Jane Helire
- Sheri Combs
- Vantrelle Payton
- Cynthia Foots
- David Crumpton
- Railyn Price
- Deneen Jackson
- Kahlise Ward
Team Members
Project Leads
- Cordula Roser Gray, AIA/crgarchitecture (design lead)
- Nick Jenisch (project manager)
Students
- Karan Sharma
- Nicholas George
Staff
- Ann Yoachim
- Jose Cotto
- Emilie Taylor Welty
Support
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