Providence House is a non-profit which provides social services including transitional housing to formerly incarcerated women. As part of an organization-wide review, the leadership committed to studying the potential of one of their greatest, underutilized assets: property on Lexington Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The 12,500-SF site houses two, small, family-shelter apartment buildings, and a two-story community facility serving as the central administrative office for Providence House.

ESKW/Architects was engaged to provide a comprehensive Feasibility Study. The feasibility study took a three-part path:

• Study and identify successes and challenges in both Providence House and other similar housing and administrative programs.
• Gather and analyze data from constituents with lived experience.
• Test fit and develop viable mission responsive schemes.

This enabled us to develop alternate design solutions rooted in the organization’s criminal justice, mission-driven work that will help their programs thrive.

Owner’s Representative: Denham Wolf

Housing Consultant: AL Consulting