“The Bridge” Homeless Assistance Center | Dallas | Overland Partners Architects

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Completed in May 2008 and situated on a previously developed 3.41-acre site in Dallas’ central business district, The Bridge provides a broad spectrum of care including housing, emergency and transitional care for more than 6,000 people in Dallas experiencing long-term homelessness. Consisting of five buildings that create a courtyard in the center of the campus as well as engaging the surrounding community, The Bridge incorporates a three-story services building, a one-story welcome building, a storage building, an open air pavilion, and a dining facility, which serves as a focal point to the interior landscaped courtyard of the campus and also as a food magnet providing social workers with an opportunity to connect with the homeless.

“The Bridge,” meets the growing concerns of homelessness in Dallas, Texas. A safe haven and focus for services for more than 6,000 needy, it empowers chronic and newly homeless to come off the streets and sustain permanent housing in order to live productively. The Center supports guests, provides a safe and attractive work environment, and improves the surrounding community. As a beacon of hope, it provides a strong visual presence within the city and elevates the quality of public spaces. It engages the community in transforming the lives of its most disenfranchised members, proving that shelters should not be isolated, but an integrated part of our community; they are valuable civic buildings representing the compassion of our society. To learn more about The Bridge and The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance please visit http://www.mdhadallas.org/

DESIGN ACCOLADES

Because of its multiple sustainable features such as its green-roofed dining room, grey water recycling system, and natural daylighting used throughout the buildings, the project was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the largest homeless shelter in the United States to be LEED certified. Other national and international design accolades include the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2009 National Housing Award, the AIA/Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Award, a 2009 National Excellence in Design Award from Environmental Design + Construction magazine and the 2009 Chicago Athenaeum’s American Architecture Award.

ABOUT OVERLAND PARTNERS

Overland Partners Architects, founded in 1985 in San Antonio, Texas, is a realization of a vision to bring together a wide range of talents in architecture and planning, in order to provide comprehensive and design services. Sensitive to the environmental and aesthetic contexts of their projects, the firm strives for a thoughtful integration of technology, art, and craft through highly sustainable solutions. Overland Partners Architects offers its clients the ultimate goal of creating a beautiful, functional and enduring design through a process that inspires long-term relationships and is rewarding to the entire project team. For more information, visit http://www.overlandpartners.com.

ABOUT CAMARGOCOPELAND

Founded in 1985, CamargoCopeland Architects, LLP, offers architectural, interior architecture/design, and planning services. The company’s principals, Myriam E. Camargo, AIA and E.J. Copeland, AIA and its staff form an accomplished and highly skilled team with experience in corporate development, educational/public institutions, hospitality/club developments, and retail facilities. CamargoCopeland Architects is registered with the State of Texas as a Historically Underutilized Business and operates as a Minority/Woman Owned Business Enterprise. In 1999, the Dallas Business Journal recognized CamargoCopeland Architects in its annual Book of Lists as the “Largest Woman-Owned Full Service Architecture Firm in the Dallas Metroplex.” For more information, visit http://www.camargocopeland.com.