A Step Ahead Foundation
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Architecture
Interior Design
Wayfinding/Signage -
Adaptive Reuse
Low Maintenance Materials
Reclaimed Building Materials -
Completed September 2017
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Memphis, Tennessee
Committed to improving the educational, economic, and health outcomes for women in Memphis and Shelby County, A Step Ahead Foundation sought a new space to increase public awareness and foster ongoing collaborations with community partners.
The organization had been operating out of a space that did not lend itself to collaboration and access. The public facing spaces of the project offer a significant opportunity to provide information and resources to passers-by in a non-invasive way within the massive, newly renovated distribution warehouse.
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A major challenge was to fit a large program into a small tenant space on a limited budget, creating connections and openness despite the privacy requirements. The client required space for training, meeting, and workspaces requiring some closed offices due to HIPPA concerns. The cost of the project includes raw, shell cost, as a vanilla box was not developed by the shell and core developer. To create a feeling of openness, and to work within a modest budget, the original concrete ceilings were left exposed. A series of bulkheads with dark-blue interiors define work zones. These zones participate in a strategy of progressively eroding private offices along the corridor toward the day-lit exterior face of the building. Desired sightlines were identified to perforate the forms and create functional connections. The simple detailing and palette of white and dark-blue paint, maple millwork, and yellow accents participate in promoting the organization’s growth, outreach, and brand. The concept of a ‘Little Free Library’ inspired a boldly-colored millwork wall containing openings for views, literature, announcements, and advertising.