Walk into a large, terra cotta building on 79th Street on a given weekday and you might find vendors selling fruit and vegetables or artisans showcasing handmade jewelry. People bustle in and out of the lobby, some stopping in for a juice, some going straight to their doctor appointments. Look up, and you’ll see three-dimensional squares that add a sculptural element to the ceiling.
“We wanted to design the Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub so it felt like a downtown office building-with the same amenities,” said Carlos Nelson, CEO of Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC). Equally as important was developing a Hub that addressed the area’s health desert by bringing in dental, urgent and primary care facilities.
To make that dream a reality, GAGDC enlisted the help of MKB Architects to rehabilitate a historic structure on the 79th Street commercial corridor that had sat vacant for 25 years. In previous lives it had been a flagship furniture store before transitioning into a drab, dark public services building with boarded-over windows that faced the streets. The eyesore became a symbol for the disinvestment that Auburn Gresham faced, and Nelson wanted to let the light in. Now, the modern Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub represents a moment of renaissance.
MKB’s extensive rehabilitation work included increasing natural light with new window cut outs, adding an elevator shaft in the building’s center, and carefully restoring the building’s terra cotta facade to its former glory. The firm also designed interior spaces uniquely suited to healthcare tenants, like creating separate hallways for healthcare providers and patients.
21 июн 2023
