The Gordon Center

Schematic Design Phase (In Collaboration with Perry Bolin Architecture)

“Sheltering Restoration"

The Gordon Center Women’s Emergency Center will be a shelter for individuals identifying as female. Its goal is to provide temporary refuge while guests transition toward stable housing and will be a contributing part of the continuum of care toward ending homelessness in the metro area.

Guests will have access to counseling services as well as have a safe place to sleep, eat meals, recreate and wash clothes for up to 16 hours per day. It will be a place of respite for those who have lived homelessness experience.

The building is part of the Willard Elementary School Campus which was constructed in 1910. It has been well maintained through the years by the Minneapolis Public School District and has housed various community organizations. Named after Frances Willard, a prominent woman’s rights advocate, educator, and author, the foundational structure of the building easily lends itself for remaking the facility and its future occupant’s lives.

Location: Minneapolis, MN
Phase: Facility Assessment
Size: 24,997 square feet

Environment — UDP evaluated the existing conditions of the proposed facility to develop a Fit Plan for its use as an emergency shelter and to provide a cost estimate for its transformation.