AIA Excelsior Award

Located on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn’s East New York neighborhood, the transformation of this turn-of-the-century structure allowed a growing non-profit to provide essential healthcare and social services in an underserved neighborhood.

The addition and renovation expanded existing operations from 9,000 to 45,000 square feet, allowing the Institute for Community Living to create a one-stop-shop community health facility for mental and physical wellbeing. The design approach creates synergy between programs by consolidating ICL’s existing outreach, mental health services, and family support into one facility and co-locating a new health center operated by non-profit partner Community Healthcare Network.

The architecture encourages physical and mental healing through visual connections to both nature and the community. Garden and terrace spaces, framed views, and access to light and air reinforce the link to the surrounding environment.

The three-story building is composed of two interlocking volumes legible from the exterior. The first is a two-story comroy-like red brick pattern. Atop this sits a two-story office volume, distinct from the lower volume by its setback, materiality, and its size and rhythm of fenestration.

Many that walk through the doors of ICL have experienced trauma. ICL believes it to be essential for the building interior to give physical form to the trauma-in- formed principles that are the foundation of ICL’s service model: safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment. The main entry opens into a large light-filled lobby that invites users to choose the services they want. The free flow of the lobby and circulation encourages people to move through the building.

The Institute for Community Living — one of New York’s largest behavioral health agencies — with its partner Community Healthcare Network, is pioneering a radically different approach at the East New York Health Hub, by showcasing a holistic paradigm for delivering health- care to underserved local communities.