St. John’s Bread and Life
An accessible and dignified space for essential services.
Marvel was tasked with transforming a two-story warehouse into Bread & Life's multifunctional space, designed to serve over 1000 people daily with a kitchen, food pantry, and social services on a constrained budget. The project repurposed existing structures and materials to foster sustainability and community connection. A strategic layout placed a library near the dining area to link visitors with additional services, while a sky-lit courtyard and large skylights across the deep floor plate enhanced natural lighting. This highlighted the project’s role in fostering community engagement and support within an economical and aesthetically considerate design.
Inviting views into the soup kitchen dining room reduces the stigma on free food. Bread and life's library offers easy access to services, placing it on the facade makes it more accessible.
By opening up spaces to the street, the building promotes public access to Bread and Life’s services and also contributes to the neighborhood streetscape.
A shallow canopy provides shade and bounced interior light and ties together the multiple masonry openings of the facade.
An existing brick wall forms the backdrop for services in the chapel; light spills in from the new skylight above.
The staff lounge takes advantage of the skylight at a former stair shaft.
A new stair threads around existing structure to provide access to the second floor social service spaces.
Working within a tightly constrained budget, the old mattress factory was converted into a series of unique spaces that take advantage of the existing structure’s eccentricities. An old stair shaft was transformed into a staff lounge.
An efficient kitchen serves the dining room and mobile soup kitchen.
The main dining room ceiling is lit with over-scaled custom light fixtures that negotiate an irregular and distinctive column grid and are more affordable than most off-the-shelf options.
A simple grid of lights gives order and elegance to the dining rooms ad hoc existing structure.
The entry hall leads through the outer lobby serving the large volume of visitors to the dining hall to the inner lobby which serves small groups and one-on-one meetings. Wood joists recovered from floor removals lend their worn but resilient identity to the reception desk, lobby, and chapel.
An accessible and dignified space for essential services.
Marvel was tasked with transforming a two-story warehouse into Bread & Life's multifunctional space, designed to serve over 1000 people daily with a kitchen, food pantry, and social services on a constrained budget. The project repurposed existing structures and materials to foster sustainability and community connection. A strategic layout placed a library near the dining area to link visitors with additional services, while a sky-lit courtyard and large skylights across the deep floor plate enhanced natural lighting. This highlighted the project’s role in fostering community engagement and support within an economical and aesthetically considerate design.
The dining room, a popular draw, is visible from the street at right. Patrons who come for meals can also take advantage of services like the resource library.
Inviting views into the soup kitchen dining room reduces the stigma on free food. Bread and life's library offers easy access to services, placing it on the facade makes it more accessible.
By opening up spaces to the street, the building promotes public access to Bread and Life’s services and also contributes to the neighborhood streetscape.
A shallow canopy provides shade and bounced interior light and ties together the multiple masonry openings of the facade.
An existing brick wall forms the backdrop for services in the chapel; light spills in from the new skylight above.
The staff lounge takes advantage of the skylight at a former stair shaft.
A new stair threads around existing structure to provide access to the second floor social service spaces.
Working within a tightly constrained budget, the old mattress factory was converted into a series of unique spaces that take advantage of the existing structure’s eccentricities. An old stair shaft was transformed into a staff lounge.
An efficient kitchen serves the dining room and mobile soup kitchen.
The main dining room ceiling is lit with over-scaled custom light fixtures that negotiate an irregular and distinctive column grid and are more affordable than most off-the-shelf options.
A simple grid of lights gives order and elegance to the dining rooms ad hoc existing structure.
The entry hall leads through the outer lobby serving the large volume of visitors to the dining hall to the inner lobby which serves small groups and one-on-one meetings. Wood joists recovered from floor removals lend their worn but resilient identity to the reception desk, lobby, and chapel.
St. John’s Bread and Life
An accessible and dignified space for essential services.
Marvel was tasked with transforming a two-story warehouse into Bread & Life's multifunctional space, designed to serve over 1000 people daily with a kitchen, food pantry, and social services on a constrained budget. The project repurposed existing structures and materials to foster sustainability and community connection. A strategic layout placed a library near the dining area to link visitors with additional services, while a sky-lit courtyard and large skylights across the deep floor plate enhanced natural lighting. This highlighted the project’s role in fostering community engagement and support within an economical and aesthetically considerate design.
Inviting views into the soup kitchen dining room reduces the stigma on free food. Bread and life's library offers easy access to services, placing it on the facade makes it more accessible.
By opening up spaces to the street, the building promotes public access to Bread and Life’s services and also contributes to the neighborhood streetscape.
A shallow canopy provides shade and bounced interior light and ties together the multiple masonry openings of the facade.
An existing brick wall forms the backdrop for services in the chapel; light spills in from the new skylight above.
The staff lounge takes advantage of the skylight at a former stair shaft.
A new stair threads around existing structure to provide access to the second floor social service spaces.
Working within a tightly constrained budget, the old mattress factory was converted into a series of unique spaces that take advantage of the existing structure’s eccentricities. An old stair shaft was transformed into a staff lounge.
An efficient kitchen serves the dining room and mobile soup kitchen.
The main dining room ceiling is lit with over-scaled custom light fixtures that negotiate an irregular and distinctive column grid and are more affordable than most off-the-shelf options.
A simple grid of lights gives order and elegance to the dining rooms ad hoc existing structure.
The entry hall leads through the outer lobby serving the large volume of visitors to the dining hall to the inner lobby which serves small groups and one-on-one meetings. Wood joists recovered from floor removals lend their worn but resilient identity to the reception desk, lobby, and chapel.
An accessible and dignified space for essential services.
Marvel was tasked with transforming a two-story warehouse into Bread & Life's multifunctional space, designed to serve over 1000 people daily with a kitchen, food pantry, and social services on a constrained budget. The project repurposed existing structures and materials to foster sustainability and community connection. A strategic layout placed a library near the dining area to link visitors with additional services, while a sky-lit courtyard and large skylights across the deep floor plate enhanced natural lighting. This highlighted the project’s role in fostering community engagement and support within an economical and aesthetically considerate design.
The dining room, a popular draw, is visible from the street at right. Patrons who come for meals can also take advantage of services like the resource library.
Inviting views into the soup kitchen dining room reduces the stigma on free food. Bread and life's library offers easy access to services, placing it on the facade makes it more accessible.
By opening up spaces to the street, the building promotes public access to Bread and Life’s services and also contributes to the neighborhood streetscape.
A shallow canopy provides shade and bounced interior light and ties together the multiple masonry openings of the facade.
An existing brick wall forms the backdrop for services in the chapel; light spills in from the new skylight above.
The staff lounge takes advantage of the skylight at a former stair shaft.
A new stair threads around existing structure to provide access to the second floor social service spaces.
Working within a tightly constrained budget, the old mattress factory was converted into a series of unique spaces that take advantage of the existing structure’s eccentricities. An old stair shaft was transformed into a staff lounge.
An efficient kitchen serves the dining room and mobile soup kitchen.
The main dining room ceiling is lit with over-scaled custom light fixtures that negotiate an irregular and distinctive column grid and are more affordable than most off-the-shelf options.
A simple grid of lights gives order and elegance to the dining rooms ad hoc existing structure.
The entry hall leads through the outer lobby serving the large volume of visitors to the dining hall to the inner lobby which serves small groups and one-on-one meetings. Wood joists recovered from floor removals lend their worn but resilient identity to the reception desk, lobby, and chapel.
St. John’s Bread and Life
An accessible and dignified space for essential services.
Marvel was tasked with transforming a two-story warehouse into Bread & Life's multifunctional space, designed to serve over 1000 people daily with a kitchen, food pantry, and social services on a constrained budget. The project repurposed existing structures and materials to foster sustainability and community connection. A strategic layout placed a library near the dining area to link visitors with additional services, while a sky-lit courtyard and large skylights across the deep floor plate enhanced natural lighting. This highlighted the project’s role in fostering community engagement and support within an economical and aesthetically considerate design.
Inviting views into the soup kitchen dining room reduces the stigma on free food. Bread and life's library offers easy access to services, placing it on the facade makes it more accessible.
By opening up spaces to the street, the building promotes public access to Bread and Life’s services and also contributes to the neighborhood streetscape.
A shallow canopy provides shade and bounced interior light and ties together the multiple masonry openings of the facade.
An existing brick wall forms the backdrop for services in the chapel; light spills in from the new skylight above.
The staff lounge takes advantage of the skylight at a former stair shaft.
A new stair threads around existing structure to provide access to the second floor social service spaces.
Working within a tightly constrained budget, the old mattress factory was converted into a series of unique spaces that take advantage of the existing structure’s eccentricities. An old stair shaft was transformed into a staff lounge.
An efficient kitchen serves the dining room and mobile soup kitchen.
The main dining room ceiling is lit with over-scaled custom light fixtures that negotiate an irregular and distinctive column grid and are more affordable than most off-the-shelf options.
A simple grid of lights gives order and elegance to the dining rooms ad hoc existing structure.
The entry hall leads through the outer lobby serving the large volume of visitors to the dining hall to the inner lobby which serves small groups and one-on-one meetings. Wood joists recovered from floor removals lend their worn but resilient identity to the reception desk, lobby, and chapel.
An accessible and dignified space for essential services.
Marvel was tasked with transforming a two-story warehouse into Bread & Life's multifunctional space, designed to serve over 1000 people daily with a kitchen, food pantry, and social services on a constrained budget. The project repurposed existing structures and materials to foster sustainability and community connection. A strategic layout placed a library near the dining area to link visitors with additional services, while a sky-lit courtyard and large skylights across the deep floor plate enhanced natural lighting. This highlighted the project’s role in fostering community engagement and support within an economical and aesthetically considerate design.
The dining room, a popular draw, is visible from the street at right. Patrons who come for meals can also take advantage of services like the resource library.
Inviting views into the soup kitchen dining room reduces the stigma on free food. Bread and life's library offers easy access to services, placing it on the facade makes it more accessible.
By opening up spaces to the street, the building promotes public access to Bread and Life’s services and also contributes to the neighborhood streetscape.
A shallow canopy provides shade and bounced interior light and ties together the multiple masonry openings of the facade.
An existing brick wall forms the backdrop for services in the chapel; light spills in from the new skylight above.
The staff lounge takes advantage of the skylight at a former stair shaft.
A new stair threads around existing structure to provide access to the second floor social service spaces.
Working within a tightly constrained budget, the old mattress factory was converted into a series of unique spaces that take advantage of the existing structure’s eccentricities. An old stair shaft was transformed into a staff lounge.
An efficient kitchen serves the dining room and mobile soup kitchen.
The main dining room ceiling is lit with over-scaled custom light fixtures that negotiate an irregular and distinctive column grid and are more affordable than most off-the-shelf options.
A simple grid of lights gives order and elegance to the dining rooms ad hoc existing structure.