SOS Children's Villages, Lavezzorio Community Center

Photos

(Click each for a larger version)

SOS Children
Photo: Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing Photographers
SOS Children
Photo: Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing Photographers
SOS Children
Photo: Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing Photographers

Citation of Merit

  • Studio Gang Architects
  • SOS Children's Villages
  • Consultants Charter Sills (lighting); Site Design Group (landscape); CCJM Engineers Ltd. (MEP/FP); Thornton Thomasetti (engineering) Cini Little International (food service)
  • Division Institutional
  • Location Chicago, IL
  • General contractor Bovis Lend Lease

Overview

Jurors appreciated that the architects created "a big living room" for their client SOS, a global agency that provides support to foster-care children and their foster families. The layered concrete "strata" wall demands a second look. Instead of aiming for a seamless Ando-like perfection, the multi-colored and textured coldjoint concrete layers (donated by different sources) are brazenly different yet combine to form a solid wall, much like the world of foster care, melding diverse children with new families to create a secure family unit. Located on the South Side, the community center houses separate rooms for programs and a "bleacherchair" area that can be used as a classroom, stage or play area.