Lavezzorio Community Center : Chicago Architectur

SOS Children’s Villages: LAVEZZORIO COMMUNITY CENTER Address: 7600 S. Parnell Chicago USA Architect: Studio Gang Architects Completion: 2008 Photographs: Hedrich Blessing Project Description: The SOS community center combines services for foster care families and neighborhood families in one building. SOS is an international not-for-profit agency committed to training foster parents and reuniting siblings. Multi-faceted public spaces in the building encourage a range of learning opportunities and social interaction. An extra-wide stair in the lobby doubles as classroom seating and an impromptu stage for performance. A large community room on the second floor serves as classroom, exercise room and meeting space. Daycare classrooms on the ground floor are oriented around and have direct access to a sunlit outdoor play area. Working with budget constraints led to a design that expresses its materiality in a direct way. Concrete is layered in bands with color variation to reveal its liquid nature. SOS Children's Villages Lavezzorio Community Center Chicago images / text from Studio Gang Architects 080808