back	February 27, 2009 RSS

Obama and MINI Space architects collaborate - 3 hour renovation transforms DC homeless shelter

Sometimes just a little creativity in a space goes a long way.
This Monday our MINI Rooftop architects HWKN discovered that with some imagination on a budget (and some help from a certain man) they could make a change forever in the lives of the inhabitants of Sasha Bruce Youthwork House.
On Monday, January 19th, as part of the National Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. HWKN (Matthias Hollwich and Marc Kushner) was involved in the design and set up of a volunteering project at the Sasha Bruce Youthwork House, a homeless youth shelter in Washington DC. A surprise guest interrupted and then participated in the service event when Barack Obama showed up ready to roll up his sleeves and do some painting. The design was based on the idea of implementing more privacy and more community within the sleeping area and to brighten up the space in a playful fashion. A "curtain wall" that softens the area of the beds and a collective studying and playing area behind a wall of lockers is the dual foundation of the idea. The entire design was implemented in a high-speed grass roots volunteering process with up to 20 people working with extremely tight deadline and budget constrains. In 3 hours the space transformed from a blunt, raw, undifferentiated dorm into a welcoming, comfortable space for the children. We think it's fantastic that our talented MINI Space members use their creative skills for the greater good...Keep it up MINI Spacers! Related Links Matt Hollwich at MINI Space Sasha Bruce Youthwork