Carpenter’s Shelter and The Bloom at Braddock

Carpenter’s Shelter and The Bloom at Braddock

Carpenter’s Shelter and The Bloom at Braddock transformed the former shelter, which was previously housed in a two-story, 17,000-square-foot building (SF), into a new, 163,000-square-foot building that now supports both organizations’ missions under the same roof. Carpenter’s Shelter, a nonprofit organization that provides support and accommodations to people who are experiencing homelessness, welcomed the addition of The Bloom at Braddock, which encompasses 97 affordable-income housing apartments. As part of The Bloom, ten furnished micro units located throughout levels 3 to 7 of the building serve as permanent supportive housing for former Carpenter’s Shelter residents transitioning out of homelessness. By design, the building can serve more people’s needs, and fosters hope, relationships, and a resource network for those aiming to progress from homelessness into permanent housing within one building.

The building achieves the maximum FAR that the site allows, utilizing additional bonus density for affordable income housing, achieving the Braddock Neighborhood’s planning goals of densifying the neighborhood. The leading design concepts for this project were to integrate the lengthy building into the surrounding neighborhood by separating the massing into two distinct but complementary design aesthetics that relate to the Potomac Yard neighborhood to the north and the Braddock Metro Neighborhood to the south while also creating a gateway element at the primary corner, which reaches out over the community room terrace at the third level, celebrating the project’s mission of public outreach.