Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Construction Cost
$8,000,000
Size
15,000 sqft
Completion Date
2019
Awards
AIA Huron Valley 2021 Aspirational Project Community Benefit Award

Not all projects deliver the satisfaction that “A Home for Healing Hearts” did for the HopkinsBurns team; Ele’s Place, a non-profit organization that helps the youth navigate grief, now has a home of resources for healing, completely free of charge. It provides a dedicated community of understanding and shared experience as well as the particular and evolving support the individual child needs at a given time. HopkinsBurns was honored to design the new building for this special organization.

After operating out of the basement of a church for several years, the board of Ele’s Place Ann Arbor envisioned their new home as an extension of this mission.  The building would be designed to integrate with the site, utilizing the healing qualities of nature in implementing the Ele’s Place goals.  It was important that arrival and navigation of the site and building was clear and guiding to avoid inflicting confusion, apprehension, or intimidation on emotionally fragile families. To achieve this, the entry reaches out and welcomes Ele's families as they arrive. Moving into the building, the scale and materials are intentionally homey, providing the comfort of the familiar. As they move further into the building, the scale opens up to embrace the natural setting beyond.

The basic program included a central gathering spot (potluck room) for all families to come together at the beginning of the evening and distinct spaces for four user groups—Kids, Teens, Adults and Staff—who all needed direct and clear connections to this central space.  This led to a pinwheel concept: four wings spinning off a central core.  Freedom and opportunity encourage the pursuit of various interests and needs, anchored by a community at the heart. The pinwheel pattern is reflected outside more literally in an elevated concrete crosswalk that prioritizes pedestrians over vehicles.