Purposeful

OBI provides vocational training and support services allowing adults with disabilities to become active participants in every day life. The new 42,000 SF facility to be located on 14.5-acre parcel will provide the much-needed room for OBI’s growing vocational program and a central location conducive for picking up and dropping off program participants. In order to best satisfy the large amount of required programmatic space within the proposed budget, our design evolved within the constraints of a predominantly pre-engineered structure. This solution worked well for manufacturing areas but required refinement for smaller scale community spaces. We established a central light-filled circulation node with direct visual links to the exterior. This design approach served to reduce the scale of the building by connecting interior volumes and passages with exterior gardens. The organization also transports individuals who are part of its supported employment program. To facilitate the transfer of these program participants, a fabric canopy extends from the building to the transportation drop off.