91视频

Scott | Edwards Architecture is designing a $1.2 million renovation of a homeless shelter dormitory in Mt. Angel.

, a ministry of the , provides housing and food for migrant workers and homeless families.

The 7,400-square-foot Bede Hall, built in the 1960s, is one of two dormitories the shelter owns. The hall鈥檚 16 single bedrooms will be converted into eight apartments, providing more space for migrant and seasonal workers and their families.

鈥淎 lot of these folks are traveling across the country with families in tow, and the current facility can鈥檛 really accommodate families,鈥� said Peter Grimm, architect at Scott | Edwards Architecture. 鈥淲e hope this project will help that population.鈥�

Grimm said the two-story building鈥檚 interior will undergo a complete overhaul featuring new electrical and heating systems and new finishes. Almost none of the interior walls will be demolished, but single rooms and vacant office space will be combined to create the apartments. Communal bathroom space will be converted into single bathrooms for each apartment.

鈥淭he biggest helper on this project was we were able leave a lot of the framework in place, so we鈥檙e not spending a lot of money on resurrecting the structure, but instead on finishes and systems that residents interact with every day,鈥� Grimm said. 鈥淭hey (the single rooms) really lend themselves to conversion.鈥�

New doors, windows and an entry canopy will be added to the exterior. Grimm said the canopy was designed to feature the 鈥渁iry, lightweight鈥� look of entrances of other buildings on the ministry鈥檚 campus. A new outdoor area, featuring a playground, a patio and a vegetable garden, will surround the building and give families a place where they can spend time together.

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure they鈥檒l want to work in the garden after working in the fields all day, but it鈥檚 there,鈥� Grimm said.

Portland-based will handle the electrical and plumbing work, while will design the outside area surrounding the building.

The Federal Home Loan Bank, the Rural Innovation Fund and several private donors provided grants for the project. A renovation is planned to start at the shelter鈥檚 other dormitory, Bernard Hall, after work at Bede Hall wraps up.

鈥淥n the Boards鈥� is a weekly feature that spotlights local firms鈥� best design work. Submissions from architectural and engineering firms are encouraged. Please call 503-802-7240 or email [email protected].