Siena Francis House Emergency Shelter

2020 AIA Nebraska Design Awards | Don Littler Excellence in Masonry Award winner

This new 43,000 square foot facility will lodge roughly 350 single men and 100 single women with dignity in a durable and safe space. The facility consists of readily available, durable materials including a brick exterior, burnished block interior partitions and polished concrete floors. Overall, the durable facility provides a safe and dignified place of shelter for those often finding themselves in the most difficult time of their life. Combined with counseling, rehousing, and social integration services, the Siena Francis Emergency Shelter houses more than just people – it houses a sense of hope.

AIA Nebraska Design Awards Jury Comments: This building exhibits a reserved and pragmatic use of masonry that is artfully handled. Here the texture, rhythm and scale of the masonry operated at a human scale, breaking down the scale of the institution while bringing a sense of intimacy to the interior.