Enveloped in a handsome, aesthetically welcoming new six story building, Union Gospel Mission’s Hope Place is a women and children’s shelter designed by our colleagues at Merrick Lentz Architect. Abossein Engineering is pleased to have provided the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire safety design for this renowned facility. Hope Place provides full recovery, transition and placement services for the homeless, and is currently housing 70 families in a secure, supportive environment.

Currently, there are 3,000 women and children in the Seattle area without shelter, most of them fleeing domestic violence. And, because homelessness is not a symptom of a single cause, but usually a confluence of multiple factors, permanent transition to a healthy and sustainable life requires a complex system of support systems. In addition to providing for basic needs like food and shelter, Hope Place also offers recovery services, life skills training, jobs skills training and counseling. Once a resident graduates from these programs, transition services are offered to help families provide for their own permanent housing, which they can provide for themselves and their children for the rest of their lives. These skills are crucial, as one in five homeless people were also homeless as children, and the benefits conferred on a single family are leveraged into security for their children and generations to come.

Hope Place is an 80,000 sq ft, secure facility, designed to be as safe as possible, without making families feel as though they are imprisoned. Large open layouts, bright colors, large secure windows, secure play areas, and community spaces provide for a sense of home and domestic tranquility for the residents that call Hope Place home. This 26 million dollar facility is the only one of its kind, so far, built entirely from monies raised through private donations and grants. Hope Place is one of many Union Gospel Mission projects stewarded by Merrick Lentz Architect, and to date, the largest.

“The entire team worked diligently to realize Hope Place on time, and within budget,” said project manager, Craig Chaney of Merrick Lentz Architect.

Turner Construction was the general contractor for Hope Place, and Abossein Engineering, LLC assisted in developing the HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection system. This project was completed in 2009, in cooperation with the team of talented, highly qualified architects, contractors and consultants.