When our client first mentioned his ideas of a food bank, we knew that his vision was much more than a place that simply dispensed food to the hungry. It was to be a space that would engender one of the most fundamental acts of humanity: the act of giving and hence, the notion of The Exchange emerged.
The vision of the project was to create a communal hub: a place where the community – including individuals, families and businesses – can gather, mingle, volunteer, research social support, seek counseling, participate in cooking or fitness classes, and further have the opportunity to share their skills through instruction.
It is a space about first principles – of humanity and architecture. Natural or built, one of the first principles of architecture is to capture light. Utilized to phenomenal effect in sacred spaces, light is revered for its ability to inspire – to inspire hope, happiness, and spiritual renewal.
Our design concept was to harness this ineffable essence into space that was simple, pure, unadorned – a vessel filled with an abundance of natural light to inspire exchange, between those in need and those with the capacity to give, towards a brighter, optimistic future of hope.