Covenant House New York

A Beacon of Hope

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Covenant House New York

Transforming Lives in New York City

Covenant House New York’s new 80,000-square-foot purpose-built facility provides food, shelter, and healthcare services to the city’s most vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth. The space is designed to achieve the organization’s core mission: to provide an open and welcoming yet safe and secure environment, celebrate community while never forgetting the individual, and ensure ease of navigation with flexibility to adapt to change. Entro was entrusted with designing a customized wayfinding and donor recognition program that aligns with these goals. The challenge was to create an environment that exudes welcome, warmth, and respect while remaining adaptable to Covenant House’s daily needs.
  • Client

    Covenant House New York

  • Location

    New York, New York

  • Sector

    Healthcare

  • Discipline

    Wayfinding, Donor Recognition

  • Architect

    FXCollaborative

  • Design Collaborators

    Envoie Projects

  • Photography

    Chris Cooper (exterior), Adam Kane Macchia (interior), Entro (interior)

  • Awards

    Graphis Design Annual Silver Award Graphic Design USA World Design Award 15th Grand Prix Du Design Silver Certification

Designing with Heart

We began by delving into the organization’s rich history and culture. The new Covenant House New York (CHNY) facility is located on the same site as the old one, which featured an iconic mural by Katie Yamasaki. This mural, painted in 2011 with the help of 360 residents, served as a beacon for the building and was deeply personal to CHNY; it depicted the residents themselves using their own words.

Although the mural had to be demolished along with the old building, it was meticulously documented in photographs. These photos and the stories they told became central to the inspiration for the colour palette and donor wall in the new facility.

Honouring Donors with Digital Storytelling

The prominent location of the donor wall offers an ideal opportunity to celebrate Covenant House’s distinct character, values, and history. The wall, visible from the exterior, welcomes visitors to the main lobby and incorporates fragments of the mural photographs. Dimensional rails follow the architectural pattern of the vertical wood rails of the feature staircase in the lobby, introducing themes of community and continuity.
The donor wall also includes a digital component with nine different orientations that tell the story of artist Katie Yamasaki and the facility. The vibrant, flexible design supports the growth of the donor program and celebrates the community’s contributions.
A Vibrant Palette
Color forms the basis of the wayfinding strategy at Covenant House. Each hue denotes a different area of the building, not only on the signage but throughout the interior design. The bright, bold palette is welcoming, energizing, and playful. Different areas of the building correspond to the many services and resources Covenant House provides, from mental and physical health services to educational programs, art and music studios, and lounge and dining areas.
“The difference is night and day. We spent a lot of time with the architects, and they spent a lot of time being thoughtful about designing a space based on what we needed.”

Angela Howard, senior vice president of facilities and real estate at Covenant House, in Architect Magazine

Personal Touches and Flexibility

A key component of the program was fostering a sense of welcome and shelter for residents. To achieve this, Entro isolated blue to identify private residential areas, marking personal spaces for youth living in the building. Additionally, a customizable frame system allows each resident to display their own art adjacent to their room during their stay, adding a personal touch and a sense of ownership.

 

Beyond residential areas, flexible signage was required. Many CHNY rooms have multiple functions and need identification signs that can be easily updated. Both the upper and lower segments of room signs are removable, held in place by magnets.

All signage is bilingual (English/Spanish) and ADA compliant, welcoming the diverse youth who visit CHNY. Key amenities and services are identified with icons following the interiorcolor palette, allowing for visual comprehension beyond the two languages.

CHNY continues to lead in providing residential services to vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth, serving over 1,900 young adults annually. The new facility, with its thoughtful design and welcoming environment, embodies the organization’s mission and values, ensuring a supportive space for all who enter.

Find out more about Covenant House New York.

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