Connelly House

Philadelphia, PA

Connelly House is an innovative joint venture among two Philadelphia non-profit organizations dedicated to serving the needs of the homeless—Bethesda Project and Project HOME—and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. O Z Collaborative (formerly BWA), working closely with both organizations and St. John the Evangelist Church, designed an eight-story, multi-use building that provides 79 units of affordable, supportive housing for formerly homeless adults, as well as facilities for their respective programs and a new, larger Parish Center for the church. Twenty of the apartments are SROs with small kitchens and their own bathrooms, and the balance is studio apartments with larger kitchens.

The project’s location on a site served only by narrow streets posed challenges for the builder, with attendant costs. To help offset construction costs, the project team collaborated to create interesting massing and texture in combination with structural simplicity for the building’s façade; employed pre-fabricated exterior wall panels; and used a pattern of irregularly distributed windows to create visual interest without great cost. Each program has its own shared spaces, with communal living, dining and kitchen facilities, meeting rooms, offices and private counseling rooms. Common facilities include a lobby for all three organizations, a large multi-purpose room and an equipped fitness room.

Photographed by Don Pearse


Project HOME