Project H.O.O.D. – Leadership and Economic Development Center
With the donation of a vacant store from Walgreens, Project H.O.O.D. set out to transform this blank canvas into a functional and flexible activity space for residents in Woodlawn. The goal was to accommodate a variety of community programming that at the time was housed in the basement of the New Beginnings Church nearby. Offerings included programs for violence prevention training, education, mentorship, and entrepreneurship support, along with social events such as games, competitions, performances, and fundraisers. The new center would give youth and all residents a safe option to spend time productively – exploring their creativity, ideas, career paths, or just to socialize in a secure environment.
Activating Possibilities
BNMO maximized the project’s limited budget and provided a solution that brings fun, vibrancy, and encourages mobility. Using a fleet of wooden L-shaped partitions on casters, users can move, arrange, or combine each unit around sets of desks, tables, and chairs to create space for meetings and collaboration. Each moveable unit features a different colored Plexiglass panel for visual interest, transparency, and to complement brightly colored walls throughout the space. When hosting larger functions, the partitions can be clustered together out of the way to open up floor space.
Offering the Community Choice and Variety
Program components evolved and expanded over time, which the building’s ample space ably accommodated. A former storage space is now used for meetings, small gatherings, and events with acoustically enclosed music and video production rooms and offices. A former pharmacy area will be remodeled into a light food and beverage pantry. A separate juice bar will be placed where a Walgreens photo counter used to be. Another area is now sectioned off for fitness equipment.
By placing every program component in a former one from Walgreens, we are taking advantage of existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, creating significant cost savings. The result is a cost-efficient space that provides the community with opportunities for business outreach and collaboration, mentorship, learning, consultation, and positive socializing.
Building as Learning and Professional Experience
One of the immediate outcomes of the Walgreens renovation was providing real-life job training for local construction students. Part of the building’s program included a construction training school. To accommodate this, we opened up a wall on one side of the building to connect to a separate adjacent building. The construction students made this their own project and finished the space as part of their school assignment. By building their resumes, these students have gone on to be hired by construction firms in Chicago.
