As the central hub of SOS Children’s Village Chicago, the Lavezzorio Community Center combines social services and neighborhood amenities under one roof, serving children and families in the city’s Auburn-Gresham neighborhood.
Inside the building, multi-faceted, naturally lit public spaces encourage a range of learning opportunities and social interaction. Daycare classrooms are organized around a south-facing courtyard on the ground floor, with caseworkers’ offices, counseling areas, and a large, multi-purpose community room on the second floor.
Connecting the levels, a large structural stair serves as a mountain-like landscape for playing, climbing, performing, and hanging out, with a lobby at the top of the stair doubling as a computer lab.
The Community Center serves a growing neighborhood of foster-care families, women, and children in a mix of affordable single family homes and apartment units. Photo: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing.
