Field Trip: Bread for the City

Bread for the City, a D.C. organization that provides a variety of health, legal, and social services for many low-income residents, recently hosted several National Building Museum staff members for a tour of the new addition to their historic building in Shaw. I was initially most interested in seeing the green roof, but I enjoyed learning more about the organization, its history, and the architecture and design of the buildings. However, it is a peculiar perk (some might say symptom) of working here that you view the world around you through the lens of the built environment and its impact on everyday life.

That said, my first reaction to the green roof was jealousy. With some clever engineering and major funding, I think we could make one work at the National Building Museum. As we looked over the delicious looking Swiss chard, herbs, and peppers, and admired the view of the city, several employees were enjoying their lunch at picnic tables. More than a lunch spot, however, the roof combines a community garden, an apiary, and water management system all in one. I hadn’t realized that Common Good City Farm used to be located on the plot of land before the addition. While it has moved to LeDroit Park, it is a fitting homage to the land’s former use that Bread for the City merely raised another garden several stories upwards.

This was only one of the several ways that the building created an inviting atmosphere for its employees and clients. The organization moved from a smaller space into the older building on the site, but quickly found that the demand for their services surpassed even that space. Ms. Jeannine Sanford, the Deputy Director, spoke about having clients seeking counseling who would have to pass through busy, narrow corridors. The cramped quarters did not create the ideal environment for people in crisis, but it was all they had. As the Bread for the City administration and Kendall Dorman, the architect, planned and designed the new building, they took these considerations into account. The new addition is spacious and open, and allows for free movement in a centralized waiting area. Large windows and sky lights let in plenty of light, and create an airy space that is bright and inviting.

One of the most powerful comments Ms. Sanford made was that she notices people physically relax as they enter the space. Their shoulders drop or maybe they start to smile. The subconscious tension that we may not even notice in a poorly designed space can disappear in a well-designed one. This is a lesson I try to instill in the students who go through our multi-visit outreach programs at the Museum. Whether our students are making development plans for a D.C. neighborhood in CityVision, building puppet theaters for a Head Start classroom in the Design Apprenticeship Program, or designing an exhibit that explains a teen perspective on the city for Investigating Where We Live, I want our students to understand that good design is important and that good design is for everyone. I want them to understand the power they personally have to influence how the world around them takes shape. More importantly, I want them to have the confidence to act to make that change. In this way, the National Building Museum might be able to help erase some of the problems Bread for the City so aptly addresses, one student at a time.

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalbuildingmuseum/sets/72157627000786697/with/5906499176/

—Andrew Costanzo
Associate Outreach Programs Coordinator, National Building Museum