Oak City Cares is a multiservices center providing critical support to those experiencing homelessness in Raleigh, NC. Formed as part of a unique partnership between Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and Catholic Charities, the center provides a welcoming, supportive environment for those experiencing homelessness. Guests can take a hot shower, do laundry, charge their phones, and find coordinated intake services under one roof for everything from mental health support to housing referrals.
Dignity is central to the design and the experience: it its first year of operation, Oak City Cares provided 9,096 showers, 6,129 loads of laundry, and 78,286 weekend meals for its guests.
The design creates transparency through a series of vertical openings in the envelope. These openings provide abundant natural light in the lobby and encourage guests approaching the building to feel safe and comfortable entering the space. The building includes an entry designed to feel more like a hotel lobby than an institutional space, laundry and shower facilities, multipurpose educational space, private offices for client interviews, and an outdoor gathering area with seating and shelter.
