The Holy Family Shelter in Indianapolis provides emergency housing to families that have lost their homes or are experiencing exceptional circumstances. The completed building is connected to an existing historic church under a glass enclosure. The bottom floor of the new shelter houses offices, a kitchen, and learning centers supporting the shelter's mission. The top floor is a secure area with individual rooms for the family and a large central bathroom and laundry area.
Silver Creek Engineering designed all structural components for the shelter, submitted sealed drawings to the state, reviewed shop drawings and submittals, and provided construction support and site observations. Durability was essential because the facility receives heavy use with many families moving in and out of the shelter weekly. The design team decided to use exposed structural materials as the final finish, so the concrete floors and CMU walls had to be closely designed to prevent visible cracking. Silver Creek designed floor support systems with minimal depth in the corridors and coordinated joist design between the mechanical engineers and the joist manufacturers in order to create room for the HVAC system needed for a large multi-use space in a relatively small plenum.
Silver Creek Engineering designed all structural components for the shelter, submitted sealed drawings to the state, reviewed shop drawings and submittals, and provided construction support and site observations. Durability was essential because the facility receives heavy use with many families moving in and out of the shelter weekly. The design team decided to use exposed structural materials as the final finish, so the concrete floors and CMU walls had to be closely designed to prevent visible cracking. Silver Creek designed floor support systems with minimal depth in the corridors and coordinated joist design between the mechanical engineers and the joist manufacturers in order to create room for the HVAC system needed for a large multi-use space in a relatively small plenum.
The Holy Family Shelter opened its doors to homeless families in Indianapolis in 1984 and has never closed them. The shelter serves over 300 homeless families each year, which includes more than 600 homeless children. A family generally stays for 30-45 days and works with a case manager to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. Family members are connected to a network of local social service agencies that provide housing assistance, GED preparation, employment training, domestic violence counseling, mental health services, addiction treatment, legal counseling, and other services.
"Helping Homeless Families Help Themselves"
The new Holy Family Shelter
A glass enclosure connects the shelter to the historic church
Interior corridor with minimum depth floor system, leaving room for HVAC ducting
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