Chattanooga Housing Authority
The Chattanooga Housing Authority charged TWH with the daunting task of converting an older 32,000 square foot warehouse into Class A office space to house their entire central office operation. The building is located not far from downtown Chattanooga on the edge of a more industrial area. The existing building is constructed primarily of precast concrete walls and roof and was essentially devoid of any aesthetic appeal.
One of the most difficult challenges was overcoming the dark and cavernous feel of the warehouse. Skylights wouldn't work with the roof structure so we worked to keep ceilings both high and reflective. We used a lot of high quality direct and indirect light fixtures and lots of bold color to overcome the cave like feeling. The building houses numerous housing authority departments. The different departments act more or less autonomously. Spaces are intentionally segregated but remain convenient to one another. Public spaces are well separated from private spaces where sensitive personal information about residents is handled. The board room boasts a walls of glass doors to allow for overflow seating in the spacious and upscale lobby area. The exterior appearance was improved drastically with the addition of windows, Cor-Ten steel signage and light fixtures, and thoughtful landscaping.
