Design Profile: Gloria Casarez Residence

The first of its kind in Pennsylvania, and among the first of its kind nationwide, Project HOME’s Gloria Casarez Residence provides LGBTQ-friendly housing for at-risk young adults who are aging out of foster care, are formerly homeless, or at-risk of becoming homeless. Approximately 40 percent of homeless young adults identify as LGBTQ, and the Gloria Casarez Residence honors the legacy of civil rights leader and LGBTQ activist Gloria Casarez by providing supportive housing and resources designed to help residents aged 18 to 24 achieve their long-term goals of permanent housing, education, and employment. Thriven Design provided architecture, interior design, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering services for the project, which transformed an underused 0.65-acre parking lot into a 30-bedroom, four-story supportive residence. Thriven Design also provided energy program administration for the Gloria Casarez Residence, which is LEED certified. Each secure, private one-bedroom apartment in the Gloria Casarez Residence includes a living area, full-size eat-in kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and storage space. Shared amenities for the site include on-site management office, residential services suite with computer area, mailroom, laundry room, exercise room, maintenance storage, bike storage room, and a large community room with kitchenette. Outdoor features include a private courtyard and greenspace, parking lot, and a south-facing roof deck. The site is adjacent to single-family rowhomes on the north and east sides, with scattered commercial uses nearby. Temple University’s campus is within walking distance to the site, as are multiple transit options, providing residents with access to employment opportunities and community resources citywide. In 2019, construction began on an expansion to the Gloria Casarez Residence, a second adjoining affordable supportive community: Peg’s Place. Thriven Design provided architecture, engineering, and interior design services for this phase, as well, which was completed in September 2021.  

Project: Gloria Casarez Residence  

Location: Philadelphia, PA  

Client: Project HOME 

Project Size: 36,547 sf  

Project Team:  
Thriven Design (Architect, HVAC Engineer, Plumbing Engineer, Fire Protection Engineer, LEED Administration)  

Innova Services (Enterprise Green Communities Administration ) 

Eustace Engineering (Civil Engineer)  

MPP Engineers, LLC (Structural Engineer)  

Environmental Consulting, Inc. (Environmental Engineer) 

Convergint Technologies (Security Consulting) 

Earth Engineering, Inc. (Geothermal Engineer) 

Domus Inc. (General Contractor) 

Photos: Kat Kendon Photography