The Arcus Charitable Foundation carries out human rights programs around the world aimed at supporting people whose rights are violated on the basis of race, gender identity, etc. One such project, the Social Justice Education Center in the small town of Kalamazoo, Michigan, cost the foundation approximately $ 5 million to educate future leaders and support current leaders in the social justice movement.
One-storey building of the Center with an area of about 930 m2 has a curious three-bladed shape, reminiscent of the letter Y. Each blade is completed by a fully glazed façade, respectively, overlooking the residential area, the Kalamazoo college campus (this is where Arcus patron Jon Stryker studied) or the grove. As a result, an unremarkable building connects the three zones most important for the structure of the city.
The end facades are connected by concave walls that form hospitable areas around the building. The metal structures of these walls are filled with transverse cuts of logs: this forgotten construction technique was revived by the architects specifically for their project. A rather decorative solution pursued several goals at once: firstly, the resulting texture enters into dialogue with the brick of the college's historic buildings, built in the Georgian style; secondly, it connects the center with the neighboring grove; and thirdly, like any wooden structure, the building reduces CO2 emissions into the air, which are inevitable with natural death and decay of wood in nature (the project claims the prestigious LEED Gold environmental certificate). Small porthole windows complete the image, creating intricate illumination in the evening.
The interior space of the building is as neutral as possible in its design and does not at all resemble the usual samples of educational and public centers. Rather, it is a large, cozy living room with a kitchen and a slightly recessed fireplace area in the center. The open, welcoming interior, according to the architects, meets the goals of the foundation in the best possible way. Teachers, students, public figures will gather here to discuss in an informal, relaxed atmosphere: how to make the world more just.
