Back to Projects

The Urban Hearth

Architecture that heals

MArch Y2

About the Project

The Urban Hearth is a place where safety and culture meet. It offers a new kind of civic architecture—one that doesn't separate care from public life, but binds them together. By bringing together a crisis centre and a chitalishte, the project gives both programs new life. The concept emerged from the tension between openness and protection. How can a building hold space for healing and participation at the same time? The programme is structured around this dual role. The crisis centre includes a secure residential wing where women and children can recover in safety and privacy, along with a shared activities block offering a space to rebuild and reintegrate. The chitalishte is arranged across three separate buildings: a welcoming entrance hall with a central gathering space, a workshop building where cultural and practical skills can be exchanged, and a library—a quieter reflective counterpoint to the more active communal spaces. Along the spine are two courtyards, which act as emotional and spatial thresholds—mediating between the worlds of safety and public life, and creating moments for pause and reflection.

The Urban Hearth cover image

Project Gallery

Interior rendering of The Urban Hearth showing a warm, light-filled corridor

Welcoming Interior Passage

Connecting spaces designed for comfort and light.