Previously separated by a largely underused inner court, a new deck provides an “outdoor room” with new connections across the different public spaces on the ground floor.

The bedroom count was increased from 24 to 30, requiring compact layouts.  All required storage and programming was consolidated along one wall in each bedroom to provide greater consistency across bedrooms.

To support the communal aspects of Ciszek Hall, public spaces are designed to create places for encounter. Corridors widen at various locations to encourage residents to bump into one another and connect.

At these widened corridors, new  windows puncture the existing brick facades to also provide more natural light and greater visibility across the two buildings.

Shared spaces throughout the former tenement buildings were carved out of constrained existing conditions.