Mary Jo Copeland knows what it means to exist in poverty, to live on the streets. She also knows through personal experience what a difference one person can make in the lives of others. Her past life has led her to a new life of reaching out to the poor and to people in crisis.

When Copeland needed help in developing the facilities for her most ambitious project to date -- Mary's Place -- she turned to Cuningham Hamilton Quiter (CHQ), who had designed an expansion of Sharing & Caring Hands, an organization founded by Copeland in 1985 to provide food, clothing and medical services to the needy in Minneapolis, MN. Mary's Place was to be a transitional apartment complex providing temporary shelter for families in need. The average length of stay is two to six weeks.

Copeland says Sharing & Caring Hands spent $400,000 in 1995 alone providing shelter at local hotels for people, and especially families, who couldn't qualify for government assistance. She established Mary's Place as a way to more efficiently use those funds to help an even greater number of people. The 200-bed, 52,000-square-foot complex is expected to serve up to 2,400 people in its first year. The facilities were dedicated on May 22, 1995.

A Home-like Setting
David Engelson of CHQ was the project architect. He and the firm's principal-in-charge, John Hamilton, worked with Copeland to provide a comfortable, welcoming ambience in what was by necessity an institutional setting. "I wanted the atmosphere to be home-like," Copeland said, "a place of peace and love where these people could find hope."

With only two paid staff positions, Mary's Place is run almost entirely through volunteer efforts. As a result, one of the facility's primary needs was easy maintenance. "With such a small staff, it had to be easily cleanable," said Engleson. At the same time, the architects made a special effort to provide as residential an atmosphere as possible.

This aspect of the overall design was especially important to Copeland. "Just think of your own surroundings and what a difference they make," she explained. "When you give people beautiful surroundings, there's a certain amount of peace and happiness and hope that comes within people who have lost that feeling."

Engleson agreed, citing as an example studies proving that a more residential atmosphere helps hospital patients to a quicker recovery. "We didn't invent anything new by any means," he said. "We just thought about the problems we had and went from there."

Accommodating Volunteer Efforts
Safety and security was the final driving element of the program. CHQ used its experience in hospitality architecture to develop a card key system similar to that used in hotels worldwide, according to Engleson. The card allows access to a specific apartment, along with related common areas of the building. In addition, each card carries a laser photograph of the resident, and ties into the facility's computerized administration system. Residents are required to be on the premises by 8:30 p.m., and visitor access is restricted to lobby areas under the watchful eye of staff members.

Even though Mary's Place has no shortage of volunteers offering their services, it was important that the center be manageable by a single person if necessary, according to Engleson, "to be prepared for a worst-case scenario." The building's footprint, two wings radiating from a central rotunda, allows a person working in the reception area clear views into each wing, the back yard, the elevator lobby and reception areas.

Housing at Mary's Place consists of 24 two-bedroom family units and 32 efficiency units. The apartments are finished with terrazzo flooring and painted concrete block walls. Each has a private bathroom, kitchen with stove and refrigerator, television and telephone with voice mail capabilities. Copeland was able to obtain much of the furnishings and building materials either through donation or at a substantial discount.

Each apartment also is stocked with cleaning supplies and residents are expected to keep their own living areas orderly. Copeland considered this an important aspect of helping residents get back on their feet. "The shelter is a gift. It's very important for people to take responsibility for a gift that was given to to them," she said. "When you live in a clean place, it gives you a certain sense of order in your life."

Balancing Design with Efficiency
Residents can interact with others, if they choose, in common areas like the community room and the laundry. There also are indoor and outdoor play areas for children of all ages, classrooms and facilities for doctors, dentists and other volunteer professionals. In addition, a resource room -- complete with telephones, maps and housing and job listings for the area -- is an important element in helping residents get their lives in order.

Keeping construction and maintenance costs to a minimum was a major consideration. Copeland has never accepted government monies of any kind for her facilities; the $6.5 million construction budget for Mary's Place, and continuing funding for day-to-day operations, has been raised entirely through private sources.

"We wanted Mary Jo to spend the money on her people, not on the building," Engleson said. "But it still has to stand on its own so that people staying there are proud of themselves and where they are."

Engleson described the building's style, both interior and exterior, as bold and simple. He drew heavily on his childhood in Germany for inspiration, he said, looking for the ideal balance of proud, strong design that also was practical and efficient. "We really pushed ourselves hard to make it simple," he said. "It's tough to design that way, but I think we did a good job of finding the right balance."

All elements of the facility's design were rooted in Copeland's philosophy toward aiding the needy in a way that helps them develop a sense of dignity and self-respect. "It all starts with love and compassion. From love and compassion comes concern, and concern spurs action," Copeland said. "That's when we start to make a difference."

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