A white house with a driveway. People sitting at tables in a building. People walking up stairs. A group of people sitting on a deck with a blue railing and a building with a large glass. A person and a boy sitting at a table. A building with a driveway. A person and a child sitting on a couch in a room with stairs.
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SAFEchild

Raleigh, North Carolina

Stop Abuse For Every Child (SAFEchild) is a non-profit organization that provides a full range of family support, child abuse prevention, and intervention services — protecting over 12,000 children and educating 1,650 parents and caregivers at no cost every year. Founded upon a model that provides specialized intervention and treatment, SAFEchild promotes empowerment, recovery, and healing. Therefore, it is essential that the design of the new facility embody the group’s values while also providing optimized spatial function and staff support for those who are driving the mission on a daily basis.

The Gensler design team was challenged to balance SAFEchild’s core function while ensuring the design maintains many of the qualities of warmth and security of a residential typology. Due to the circumstances of each individual’s visit, the spaces are designed with a sense of privacy and respect, allowing families to privately circulate without encountering other visitors within the advocacy center.

SAFEchild’s new home enables the non-profit to expand their services to the community while also providing an optimized and inspiring workplace for staff and volunteers who drive the mission of the organization. SAFEchild’s new space offers a warm and welcoming environment with services provided in a single location, delivered with a sensitivity and support for all visitors.