Bright Graphics Enliven An Expansive Homeless Center In Palm Springs

2025 Best of Year Winner for Social Impact

Homeless shelters and settlements are often hidden out of sight. Palm Springs Homeless Navigation Center, a 3-acre campus, is the opposite: extroverted, welcoming, and abutting a residential neighborhood. John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects worked with the city, community, and operator Martha’s Village to address the range of needs of unhoused people and put them on track for long-term stability, transforming two existing warehouses into a 50-bed shelter and a case-management facility providing meals, laundry, and job training. New modular buildings contain 80 transitional residential units, all with bright graphics and views of gardens or nearby mountains. Second-floor walkways form bridges over first-floor units and shade paths below, making the prefabricated structures feel dynamic, while a wide central promenade creates visibility and a sense of place. Joyful and easy to navigate, the project connects people to the California desert landscape and each other, promoting their health and dignity.

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ALICE KIMM; JOHN FRIEDMAN; LAUREN RATH; LISA RAMSBURG; JUDY KIM; GORDON AU; LUNG CHI CHANG; ANDREW LAU; DEREK GREENE.