Bringing together recreation, wellness, community services, the new center champions equitable amenity access while nurturing a sense of belonging.
For decades, Columbus’ Linden neighborhood has grappled with the damaging effects of widespread redlining. Like many urban areas across the United States, these discriminatory practices and policies left Linden with a poorly maintained infrastructure, limited amenities, and a lack of essential services.
Amenities designed to empower
Inside, the main entrance opens into a central lobby within the building’s light-filled concourse. Within the lobby, a welcome desk with visual sightlines throughout all public spaces provides a sense of safety for visitors while also serving as a bustling social gathering place between community events.
Designed to support enrichment programs for individuals of all ages, the intergenerational community center offers spaces to gather, teach, learn, hang out, exercise, and recreate in a safe and inviting environment.
Community oriented design
A fully operational teaching kitchen encourages health and wellness by providing instructional space for nutritional cooking demonstrations and fresh meals for local residents. Equipped with a garage door and overhead monitors, the kitchen seamlessly connects to an adjacent community classroom, supporting the extension of educational resources to larger audiences.
Other on-site community partners provide social services, employment and career support, parenting programs, youth mentorship, and assistance for seniors. Flexible meeting rooms and classrooms support these initiatives with space for education, recreation, and socializing.
Holistic wellbeing
Three distinct activity zones, spanning from active to passive, delineate the community center’s grounds; a “gather” zone anchored by the community center leads to a “play” space with a lawn area, including one baseball field and two multipurpose fields.
To encourage relaxation, a serene “relax” area features a newly constructed pond, an overlook, an events lawn, and a pavilion accompanied by picnic areas, providing ample opportunities for passive recreation.
