West Mill Place

A longtime provider of inpatient addiction recovery services, Gaudenzia now incorporates permanent, supportive housing into its comprehensive approach and has seen success rates soar. West Mill Place in West Philadelphia’s Mill Creek neighborhood provides 30 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units of affordable housing for women in substance abuse recovery and their children.

“Stable housing is empowering. This will be a place where people hopefully won’t have to choose between paying the rent and paying for food. This will be a place where children can focus on their education and play. This will be a place where individuals and families can feel safe and supported.” – Dr. Dale Klatzker, Gaudenzia President and CEO

In its second project for Gaudenzia, CBP Architects designed a building that combines safe, secure, affordable housing with supportive on-site services to help increase the odds that residents will be successful in recovery. The project includes a classroom for continuing education and training, a community room with full kitchen for shared meals, laundry facilities on two floors, and offices for on-site property manager and a part-time social worker. Interior common areas extend to an outdoor terrace and overlook a large, protected play area. The project’s scale and massing complement the surrounding residential context with inspiration taken from the stone walls of nearby Cathedral Cemetery. Varied materials, color, pattern, and round windows enliven the building’s exterior. Clear circulation paths and spaces for gathering foster resident connections and engagement. West Mill Place earned Energy Star Multifamily New Construction, Enterprise Green Communities, and Zero Energy Ready Home certifications.