Community-Building Through Architecture: Franklin Street Harm Reduction

In 2025, Franklin Street Harm Reduction envisioned a community friendly space where people in crisis or recovery would be able to seek and find support and gather safely. Co-director Christina McVeigh says harm reduction-based recovery is about “more than just public health and substance use. It’s also about personal choice and hospitality.”

She discovered a midcentury commercial building in the downtown area of their city that hit all the notes. It’s centrally located, the right size, and was formerly a locally owned business that served the community faithfully for decades.

It had good vibes. She and co-director Sean Wright saw that it could be a great place to bring their empowerment-forward, judgment-free services to the people.

But it needed an update.

The building has great bones, says Lindsey Barronian, senior architect. But it needed some care.

“There were a lot of walls and it was very dark in there. It had more outlets than any space I've ever been in.” The original building has a lot of windows but many of them were covered by walls and bookcases, blocking out natural light.

During the demolition process, “we really started to uncover what the building had to offer,” she says. “It became clear that it was going to become a really cute cornerstone of downtown.”

Envisioning A Safe, Joyful Place For Recovery & Support

Christina, a licensed mental health counselor, wanted an open space where people could “walk in and feel welcomed.” That would mean more natural light and a design that would feel like an invitation.

The outside of the building has a lot of wall space. Painted a neutral color, it easily disappears into the landscape of smaller downtown commercial buildings. Instead, she wanted it to be bold and approachable for clients.

Creating A Just-Right Space

To make the outside lively and findable, we came up with a bold color scheme of chartreuse and a palette of greens. But it didn’t hit the right note. Christina wanted it to be purple. Not only because the color speaks to her personally but because it’s the color of recovery awareness and unity.

So we started over on the exterior, designing a mural of layered purples that uses the official addiction awareness color as a “happy ribbon that we brought all the way around the building, so it's holding the building like a hug. Then we did a bunch of different sheens so that it starts to fold itself,” Lindsey explains. The result is a vibrant, eye-catching, joyful facade that draws people in.

Inside, we started by asking how we could create a space that a lot of people could feel comfortable in while they're all doing different things at the same time. “That was something we spent a lot of time on, trying to decipher how we wanted it to work. It’s not a big space; how do we make it feel big enough?”

The answer: we took out a lot of walls and built a completely new space. Visitors walk into a spacious lobby that’s flooded with natural light from a full wall of windows along the street. The space is accented with soft purples and natural wood, creating a comforting welcome.

To accommodate a lot of people, Lindsey and the team created a huge bench that runs the whole length of the space. The lobby is “our key moment,” says Lindsey. “We created an area for coffee and water and for a little library. We created a space where a lot of people can be but that feels comfortable even when there are several people in there.” People can just hang out and relax, read a book, wait for an appointment, or sit next to the window and watch people go by.

The building also houses:

A multimedia room where people can get computer and phone access. It’s also a good area for group meetings.

Private counseling rooms for individual services.

Colorful artwork that celebrates creativity, healing, and dignity.

An art room and art groups for community members.

A vending machine nook in the back of the building stocked with free safety supplies for the community, such as NARCAN, condoms, and first aid gloves.

The end result is “beautiful and peaceful, not intimidating or medical,” says Christina. “Right away, people walk in and feel welcomed.”

A Space To Be Proud Of

When people enter the mural-clad building and are surrounded by modern materials and an open, light-filled space, it sends the message that people in crisis deserve calm, happy spaces and to be surrounded by beauty.

“It’s a really wonderful example of turning something slightly older into a really beautiful, activated space,” Lindsey says. “Renovating existing space is one of the best, most sustainable things we can do for our community right now.”

This project feels good because it’s “going to help a lot of people,” she adds. “I'm very happy that I was able to have a small part in it. I hope that it keeps helping people for a long time to come—the building has a lot of life and love left to give.”

© Artisans Group Architecture + Planning — Sustainable Architecture, Passive House, and Passive Building Design Experts