Innovative Homeless Shelter Demonstrates the Power of Design to Positively Impact Lives

DBA Architects donates pro bono services to create a new model for homeless shelters.
Oct. 5, 2022
4 min read
Image courtesy of Douglas Burress
DBA Architects kept costs low by utilizing wood framing in lieu of concrete and steel; stained concrete flooring in place of more expensive finishes; and exposing the roof rafters which eliminated costly ceiling systems.
DBA Architects kept costs low by utilizing wood framing in lieu of concrete and steel; stained concrete flooring in place of more expensive finishes; and exposing the roof rafters which eliminated costly ceiling systems.

A recent article in The New York Times noted that America’s homelessness problem is reaching crisis proportions, with shelters across the country reporting their waiting lists have doubled or tripled in recent months due to inflation and record-high rent increases. That’s why thoughtfully designed spaces like The Samaritan Inn in McKinney, Texas, are needed more than ever—along with the architects and designers willing to lend their talents to help solve this growing problem, like those at DBA Architects.

“We offered our services pro bono as a part of our Architecture with a Purpose Program,” said Bryan Moore, CEO and president of DBA Architects, whose church, First McKinney, started the Samaritan Inn over 30 years ago. “We actively seek out non-profit Christian organizations like the Samaritan Inn and provide free A&E services to help facilitate construction of facilities to further their ministries—not only build buildings but help build God’s Kingdom. It’s important to us that we use, and be good stewards of, the talents God has given us to be His hands and feet. He has blessed us beyond measure, and we intend to use those blessings to bless others,” he added.

A Blueprint for Homeless Shelters

Image courtesy of Douglas Burress
The project meets the rising challenge of increased demand for long-term homeless housing that features people-centric amenities.
The project meets the rising challenge of increased demand for long-term homeless housing that features people-centric amenities.
The Samaritan Inn is a first of its kind, 16,000-square-foot homeless shelter providing vital resources such as job retraining, mental health services, financial counseling and daycare services alongside residential units and market-rate apartments with subsidized rent for those seeking shelter. The shelter was carefully created to inspire learning, growth and, ultimately, new beginnings to meet the rising challenge of increased demand for long-term homeless housing and people-centric amenities.
Courtesy of DBA Architects
The Samaritan Inn is not a typical overnight stay homeless shelter; it is more akin to a college campus where residents are educated, fed, sheltered, counseled and who go out into the world as productive members of society.
The Samaritan Inn is not a typical overnight stay homeless shelter; it is more akin to a college campus where residents are educated, fed, sheltered, counseled and who go out into the world as productive members of society.
“Our goal for this project was to create an aspiring, uplifting space with lots of natural light and create a basic, but well-designed shelter that makes its homeless residents feel normal, at home and hopeful,” Moore said.

The innovative project includes an impressive pavilion building for administration, dining, daycare, job retraining, counseling offices, job search, library, chapel and recreation. The shelter offers 200 residential housing units—100 family units, 50 single male units and 50 single female units. Further, the DBA team has also taken into consideration those who have gone through their training and are saving up to rent or purchase their own home (the Samaritan Inn offers market-rate apartments with subsidized rent available to residents who are in this transition period).

The shelter operates solely off private donations, posing a challenge regarding the budget for construction. DBA Architects found a solution to provide the space and units needed at the lowest possible cost. The firm accomplished this by utilizing wood framing in lieu of concrete and steel; stained concrete flooring in place of more expensive finishes; and exposing the roof rafters which eliminated costly ceiling systems. The interior boasts exposed wood trusses with high clerestory glass, allowing light to cascade through the trusses to the stained concrete flooring. 

Image courtesy of Douglas Burress
The Samaritan Inn's blue color is incorporated throughout the project, from the blue wainscot wrapping around each building to the Good Samaritan brick wall in the lobby paying homage to its generous supporters.
The Samaritan Inn's blue color is incorporated throughout the project, from the blue wainscot wrapping around each building to the Good Samaritan brick wall in the lobby paying homage to its generous supporters.
The Samaritan Inn's corporate blue color symbolizing heaven and God’s healing power is incorporated throughout; the Sail at the main entry sets the mood as guests enter the compound. A blue brick wainscot wraps around each building and ties the earth-toned campus together. The “Good Samaritan” brick wall in the main lobby displays the names of all the benefactors who donated money to make the dream of a people-centric, well-designed homeless shelter a reality.

“The Samaritan Inn is the ‘blueprint’ for how homeless shelters should be structured,” Moore said. “The ‘average’ homeless person is a single mother of two who has lost her husband through divorce, abandonment or death and has no viable job skill to support her family. The Samaritan Inn doesn’t just give her a fish dinner (as the old adage goes), it teaches her how to fish—all the while providing her and her family a place to live, eat, learn and actually thrive in a safe, non-judgmental and loving environment.”

About the Author

Robert Nieminen
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Robert Nieminen

Market Content Director

Market Content Director, Architectural Products, BUILDINGS, and interiors+sources

Robert Nieminen is the Market Content Director of three leading B2B publications serving the commercial architecture and design industries: Architectural Products, BUILDINGS, and interiors+sources. With a career rooted in editorial excellence and a passion for storytelling, Robert oversees a diverse content portfolio that spans award-winning feature articles, strategic podcast programming, and digital media initiatives aimed at empowering design professionals, facility managers, and commercial building stakeholders.

He is the host of the I Hear Design podcast and curates the Smart Buildings Technology Report, bringing thought leadership to the forefront of innovation in built environments. Robert leads editorial and creative direction for multiple industry award programs—including the Elev8 Design Awards and Product Innovation Awards—and is a recognized voice in sustainability, smart technology integration, and forward-thinking design.

Robert's work has earned him industry-wide recognition throughout his career, including:

  • ASBPE Award (2019, 2018, 2017, 2015)—Best Regularly-Contributed Column; retrofit
  • TABPI Award (2017, 2016)—Top 25 Entries, Cover Story; Retail Environments
  • WPA Maggie Award (2011, 2010, 2008)—Best Publication, Trade; interiors+sources
  • FOLIO: Eddie Gold Award (2022, 2007)—Best Feature Article & Special Section; interiors+sources
  • Contributing author of ASID’s 2020 Outlook and State of Interior Design repor, as well as The State of the Interior Design Profession (Fairchild Books, 2010), which earned a place on the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers’ “50 Must Read, Must Have” book list.
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