Church Hill Community Hybrid

A R C H I T E C T S

Church Hill Community Hybrid

2021

Inclusive Community Hybrid
This 50,000 sf transformative project in the heart of Church Hill North, one of Richmond’s most underserved communities, involves extensive community engagement, bringing together in one building: Reynolds Community College Culinary School, Workforce Housing, community office space, and destination restaurant.

5 AIMS

Optimize the programs on the site for future−positive engagement with the community.
Form a landmark optimistic presence on the important urban corner of 25th St. & Nine Mile Road.
Shape Urban Green Space for School and Residents.
Relate Culinary School, Greenhouse, Restaurant and Housing to transform the Food Desert into a community with access and awareness of nutritious food.
Infuse all spaces with natural light and Connect to the natural environment.

"At a fraught time both nationally and locally, when many people are contemplating economic and racial inequalities, and reworking historical narratives, the arrival of the Kitchens at Reynolds delivers a new kind of monument where brilliant, smart and highly practical architecture is a tool for enhancing community engagement and inspiring an optimistic future." Edwin Slipek, Style Weekly

Project Awards:

Architect's Newspaper 2022 Best of Design Award for Social Impact & Project of the Year Finalist

Architizer A+ 2022 Award Special Mention for Mixed Use (L >25,000 sq ft.)

Architizer A+ 2022 Award Special Mention for Architecture +Concrete

Architect's Newspaper 2019 Best of Design Honorable Mention Unbuilt-Educational

Press:

Architect's Newspaper | The Kitchens at Reynolds Brings Ambitious, Multipurpose Architecture to Underserved Richmond Community

The Plan |Mixed-Use Building in Church Hill North

The Culinary School is organized in a two-storey 'U' around a social courtyard

7-Raising awareness of the healthy food programs.jpg

Teaching Kitchens are visible to passers-by along streetfronts.

The school heightens awareness of healthy food and provides career opportunities for the community.

The 78-seat state-of-the-art teaching kitchen opens to the Hot Kitchen beyond.

Only Fronts: no back. Inviting entrances face the community on all sides.

Workforce apartments have generous light and views to nature.

The community space and restaurant reach out to frame 25th Street

Site Concept

At the historic crossroads of 25th St. & Nine Mile Road the building takes the form of neighborhood-scaled wings turned to face each corner. Gardens and courtyards invite the community, the school and the residents into the site.

The culinary school is organized in a two-storey ‘U’ around a social courtyard.

The greenhouse, where students grow food for use in the kitchens, fronts the main street.
The market cafe faces the corner and offers low-cost, student-prepared, healthy food to the community.

The School’s circulation space, including the double-height lobby, serves as informal learning and social space.
The 78-seat state-of-the-art Demonstraton Cooking Theater doubles as a community meeting room.

PROJECT CREDITS

Client: Church Hill North Development, Steve & Kathie Markel
Reynolds Community College

Location: Richmond, VA

O’Neill McVoy Architects
Beth O’Neill, Chris McVoy: Principals
Ruso Margishvili: Project Architect
Penelope Phylactopoulos, Meghan O'Shea: Team

Architect of Record: Quinn Evans Architects

Civil & Landscape Engineers: Timmons Group

Structural Engineer: Silman

MEPF Engineer: Valley Engineering

Lighting Designer: O'Neill McVoy Architects