Downtown Day Services Center

Moya Design Partners designed the interior for Downtown Day Services Center, a homeless center which employs a housing-first model. In addition to housing, it provides legal and employment support, behavioral health resources, transportation, and resources to education. In addition to designing the interior, MOYA helped with the branding and visual design of the center. The mission at the Downtown Day Services Center was to provide housing and the resources to make homelessness in the district non-recurring, rare, and brief. Downtown Day Services Center had the challenge of transforming a dark basement into a haven for clients to feel comfortable, welcome, and at peace. The design team created a welcoming space by placing a neon sign at the entrance alongside graphics of lush plants and inspiring quotes on the walls. The place has a barber shop niche, comfortable seating, showers, bathrooms, and a health facility. The team solved the challenge by maximizing the space and turning the dark basement into an open area. Several community spaces like a “Community Garden” and a 2-story lounge provide interaction spaces. A selection of local plants gives the ceilings and walls a vibrant aspect and create a healthy, inspiring community-oriented center. The design team created an evacuation plan with custom wayfinding graphics that guide clients through the center, these include a diversity of languages and literacy. The wayfinding graphics are designed to make it easier to use while also being heavy-duty.