Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South

Design Bridge · Chicago, IL

Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing, South adds 7,000 square feet to an existing Thresholds facility on West 47th Street in Chicago.  Design Bridge designed the addition, and Blackwood Group built it.  Early plans put the front door on Emerald Avenue, but neighbors worried about safety, so the entrance moved to a courtyard off 47th Street, where a slow, sloping walk takes up a 42 inch rise.  From the street, a tall cream brick tower and dark metal walls stand among the older brick buildings on the block.  Inside, the rooms turn around a two story atrium, and a new elevator reaches a third floor staff lounge as well as a conference room that looks out over the neighborhood.  We had some challenging weather as we tried to get this one on the books.  Also, the tightness of the site made compositions tricky, and I often found myself reaching for the wider lenses.  The project received the 2026 AIA Chicago People’s Choice Award in Healthcare as well as a 2025 Association of Licensed Architects Silver Award.

Cream brick tower of Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South rising above the 47th Street sidewalk between older brick buildings
Pedestrian walking a dog past the cream brick and dark metal street facade of Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Cream brick volume and dark standing seam metal cladding of Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South against a blue sky
Gray panel addition of Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South with an orange framed glass corner and patterned brick base
Courtyard walk leading to the glass entrance of Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Detail of textured gray panels, patterned dark brick and an orange window surround at Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Aerial view looking straight down into the landscaped entry courtyard of Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Lobby with blue accent wall, curved reception desk and exposed brick at Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Double height atrium with glass railing and daylight at Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Third floor conference center with rows of tables and city views at Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South
Third floor staff lounge with kitchen and window counter at Thresholds Center for Mental Wellbeing South