A K Architecture received the AIA Philadelphia Public Choice Award for Calcutta House. Providing hospice care in a home setting for nine residents, Calcutta House’s interior spaces are configured around an exterior courtyard with a four-season garden to provide diffused natural light to the private and shared spaces inhabited by this fragile population.

Located at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and 19th Street in Philadelphia across from historic Girard College, Calcutta House was designed to provide specialized housing and care for adults with HIV/AIDS. Today the building has seamlessly transitioned to serving as a PHMC hospice for homeless patients coming out of hospitalization and in need of a space to recover.

Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street proclaimed May 18, 2004 to be Calcutta House Day. On that day, Calcutta House opened its newest facility, Serenity Court, to meet the special housing and medical needs of those very ill and dying due to AIDS. The HIV/AIDS epidemic was at its height; but medical research was making strides with new drug regimens. Many AIDS patients responded positively, however, some people afflicted with the deadly disease did not get better. Calcutta House, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and A K Architecture developed Serenity Court to provide specialized supportive housing for their AIDS residents who were not responding to the new drug treatments — a place to care for the body and spirit of persons with fragile health. Fast forward 15 years to 2019, and Serenity Court has outlived AIDS as a deadly disease. The building has transitioned from an AIDS hospice to a medical respite for the homeless. This is a story of architects and civic leaders working together to create a resilient and sustainable community where thoughtful design creates a healing environment for those most in need of care. The mission of Serenity Court has adjusted to address Philadelphia's Homeless Crisis, providing a place to stay for homeless individuals who need time to recover after hospitalization – with the goal of helping these individuals to move onto transitional housing. Featuring: A K Architecture Website: http://www.aka-rchitecture.com/en IG: https://www.instagram.com/aka_rchitect/ Serenity Court/PHMC Website: https://www.phmc.org/site/ Director/Editor: Jasia Kaulbach Cinematographer: Nick Centore

All resident spaces have a view to the vibrant garden in the central exterior courtyard. The courtyard is visible from the street through a transparent entrance lobby. A primary objective was to maintain a home-like environment while subtly meeting the technical requirements of providing state-of-the-art medical care for late stage HIV/AIDS patients