The Oswego Health Behavioral Health Center exists within the shell of an old supermarket store that was roughly 300’ long and 16’ tall. The challenge that existed when developing the exterior design was one where the client wanted the newly renovated structure to look residential and not like a commercial building. In order to resolve this, small gestures needed to be made that did not require the movement of walls or structure.

The pre-existing structure was a giant box, with no facade treatment whatsoever. When beginning the schematic exterior design, it was important to examine the surrounding context, which consisted of many residential structures from the early 1900’s. The city of Oswego sits adjacent to Lake Ontario, one of the United States’ Great Lakes. An iconic lighthouse rests upon a large break-wall made of large blueish-gray stone.

The development of a facade that hearkened back to both the surrounding materials, and the typology of the lighthouse led the development of a facade that was reminiscent of the ‘Cape Cod’ style of housing.