Savanna Hall, located in the Washington Heights neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, provides permanent housing for formerly homeless individuals and youth aging out of foster care. The residence rises seven stories just north of the Morris-Jumel Historic District, with a terraced rear yard sloping down to the windows of the cellar program spaces. Developed as a sister building to a neighboring residence also operated by the Lantern Organization, Savanna Hall sits back from the street and evokes the slower pace and dignity of an earlier era.
Built with funding from the NYS Office of Mental Health and NYS Homeless Housing Assistance Program, the building includes 72 studio apartments, served by a day-lit suite of counseling offices and group meeting spaces in the cellar. Other amenities include a ground floor tenant lounge facing the rear yard, laundry room and computer lab. With sustainability in mind, the building features fiberglass windows, cavity wall constriction within a compact, energy efficient massing. Clad in cast stone and brick that align with the neighboring buildings in tone and texture, Savanna Hall’s distinctive classic proportions are accented by its pilasters and entry portico. The apartments, each with a fully equipped kitchenette and dining nook, feature oak flooring, porcelain tile and built-in closet shelving. The offices have a more modern sensibility, employing a sleeker palette of tile and stainless steel to create an elegant, calming environment for personal growth and recovery.