SoupMobile Church Annex

SoupMobile developed their property in South Dallas to create a new Church Annex, directly adjacent to the existing SoupMobile Church. This new annex, designed by GFF’s Faith & Community Studio, is intended to serve as an extension of the mission to support the homeless community in Dallas, offering a worship space, church office, and food pantry.

The two buildings were designed as a “reimagined” dog-run or dog-trot house, simple in construction with gabled roofs and white fiber cement cladding and a familiar, warm, and inviting building form at a human scale. Like a traditional dogrun house, one side of the building is designed to support the more public functions; the food pantry and distribution and one side of the building is designed to support the more private functions; administration, counseling, and Worship. The exterior covered portion of the dogrun provides shade for the building entries and glazing and acts as a front porch. The covered area is designed to support a multitude of functions, such as volunteers unloading and loading donated goods, outdoor Worship, a place for the Community to gather for a pancake breakfast, dance competitions for the homeless and a place for collecting and distributing blankets and coats for winter weather.

The design team collaborated closely with the contractor, subcontractors, and suppliers to incorporate donated materials into the project. This thoughtful design not only meets the practical needs of the church’s mission but also creates an inviting and supportive environment for its users.

The SoupMobile Church Annex was honored with the 2021 People’s Choice Award from AIA Dallas, recognizing its impact and contribution to the community.