Active: completing summer 2026

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PROJECT: 31-Unit Permanent Supportive Housing, Adaptive Reuse

ACCESSIBILITY: 16 Fully Adapted Units

FUNDING: Harris County Housing Department

ROLE: Owner's Representative

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The Challenge:

In 1999, Bread of Life, Inc. built the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth with proceeds from Destiny's Child's first single, named for Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland. Hurricane Harvey damaged the building in 2017, and a fire followed in 2021. Rather than walk away from a building with that much history, Bread of Life chose to give it a new mission: 31 units of permanent supportive housing for Houstonians exiting homelessness, with wraparound services delivered through its sister organization, Temenos Community Development Corporation.​

 

Adaptive reuse is unforgiving work. An existing structure reveals its true conditions only as the work opens up, and every discovery tests the budget and the schedule. Add a county funding source with rigorous documentation requirements, multiple Authorities Having Jurisdiction, and 16 units where accessibility must be executed without compromise, and this Project demanded more than construction oversight. Bread of Life needed an advocate at the table through construction and closeout.

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​STEADFAST's Role:

As the Owner's Representative, I coordinate with every Authority Having Jurisdiction, review RFIs and submittals as they move, and verify every pay application against work in place. On a county-funded Project, the documentation has to be as sound as the construction, and I hold both to the same standard.

 

Sixteen of the 31 units are fully adapted for accessibility. On this Project that is not a feature; it is the mission built into the walls, and I walk that execution continuously, from clearances and reach ranges to the finish details that decide whether a unit truly works for the resident who moves in. Through closeout, I give the Owner clear, comprehensive Project reporting on budget, schedule, and progress, so Bread of Life can stay focused on the people this building serves.

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WHAT THE OWNER SAYS:

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"Knowles-Rowland House was never just a construction Project to us, it was the embodiment of our mission. Chuck understood this from the start. He knew and cared about what the building represented, protected our interests, and helped keep the work aligned with what we had promised our community: a safe, stable and loving harbor from life's storms. Chuck is a teacher at heart, finding sincere satisfaction not only in executing the work but also in sharing impeccable wisdom and instruction. You can find Chuck's work at the intersection of precision and purpose, which is remarkably uncommon.

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Beyond his relationship with us, Chuck built and maintained strong connections and rapport with the stakeholders. His reputation preceded him, thus allowing him to provide seamless coordination with the agencies and inspectors so we did not have to. We felt secure with Chuck because he shared our priorities and understood the contractors' perspectives. With Chuck, the details mattered: details that transformed four walls into a home and details that ensured the work in place supported every dollar we requested. Beyond completing Knowles-Rowland House, the most meaningful experience was the opportunity to work with and learn from Chuck, who builds with his head, his hands and his heart."

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— Dr. Monique Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Bread of Life, Inc.

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Architect: BRAVE

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