There has been a long history of working with non-profits for Koch Hazard Architects of Sioux Falls, with the basis being to support the community—an important legacy of former owners Ralph Koch and Bob Hazard . One of their first non-profit partnerships involved The Children’s Home Society . “The Children’s Home Society was a favorite client of Bob Hazard’s, and the firm has done all of their work on the Sioux Falls campus,” said principal Stacey McMahan . More recently, the Koch Hazard Architects crew completed the Children’s Home Society’s Shelter for Family Safety , which provides an expanded facility and enables programming that was impossible or difficult in their original location on Holly Avenue. “The new shelter is generally already running at capacity providing services to so many more people needing care—mostly women leaving abusive situations, but also some men, and abused and neglected children,” said McMahan. “Their work has an incredible impact.” One of several unique elements to the project was special requirements around safety and security, given it's a place where people escape abusive situations. For example, there are unique screening elements in front of residential windows that allow the windows to be opened for fresh air and views out, but distort views into the rooms from passersby. “Their old facility had lots of bedsheets covering the windows,” described McMahan. “The residential wings are two stories and surround a large playground on three sides, providing lots of ‘eyes on the children’ like a village. The building sort of hugs the playground as an element of safety.” The entry element is one of the architect’s personal design favorites. Children’s Home’s old facility had multiple entries, which created confusion for visitors, and especially those in panic situations seeking shelter. Koch Hazard Architects created a clear point of entry in their new facility marked by a 70 foot curving wall made of fieldstone with a river of white rocks flowing through it. “Our hope was that it would provide some comfort being a natural and familiar material everyone has seen piled in field corners in the countryside, perhaps providing a distraction for traumatized kids entering the facility,” said McMahan. “It leads from the outside landscape to the entry walk and into the lobby, depositing people at the reception desk.” The firm made several trips out to Walt Bones’s farm to pick through a big pile of fieldstone. McMahan helped organize them on the construction site, drew the river with a sharpie where the white stones should go, and collected donated rocks from friends as well. “It was so fun to design and help execute,” she recalled.
Stacey McMahan + Mason O’Farrell
HOME + DESIGN ISSUE september 2026
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