Iron Gate on Archer - Wallace Design Collective

Serving over 210,000 meals per year, Iron Gate is Tulsa’s largest stand-alone meal kitchen and grocery pantry.

Iron Gate was born in the courtyard of Trinity Episcopal Church in Downtown Tulsa 40 years ago. It all started when three Trinity parishioners stepped out of a bible study class to fix a homeless man a sandwich. Now, Iron Gate serves a community meal every day and offers a grocery pantry three times a week.

Wallace Design Collective provided structural and civil engineering services for Iron Gate’s 17,000 square foot community center dedicated to feeding the hungry. This facility triples the organization’s footprint and significantly expands its capacity to serve guests.

The dining room accommodates up to 237 people with coffee-bar style seating, while a nearly 2,000 square foot covered patio provides space for 60, complete with an outdoor handwashing station. Designed to offer comfort and dignity, the patio allows guests to wait out of the elements and eliminates the “bread-line” effect. The facility also greatly enhances storage, adding 1,500 square feet of bulk storage and cooler space along with a 1,200 square foot dedicated pantry.

photography: ©Yellow Dog Design Works