Project Description
The Youth Development Center was created to reflect the non-profit organization’s mission to “Inspire, equip and guide urban youth to live.” The YDC provides intensive after school academic intervention programs for at-risk students in grades 1-6 and is licensed through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in the city’s Greater Fifth Ward.
The 22,000 square-foot building and materials recall a warehouse-style seen in the area. It is comprised of brick, burnished concrete block, pre-rusted metal panels, translucent panels, Low-E glazing and exposed steel. It has three technology-based learning labs, two homework study halls, counseling rooms, a library, covered bus entry, enclosed playground and more to ensure every aspect of a child’s needs are met including security, physical, educational and creative needs.
In addition to state-of-the-art security cameras and lock-down systems, the building itself introduces a new prototype to safety design with a forward-thinking, “inside-out” space flow. Deliveries, such as packages from food trucks typically unloaded behind a building, are unloaded at the front for visibility and transparency. Children are escorted in and out of the back within the highest security perimeter ring.
Children eat a family-style meal prior to starting classes. Natural light floods in from the ceiling to encourage mental well being and cognition, and high-efficiency equipment promises the best in indoor air quality.
Architectural elements encourage individual learning styles. The early childhood area features three centers per classroom for group study, technology-influenced learning and independent study. The math and reading labs offer integrated computer software for multi-level learning.
Bright, cheerful colors and an interchangeable art gallery serve to encourage play and learning. Each space in the building its own “identity.” The administrative area is the “protective arm” because it provides safety and security with conference rooms and a welcoming, controlled entry point. The library and dining hall are the “haven” because they personify socialization and emotional development.