The YMCA PG&E Teen Center in Berkeley, California is the winner of the 2011 Commercial Interior Contractors Award for Adaptive Re-Use. The CICA Awards recognize excellence and achievement among the commercial contracting industry in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Berkeley-Albany YMCA sought to establish a Teen Center offering after-school "drop-in" programs in academic tutoring and career preparation in downtown Berkeley. When Pacific Gas & Electric donated an 8,000-square-foot decommissioned payment center across from Berkeley High School, in the Berkeley Civic Center, it provided the ideal location for adaptive re-use.
Pankow's design-build team had their work cut out to transform a drab two-story concrete and CMU block structure into a modern energy-efficient three-story building. The renovation looked to retain the original structure's footprint and architectural lines, including the strong vertical columns and main public face. The goal was to create a dynamic and colorful building to reflect youthful energy.
Existing concrete tilt-up panels were reinforced and new glazed storefronts and windows were cut in to the building to bring in daylight and views. A new glass-fronted tower on the main street frames a stairwell mural with themes suggested by the teens. A partial third story was added, set back from the street on one side to provide space for a roof deck. First and second floor interior spaces were reconfigured to allow for flexible use, while the third floor houses administrative office for YMCA Metro staff.
Interior walls alternate glass with brightly painted surfaces, allowing transparency into classrooms and meeting spaces. The Berkeley YMCA-PG&E Teen Center has proved popular, flexible enough to be used for everything from salsa dancing and Garage Band classes to tutoring. The project has submitted for USGBC's LEED Platinum Certification.