The LEED® Silver Certified center is a colourful transformation to a long-standing member of the East Oakland community. Built in the 1970s, the facility has been the center for neighborhood activities for decades, but by 2015, it needed modernization.

We facilitated and collaborated in detail with the community to generate a design that could embody the people’s vision through multiple community-wide meetings. The project constraints were openly shared during the process to instill ownership and provide resources for the community to make prioritized decisions based on our recommendations.

The resulting recreation center is a refreshed facility that elevates the neighbourhood pride. Key project elements include new convertible multipurpose rooms, a multi-use lobby and offices, a new computer education classroom and daycare classroom, a new community kitchen, support spaces and outdoor event spaces, and renovation of the existing gym and park. We worked closely with the City to comply with various grant requirements and reviews by multiple jurisdictions, including the city planning, the city permit, the County Environmental Health, and the State Water Resources Board.

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