RATON YOUTH FACILITY for S.O.Y.

A facility adjacent to a high school for youth at risk, during-school day care and counseling services. The sponsor group had a very limited budget, which was administered through Colfax County with CDBG funds.

Early initial sessions included working with the staff gaining insight into the user needs.  We agreed that a special or unique form would foster trust and interest from the most disaffected students who were to use the place.

We arrived at a curved form, gesturing outward to expansive views of the Great Plains especially from the windowed counseling rooms.  We also dedicated the most central counseling space to the youth – for self counseling: an optimistic spatial gesture.

Understanding framing, layout and construction allowed us to design for a simple build which came in on budget.