YMCA PG&E Teen Center

The YMCA of the Central Bay Area sought to establish a Teen Center in downtown Berkeley. When Pacific Gas & Electric donated an 8,000-square-foot decommissioned payment center across from Berkeley High School, it provided the ideal opportunity for adaptive reuse. The design-build team transformed the 1964 concrete office building by opening it up with glazed storefronts, a new partial third story with roof deck, and flexible interior spaces. Bright colors reflect a youthful spirit. The $4.5 million renovation, completed in November 2010, comprises 13,500 square feet, is construction type IIIB, and is a combination of A-3 and B occupancy.