Founded on ideas of choice, dignity, and acceptance, the Volunteers of America Youth Resource Center is designed to provide a safe and healing environment for the homeless and at-risk youth of Utah. Realized after several years of community effort – the culmination of research, dialogue, listening, design, and craft, the Center strives to be a model for the future conceived by the young clients themselves:

“When I am inside the new VOA Youth Center, I want to feel safe. Welcome. Like I can improve myself,” said a homeless youth during the programming charrette.

The two-story, 20,000 square foot facility houses a program of services including fulfillment of basic needs, counseling, mentorship, education, and engagement-based shelter to/for youth, ages 15-22.

The porous ground-level facade is inviting and provides visual connection with the street. The building celebrates the surrounding views, changing seasons, and bright Utah skies with its fenestrations and courtyard – emphasizing its role as a place of respite and protection. The courtyard acts as an outdoor room in the building and is used for programmed activity, private conversations, and casual youth space.

The second level of the Center is dedicated to education and counseling, with a vital connection to the first floor, in order to give a sense of accessibility to the young clients. This visible and audible connection, coupled with an open stair and clear wayfinding, is intended to help engage the youth, as well as donors and volunteers. Educational programs are architecturally celebrated, and their position on the second floor emphasizes the youths’ hopeful trajectory away from the street and into independent life.

Simple materials and products were used creatively throughout the building with the purpose of elevating the human experience. With operational costs in mind, the durability of materials was paramount. The project was designed and specified to withstand intense use over time. Timeless monochromatic materials were used in installations that change infrequently, such as flooring and tile. Things subject to fashionable change were limited to paint colors and carpet accents.