Berkeley YMCA – PG&E Teen Center wins AIA Award for Energy and Sustainability

In a city known for green buildings, the new <a href="http://www.nollandtam.com/portfolio/community/ymca_berkeley">Berkeley YMCA-PG&amp;E Teen Center</a>, designed by <a href="http://www.nollandtam.com/">Noll &amp; Tam Architects</a>, stands out from the crowd. The 13,500 square-foot adaptive re-use project, located in downtown Berkeley directly across the park from Berkeley High School, recently received <a href="http://greensource.construction.com/green_building_projects/2012/1203-ymca-pge-teen-center.asp">LEED Platinum</a> certification. The design team was made up of YMCA active teenagers, real estate developers, architects, program directors and other members of the community. This collaborative team fostered education, leadership, and sustainability in an efficient design process, which left the YMCA, PG&amp;E, and the community of Berkeley with a building of which to be proud.

The building, orginially built in 1964, was a former PG&amp;E payment center, and in an effort to enrich the community PG&amp;E donated the building to the YMCA. The renovation was conceived as is a bridge for the teens of this community, which still struggle with illiteracy and lack mentorship.

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The building provides meeting spaces, classrooms, office, and hang-out areas for teens to use, whether it is for an organized event or not. This building provides a safe place for those teens in Berkeley.

The renovation of the building included a third story which was added by reinforcing the existing structure and adding a new steel frame for the third floor and roof deck to sit on.

This 13,500 square-foot adaptive re-use project is located in downtown Berkeley directly across the park from Berkeley High School. The view of the park from the building is very breathtaking.

The building was designed to provide maximum access to natural daylight and views for over 75% of all occupants. The comfort in this building is extraordinary because of the design team's attention to this detail.

The design team dynamically preserved the concrete colonnaded southern facade with a twist of an additional third story. This move was a respectful nod to the past and a glance into the future.

The sustainable features of this LEED Platinum design are grand to say the least. The building uses 40% less energy, 41% less water, had 75% less construction waste, offsets 10% total building energy through solar power, and costs 35% less than a building built to 2005 Title 24 standards. The building was designed to provide maximum access to natural daylight and views for over 75% of all occupants.

The art and dynamic colors of the interior and exterior of the building help to reinvigorate the building and its context in the community. The San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic, John King, has called the renovation "the most dynamic new building in Berkeley".