Brookline Teen Center. Brookline, MA

Brookline Teen Center (BTC) is an adaptive reuse success story and an example of intense collaboration between architects, construction professionals, and end-users: the teenagers. The project converted an existing 98-year-old, 13,350 SF parking garage structure into an exciting place for teens to hang out and engage with each other.

A new vertical circulation tower creates an entry beacon to the previous non-hierarchical facade. The interior takes advantage of the raw exposed structure and highlights the rugged garage environment, both appropriate and durable for its new occupants. The building was designed with sustainability in mind and is LEED Silver certified.

Offering a wide range of youth programming, the BTC was immediately popular among Brookline teens upon opening. Its features include a cafe complete with a pool table and game room, a much-used state-of-the-art recording studio, a computer lab, a production room, a conference room, and a multi-purpose room for dance and fitness. The building’s highlights include a half-court gym with adjacent workout space and a 2-lane bowling alley.

Services Provided

Architectural and landscape design of indoor and outdoor environment; full design services from Visioning through Construction Administration.

*Project completed as studioMLA Architects prior to acquisition by Ashley McGraw Architects