East Coast Palmetto Center

This is a rigorous renovation of an existing building of about 7,000SF that was a school for at-risk kids built in downtown Palmetto (such as it is) about 15 years ago. We basically gutted the entire building and reconfigured it. But we were careful to reuse as much of the electrical and mechanical infrastructure as we could. These are traditionally expensive components of new construction so it was important to minimize these changes. Our goal was to make a place that had a clear, obvious, transparent (yet,secure) circulation scheme and to take the opportunity to "open up" the fascinating process of taking care of migrant farmworker kids from the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years old. Yes, you can see the amazing, mostly unnoticed,usually, work the kitchen staff do in a typical center.(It's about time) To do this, we made a new "spine" from the entry to the back of the building and made all the rooms accessible through aluminum and glass storefront planes.

Maybe the best quality of this building is that is in the heart of where the families live and work, mostly in the packing houses that make up most of Palmetto. Most will walk or have a short ride and can you just imagine (well, I can anyway) how special this place will be for them.