NORTH MIAMI BEACH YOUTH CENTER

The North Miami Youth Center is designed to embrace the existing skate park and the Banyan tree that give the site its unique identity, while providing a gathering space for the community. The main goal is to extend the skate park into the rest of the site, and elevate the proposed program in consideration of rising sea level in the area. A ramp starting at the end of the skatepark follows by a concrete envelope providing protection for the floating main program core. Openings and shafts are strategically placed throughout the envelope, allowing air and light to pass through, as well as giving space and importance to the Banyan tree in the center of the site. Natural elements continue from the ground up and intergrate into the main program space. The youth center offers a wide variety of programs, including a basketball court in the main core, multiple open classrooms, and complementary programs such as a skate shop and a juice bar.

Collaborators: Chi Ta and Juan Chinchilla

ELEVATIONS