Project Description

Youth for Christ

Adaptive Reuse

Location:  Kalamazoo, Michigan

Floor Area:  10,840 SF

Completed:  2021

Youth for Christ of Kalamazoo is a not-for-profit organization founded 75 years ago to provide middle and high school youth of the Kalamazoo area with positive after school and summer activities meant to build relationships and trust.  A majority of YfC’s programming happens in area schools and juvenile facilities, but it was critical to their mission that the under-served areas of the region have access to this programming as well.  InForm Architecture was hired to conduct listening sessions and surveys in order to develop a needs assessment for a planned youth center, and to evaluate various sites for this facility.  InForm Architecture designed the new structure and refurbished the existing structure. After considering several locations, an underutilized church facility on East Main Street was selected and planning for an addition and renovation began.

The youth center is a flexible, multipurpose space, with a recreational gymnasium, café, art area, computer lab and a dance studio.  A commercial kitchen provides dinner for all participants.  This facility also serves as a central office location for the YfC staff.