St. David’s Center is a regional leader in child and family development, working to create a healthy, vibrant society in which every member fully contributes to its success. They acquired the 124,000 SF former YWCA building in Downtown Minneapolis, leasing back space for the YWCA to continue daycare services.
Through a master planning process, the team designed three phases to support St. David’s goals to expand services to reach more young children and families seeking access to children’s mental health care, autism treatment, and other pediatric therapies. Phases include:
- Buildout of classrooms to better accommodate the Y’s ongoing programming as part of Phase 1.
- Redefining the building exterior and entry experience, converting main-level open exercise space into a series of classrooms and therapeutic spaces for St. David’s and adding a second-level Training Center.
- Demolishing the existing pool and infilling the floor to add a main-level treatment wing, as well as a lower level renovation to include Staff Collaboration spaces, Staff Wellness space, a Family Pediatric Resource Center, Feeding Therapy & Nutrition space and a Therapeutic Pool.
The proposed exterior upgrades also include a sculpture-like overcladding to add light and levity to the concrete exterior, making the building a more inviting destination for children and families. The design pulls out the YWCA’s original recessed entryway out towards the street to create a double-height, classy entrance experience.