Houston will soon have 50 new residential units for youth leaving the foster care system and entering adulthood. The Houston Alumni and Youth (HAY) Center has broken ground on its 59,000-sf campus, with completion expected by July 2024. The HAY Center is a nonprofit program of Harris County Resources for Children and Adults and for foster youth ages 14-25 transitioning to adulthood in the Houston community.
Designed by Gensler to feel like a college campus, The HAY Center includes 50 efficiency-style apartment units with full kitchens as well as washers and dryers.Five of the units can house a single parent and one child. Connecting the apartments, a community space also offers a full kitchen, plus a flexible area that can be used for studying and for movie nights.
Input from The HAY Center’s youth informed the design of the two-building campus. Their input indicated the design should focus on five themes: home, empowerment, community, wellness, and security. Here’s a quick rundown of how Gensler’s design addresses each theme:
- Home: All activities take place in an environment that feels like home. To that end, the center features community kitchens, small and large meeting spaces, comfortable furnishings, and entrances that make everyone feel welcome.
- Empowerment: Youth are empowered by signing a lease, receiving a key, and having a place of their own.
- Community: The center is part of an established community with public transportation access, employment opportunities, and green spaces that promote a sense of belonging.
- Wellness: The design promotes physical and mental wellness. Onsite services include case workers and mental health services and other facilities available to all HAY Center youth, not only those who live on campus.
- Security: Hay Center youth do not have to depend on someone else for a place to live, and they have control of their own space. Campus security features have been based on input from the youth and industry professionals.
The project is targeting LEED Silver certification.
On the Building Team:
Owner: Harris County
Design architect and architect of record: Gensler
MEP engineer: Wylie
Structural engineer: Dally + Associates
General contractor: Arch-Con Corporation
Related Stories
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Oregon, California, Maine among states enacting policies to spur construction of missing middle housing
Although the number of new apartment building units recently reached the highest point in nearly 50 years, construction of duplexes, triplexes, and other buildings of from two to nine units made up just 1% of new housing units built in 2022. A few states have recently enacted new laws to spur more construction of these missing middle housing options.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 14, 2024
Multifamily rent remains flat at $1,710 in January
The multifamily market was stable at the start of 2024, despite the pressure of a supply boom in some markets, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Multifamily Report.
Industry Research | Feb 8, 2024
New multifamily development in 2023 exceeded expectations
Despite a problematic financing environment, 2023 multifamily construction starts held up “remarkably well” according to the latest Yardi Matrix report.
Senior Living Design | Jan 24, 2024
Former Walgreens becomes affordable senior living community
Evergreen Real Estate Group has announced the completion of Bellwood Senior Apartments. The 80-unit senior living community at 542 25th Ave. in Bellwood, Ill., provides independent living options for low-income seniors.
Affordable Housing | Jan 18, 2024
Habitat tops off second apartment building at 43 Green
The co-developers of 43 Green celebrate the latest milestone for the $100 million, mixed-income, mixed-use project in Bronzeville: topping off Phase 2 while reaching full lease-up of the Phase 1 apartment building.
Affordable Housing | Jan 16, 2024
Construction kicks off on $237.9 million affordable housing project in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Construction recently began on an affordable housing project to create 328 units for low-income and formerly homeless populations in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 15, 2024
Multifamily rent growth rate unchanged at 0.3%
The National Multifamily Report by Yardi Matrix highlights the highs and lows of the multifamily market in 2023. Despite strong demand, rent growth remained unchanged at 0.3 percent.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 12, 2024
Office-to-residential conversions put pressure on curbside management and parking
With many office and commercial buildings being converted to residential use, two important issues—curbside management and parking—are sometimes not given their due attention. Cities need to assess how vehicle storage, bike and bus lanes, and drop-off zones in front of buildings may need to change because of office-to-residential conversions.
Apartments | Jan 9, 2024
Apartment developer survey indicates dramatic decrease in starts this year
Over 56 developers, operators, and investors across the country were surveyed in John Burns Research and Consulting's recently-launched Apartment Developer and Investor Survey.
MFPRO+ News | Jan 8, 2024
Canada turns to 1940s strategy to speed up housing construction
To address a severe housing shortage, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration has begun a housing construction strategy pioneered in the years after World War 2. The government aims to use a catalog of pre-approved home designs to reduce the cost and time to construct homes.
