Seth McDowell Architect, pllc

After school programs have consistently proven to have a major positive impact on the lives of youth. Organizations such as the L.A.’s Best after school program have seen a major increase in test scores amongst students involved and a rise in students graduating high school and going on to attend college. Grundy, a small former coal town in SW Virginia, is in need of an after-school system that will encourage its youth and set them on a positive trajectory. According to 2010 U.S. Census Data, only 7.6% of Buchanan County residents over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree, compared to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s average of 34.7%. The issue is not only that the youth aren’t going to college, but that those that do go to college often do not return to the area. By constructing a community building that celebrates the area’s local culture and history, the teen center and its associated programs will instill a sense of local identity and pride, influencing the youth to return to the area and have a vested interest in its future prosperity.

The Grundy Teen Center Project began during the spring of 2013 as a collaboration between the Grundy Town Council and the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. UVA students took their first trip to Grundy in March of 2013 in order to research the town’s history and culture, as well as to determine the necessary steps needed to design a building representative of Grundy’s identity.  After learning about the needs and concerns of Grundy’s youth through various community engagement activities, a design studio was held in the spring of 2014 resulting in five unique design options for the Grundy Teen Center.  In the following year a team of students coalesced these options into one final design proposal for the town. 

The design for the Grundy Teen Center has evolved into a celebration of Appalachian heritage and aspirations for a resilient community in Buchanan County. Grundy has a rich history marked by floods, resulting in a flood-proofing project that began in 2001 demolished nearly 80% of the buildings in the downtown sector. The razing of an existing teen center and closure of locally owned businesses was a devastating loss for the sense of community experienced in the old downtown. The call to design a new teen center is an opportunity to restore the space where the youth of Buchanan County can congregate after school and on weekends.

The Grundy Teen Center provides 7,000 square feet of programmed and multi-purpose spaces, including an outdoor covered courtyard. Using the feedback from students and community stakeholders, programmed spaces provide a venue for after-school music programs, technology education, and culinary arts instruction. The flexible multi-purpose room accommodates musical performances, dances, and community events. Sheltered from the highway by the building, the roof structure extends over a courtyard where the community members can participate in outdoor recreation.

The materiality of the Grundy Teen Center pays homage to vernacular Appalachian building traditions, as well as local craft and industry. The cladding of reclaimed wood on the façade transcribes the classic bluegrass song, “Mountain Dew,” and conveys the local significance of the lumber industry. The tradition of collecting photographs from the past is exhibited in the multi-purpose room, which also features a brick mural designed by local artisans. The Grundy Teen Center was developed through feedback from stakeholders throughout the project, including the Grundy Town Council, high school students of Buchanan County, and local community members. The design is a true reflection of the town’s rich culture and regional heritage as well as an architectural embodiment of aspirations for Grundy’s future prosperity.