SERENITY MESA

The existing Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center campus, located on Albuquerque's west mesa, provides long-term inpatient and transitional living services for youth who are struggling with addiction. Through housing, therapy, education, life training, and job placement the program helps sustain sobriety and allow these teens to re-enter their communities as strong, independent members. In need of space to grow, Baker A+D was tasked with developing a modern, welcoming administration building that would allow them to move all their administrative services out of the congested and outdated residential building they currently occupy.

The design features ample meeting and office space, administrative showers for overnight staff, private meeting space for therapy services, a proper welcome desk and waiting area, and outdoor meeting space. The prominent site sits on the edge of the mesa so the design takes into consideration the expansive views and high visibility to give the center a stronger presence within the community and an iconic structure representative of this influential program. An over-sized butterfly roof welcomes visitors and residents at the main entry while the warm yet durable material palette of wood, polished concrete, cement board, steel, quartz, and serene accent blues meld the design with the existing branding. An open break area / collaboration space is central to the program. With plenty of natural light it will become the heart of the building with room for the hardworking staff to meet and re-energize. Custom elements include the steel awnings and large reception desk. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2020.