The New Meadows Youth Center exemplifies adaptive reuse, transforming a former pole barn recycling facility into a vibrant 5,000 SF childcare and community hub. Plan North Engineers collaborated with GHm Architects to retrofit the structure, ensuring it met modern building codes and safety standards for occupancy. The existing building was lifted over 7 feet to install an entirely new foundation, and unexpected soil conditions necessitated deeper excavation and structural fill, highlighting the project's complexity. Designed to serve infants, toddlers, pre-K students, and older youth, the facility includes a kitchen, secure lobby, accessible restrooms, and a convenient drop-off zone with parking. Exposed LVL members, glulam beams, and steel celebrate the building’s structure as an integral design feature. With a total project budget of $1.1 million and completion estimated for August 2025, the center addresses a critical community need while maintaining its historical roots.

Plan North’s structural solutions retain the existing framework of the pole barn by leveraging value engineering to create a cost-effective design. The team conducted advanced modeling and load analysis of the original truss system to adapt it for modern use, replacing aging metal roofing and reinforcing the walls to ensure stability. Key structural adjustments, such as optimizing column placement, enhance both usability and ceiling height. Foundation upgrades include reinforced footings and a new slab-on-grade. By preserving the existing structure and celebrating its form through exposed LVL members, glulam beams, and steel, the City of New Meadows is utilizing grant funding to transform the building into a functional space that balances affordability and design excellence.

Renderings and construction images courtesy of GHm Architects and
Plan North Engineers.