This project consists of a new building in a compound of existing structures at a residential treatment and therapeutic wilderness program located in a remote corner of Teton County, Wyoming. The program is for 12-18 year-old boys, sent by the Wyoming state school or judicial system.
The new building is sited to create a well-defined central courtyard and help stitch the existing structures into a village-like atmosphere, allowing for containment without confinement. In keeping with the clients’ focus on wilderness education, the building was designed to be more ‘contemporary cabin’ than ‘institutional facility.’ The east wing houses five pods of three bedrooms and a shared bathroom. This approach allows for safe separation of the residents while providing an opportunity for developing team-building skills and conflict resolution. A commercial kitchen, living/dining/group therapy room and gymnasium (designed around basketball, pickleball, and a climbing wall) anchor the west wing of the building. A staff office is located at the crux of the two wings with open sight lines into the courtyard and exterior corridors for monitoring. The lower level hosts a bike and ski tuning workshop, gear storage and the mechanical systems.
The round apertures reference works of literature, popular culture and sea/space travel to indicate to new arrivals that the program is out of the ordinary and separate from the standard painted CMU-block/steel-bars-over-the-windows state-run facilities.
The new building seeks to provide the boys with a safe, communal atmosphere that encourages the use of outdoor space, draws inhabitants towards shared spaces and imparts on the boys that they are a part of a larger community. The use of natural materials, exposed structure, round windows, and warm material palette deliberately avoids the institutional aesthetic tropes typical of residential treatment facilities while referencing local agricultural structures and the existing buildings.
Project Team
Client: Teton Youth and Family Services
General Contractor: New West Building Company
Structural Engineer: Frost Structural Engineering
Civil Engineer: Jorgensen Engineering
MEP Engineer: Energy 1
Lighting Design: Helius Lighting Group
Code Consultant: Jensen Hughes
Millwork: Tendaro
Windows: Jeld-wen
Landscape Architecture: Agrostis, Inc.
Photography: Krafty Photos
