Raleigh, NC [2023]

community center

AIA Southeast Region Student Honor Award
AIA NC Region Student Honor Award
AIA Triangle Region Student Honor Award

Tarboro Community Center resides at the intersection of several community threads within east Raleigh, including proximity to the historically underserved neighborhood of Idlewild. It is also a half mile from St. Augustine’s University and 1 mile from the heart of downtown Raleigh. This creates a dynamic opportunity for a threshold and public space in the increasingly urban community. Through my experience on the site, I identified trees as wayfinding elements, shaping my design concept: landscape as anchors of gathering. By strategically placing program elements in more open spaces, I preserved the existing canopy, instilling a balance between built structures and outdoor spaces. There is also an existing teen center on the site, which is integrated through a vertical connection to the second floor of the new building. Overall, the design maximizes green space by elevating private program spaces to the second floor, dedicating the ground plane to community use.