TETON YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES

Teton Youth and Family Services is a non-profit organization that has been serving families and children since 1977. TY&FS operates three facilities including the Van Vleck House, Red Top Meadows, and the Hirschfield Center for Children, all of which aim to provide early intervention, crisis and residential services for youth from Teton, Sublette and Lincoln counties.

DMA was honored to help TY&FS with addition and remodeling projects for both the Van Vleck House, which is a group home and crisis center, and the Hirschfield Center, which is the administrative and programs building for TY&FS. These two buildings are located on the same lot in the Town of Jackson, and both were in dire need of an upgrade and redesign to create more functional space so that both the staff and the young people they serve could enjoy a more modern, comfortable and safe environment.

The Van Vleck House is a two story building that was built in 1955. Subsequent additions brought the building to a total of 3,475 square feet plus a basement storage area. The exterior design program called for re-establishing the entry and replacing the complicated roof structure with a cleaner, simpler roof line which solves snow shedding and water drainage problems. On the inside, the program effectively reorganized the first floor by opening the living, kitchen and dining areas and redesigned these spaces to increase visibility for staff monitoring of the residents. The kitchen was remodeled to function like a commercial kitchen yet still have a homey ambiance. Staff space was also addressed to be more efficient and allow for a larger meeting room. On the second floor, the new roof line allows for the addition of two more bedrooms, an additional bathroom, and a flex room that can be used as a learning environment for homework as well as a recreational space for watching TV or playing games.

Next door to the Van Vleck House is The Hirschfield Center which was built in 2003 and encompasses 3,480 square feet on two floors. The reception area, bathrooms and kitchens were remodeled and the office space reconfigured to be much more functional. The greatest improvement to the Hirschfield Center was replacing an impractical exterior stairwell that was dangerous in the winter with an interior staircase that provides efficient and safe access between floors.   

The exteriors of both buildings were brought up to a more contemporary aesthetic and additional and larger windows now fill the interiors with natural light. Finally, the outdoor space between the two buildings was reorganized into a private recreational courtyard where the young residents can play and interact safely.