Context
For years Preble Street has provided 24-hour services, seven days a week, to homeless and runaway youth. The organization operated separate day and night shelters, the Preble Street Teen Center and Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter, requiring youth to walk between facilities each evening and morning..
Response
Joe’s Place, completed in August of 2026, combines the Center and Shelter under one roof to create a more stable, integrated experience for social services, support, and housing. The former day center – a 9,640-square-foot building with an enclosed outdoor courtyard – was renovated to incorporate a 24- to 28- bed teen shelter with a mix of private rooms and shared sleeping quarters. Each bed enjoys individual lighting control and personal cell phone charging. Open floor plans and half-light doors grant clear sight-lines between staff and residents, balancing spatial transparency with personal agency so residents feel both secure and empowered in their surroundings.
The center offers a gradient of spaces – from private “nooks” for decompression to a vibrant communal kitchen – allowing residents to engage with the community on their own terms. Meals are served three times a day – with a guaranteed weekly taco night – from an on-site commercial kitchen. A separate kitchenette allows teens to make their own food outside of regular meal times as desired.
A soft, earthy color palette warms the dining and hangout areas and embraces curved walls and fixtures to avoid an institutional feel. The residents’ culture and identities are celebrated in teen-designed murals throughout the building and custom multi-lingual “Welcome” signage. The daytime common room features built-in desks and flexible lounge furnishings, though on warm days, residents may prefer a 735-square-foot courtyard with built-in benches, bike racks, and partial roof coverage. New administrative offices allow Preble Street staff and health and educational service providers to operate on-site and increase access to necessary support.
