Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro Design Tour

Since its establishment in 1966, the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Leandro has been dedicated to delivering after-school and summer programs to support youth in the San Leandro and San Lorenzo areas. The organization has served as a community hub, hosting events and offering social services.

Over time, the focus of the Clubs’ programs has evolved from predominantly sports and recreation to encompass academic assistance, technological education, social and emotional well-being, college and career readiness, vocational skills training, and health awareness. The renovation of the Boys & Girls Club presented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the well-loved but outdated building to support a shift from elementary and middle school programming to teen-focused programs.

Siegel & Strain worked with the Club to help them re-envision their site and building as a contemporary, transparent place where students can tinker, play, learn and be together, inside and outside. The renovation houses a new technology center for digital arts and music, a new makerspace and program rooms, a new outdoor program space reclaimed from a parking lot along with a refurbished gymnasium, commercial kitchen and multipurpose room. Spaces are configured to support a highly multi-functional use of the building. The gymnasium, kitchen, and multi-purpose room are able to host private parties, meetings and receptions while the Club’s program spaces remain operational. The project also includes a cafe in a refurbished shipping container, which will provide skills training for teens.