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Residential Design Excellence Award
Presented to Perkins + Will
Diabeted Health and Wellness Institute and

Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center
Dallas, Texas

Project Description

The Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center is the result of collaboration between the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department and Baylor Healthcare Systems. It represents a first-of-its-kind facility in the United States, designed to prevent and treat diabetes holistically through diagnosis, treatment, education, and physical activity.

Our internal corporate culture promotes a high level of commitment to our “Social Responsibility Initiative”. We chose to participate in the “1% Program for Public Architecture”, thereby providing all of our Architectural and Interior Design fees on a pro bono basis to serve the public interest in a place of need. The scope of the project includes an extensive renovation to the 21,000 SF existing 1960’s Recreation Center and a 5,000 sq ft addition to serve the new Diabetes Clinic and Wellness programmatic needs, as envisioned. These functions now coexist and support each other, expanding the existing facility's role within the historically underdeveloped neighborhood in South Dallas, which has the highest rate of diabetes and the lowest per capita income in the city.

Our challenge functionally was to seamlessly unite two entities in their new facility.  We achieved this by utilizing the shell of the existing recreation building and adding a glazed double-volume space which serves as a main circulation spline, defining while uniting the operational functions.  Our goal aesthetically was to breathe new life into an aging facility, respect the architectural language of the 1960’s building and re-create an interior response with a clean modernist aesthetic. Our “big idea” to renew the community's sense of pride, was to create a literal “new face” to the building by incorporating a 2-story high portrait of Juanita J. Craft, a local civil rights activist, for whom the facility was named.

Programmatic elements include; a teaching kitchen, classrooms, aerobics rooms, and fitness center areas, game room, clinic, administration areas, and a full-court gymnasium. Though the project did not pursue third-party certification, due to the cost of updating the mechanical system, the design incorporates improved environmental practices and materials for efficiency and sustainability through the use of recycled and reclaimed materials, improved energy efficiency throughout the existing building, and an increased use of natural day lighting.

The facility successfully incorporates security by locating the Reception Area centrally to both the clinic and recreation areas and allows visual access to both building entrances. Security monitoring, 24 hour on-site security presence and restricted access allow for more control by facility staff.  Extensive use of interior storefront provides transparency throughout, promoting responsible behavior. The quality of materials chosen adhered to the demands of durability and acoustic control, while sustaining a high quality design aesthetic.

The Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute at Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center project provided our firm an opportunity to serve the Dallas community by leveraging our expertise in both the Healthcare and Recreational market sectors with two long-standing valued clients. Our hope is that the facility, recently opened, will serve the community in a dignified manner, towards years of health and wellness.

Judges Comments

• the incorporation of the Juanita J. Craft abstract portrait into the lobby is a nice feature
• the use of reclaimed teak wood adds warmth to the facility