Kellogg PEAK Initiative

Inspiring Young People to Reach Their Potential Through Hands-on Learning

The PEAK Initiative plays a big role in the lives of the children and community members it serves in Milwaukee, providing hands-on learning and leadership training in a safe and secure center helps youth reach their full potential.

Located in Tiefenthaler Park on Milwaukee’s northwest side, the expanded community center nearly doubles PEAK’s existing facility with additional learning labs and outdoor spaces for a variety of age-appropriate programming for young people ages seven through high school.

In approaching the project, HGA conducted multiple design sessions with community members. Sessions included having pre-teens select fabric and material samples to design a room and talk about what they liked, such as having a secure courtyard where they can interact with nature. Journey-mapping exercises with teens revealed a need for a separate grown-up space. Town halls with neighbors sought to make Tiefenthaler Park usable and accessible for everyone.

The design follows an enclosed courtyard plan, with the new multipurpose community room directly opposite the original building and two surrounding wings housing entry/reception and labs. Three large garage doors on the community room connect to the courtyard. The renovated original building includes administrative spaces, with windows punched in the brick wall to provide views to the courtyard. The teen room is on the lower level, in response to the youths’ desire for “their own space where they can act like teens.”

Sophisticated colors reference PEAK’s branded colors in light and dark pairings, answering children’s desire for an adultlike aesthetic. Precast concrete walls with clerestory windows provide durable surfaces and protection from the street. Wood finishes reference Lake Valley the original overnight resident camp west of Milwaukee that inspired the growth of PEAK. A new circle drive leads to the main entry featuring a glass vestibule and large canopy. Landscaping includes stone benches and a circular arrangement used for outdoor classes and group activities.

Since opening in summer 2021, the expanded community center has lived up to its acronym inspiring young people—Potential, Experience, Access, and Knowledge.