Breaktime’s mission is to break the cycle of homelessness by equipping young adults with the job and financial security they need to establish housing security. By providing employment, wraparound services, and financial support, Breaktime works to ensure that every young person has the tools they need to achieve job, financial, and long-term housing security.
Project Brief:
In December 2024, Breaktime acquired a 34,000-square-foot, five-story building at 63 Franklin Street in Downtown Boston, allowing Breaktime’s to establish the Hub for Solving Young Adult Homelessness, a one-stop shop for young adults experiencing housing insecurity, offering job training, basic needs, health services, and essential resources all under one roof.
While the Hub’s vision—co-locating job training, wraparound services, and health clinics—is revolutionary, the facility’s physical design must be elevated to truly fulfill their mission of dignity and empowerment. Breaktime sought PAYETTE’s services to design a retail experience for the new Resource Hub, and a complimenting donor wall.
The third-floor space is complex, as it must accommodate a high degree of flexibility. While its primary function supports the retail experience, the space must also be capable of transforming to host full-room events. As a result, the furniture must be highly flexible and easily movable, and the architectural elements should remain recessive to support a wide range of event types.
Proposal:
Architectural furnishings
configurations
feature wall
Community Partner:
Breaktime
PAYETTE Team:
Parke MacDowell
Laurie Booth
Ryan Gorday
Emily Hanson
Emilio Cardarelli
Yoko Furuya
Chuqi Huang
Peter Vieira
