FRENCHTOWN YOUTH ORCHESTRA, tallahassee, florida

AREA: 1000 SF
PRORAM: COMMUNINTY center, cafe, MUSIC STUDIOs, REHeARSAL spaces, small perfomance venue
DURATION: SPRING 2023
CONSTRCTION COST: tbd
ARCHIECT: REID architecture PLLC
Structural engineers: LERA consulting structural engineeers

The Frenchtown Youth Orchestra is a non-profit group in northern Florida focused on establishing a community center, cafe, and music school in the Tallahassee neighborhood of Frenchtown. A community well know for its rich cultural history and deep connections with jazz music and culture. The site for new music school and community center site is directly adjacent to the celebrated B Sharps Jazz Club, a small music venue that draws musicians and fans from all around the world to Frenchtown.

The music school programs are organized around a covered central courtyard space that supports dining for the Red Bird cafe on a daily basis and seating for music performance and recital events. A bar of individual practice and rehearsal studios are used by music instructors and students. Faculty at the University of Florida volunteer their time for free music lessons to aspiring young musicians in the Frenchtown community.

Concept design work was done by REID architecture PLLC on pro bono basis to provide the non-profit with conceptual and visual materials for fundraising, grant applications, planning, and site logistics studies.