Design Profile: Ralph J. Roberts Boys and Girls Club

The longtime Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia home in Germantown has reopened as the Ralph J. Roberts Club after a $9.3 million renovation and restoration. Built in 1898 as a Boys Club, the four-story Georgian Revival building suffered economic challenges and by the 1930s was already seriously inadequate. An upgrade assessment completed in 1985 found that the rear wing and pool were abandoned and badly deteriorated; the basement regularly flooded; mold and mildew was apparent throughout; and the windows and exterior envelope were in poor condition. Overall, the building failed to meet modern life-safety codes, needed upgrades were not attempted and in the ensuing decades only certain spaces could be used for limited services.  

As part of the Club’s Philadelphia-wide “A Bold Change for Kids” $40 million capital campaign, the Germantown building seemed primed for demolition as of 2016 with the Club focusing on constructing a new facility at the site. Over a three-year span with multiple designs and close community involvement, it was determined that preservation of the iconic structure was the best option to continue the existing urban fabric AND meet program needs.  

The renovation and addition to the existing multi-level Club allows for modernized spaces with rejuvenation of the exterior envelope and interior materials. Problem solving for accessibility, streamlined circulation, and associated safety was crucial to address the natural complexity of a split-level interior that consisted of seven different levels within a four-story building. Spaces created include a Literacy Center, Learning Center, STEM class, Tech Center, Teen Center, Gym, Music Room, Cafe, and Game Room. The full exterior restoration and interior renovation now evokes the history and the vision of the Club’s mission and will serve 3,000 youth annually with programming afterschool, over the weekend & during the summer. 

Project: Ralph J. Roberts Boys and Girls Club, Germantown 

Location: Philadelphia, PA    

Client: Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia 

Project Size: 27,000 sf 

Project Team: 

Heckendorn Shiles Architects (Architect)  

O’Donnell & Naccarato (Structural Engineers)  

Wick Fisher White Engineers (MEP) 

Daniel J. Keating Company (General Contractor)   

Photos: Don Pearse Photographers, Inc.