2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Project Recaps

Each year, PAYETTE embarks on a collaborative effort to make our design services accessible to local communities through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Our talented designers dedicate their time to planning and designing solutions for our non-profit community partners. This year, PAYETTE had the pleasure of working with 6 community partners, utilizing our skills as architects, landscape designers, interior designers and building scientists to support them in their missions. 

Greater ashmont main street

Mission:

Greater Ashmont Main Streets (GAMS) is a Boston Main Streets District since 1999 (when it was formed as St. Mark’s Area Main Street). With support from the City of Bos­ton as well as outside funds from support organizations, donations and grants, GAMS works to elevate and amplify the great community impact and business development work already happening in the neighborhood, connecting like-minded enterprises and aligning efforts to effect change.

Their signature event is the Ashmont Friday Market that runs from mid-July through October at Droser Plaza. With a focus on local businesses, artists and craftspeople, the Friday Market is a primary engine for community connection and collaboration in the area.

Brief:

GAMS was seeking design ideas for transforming a busy intersection in the heart of its Business district into a welcoming, usable community space. The proposed sites, which consist of three outdoor plazas generated by the crossing of Dorchester Avenue, Ashmont Street and Talbot Avenue, offer unrealized potential for local residents and businesses to gather, recreate and form community.

Rather than a wholesale re-imagining of these sites, GAMS desired a masterplan level set of strategies that could be implemented incrementally and over time, as local de­velopers, businesses and other support organizations become involved in revitalizing the neighborhood. These strategies should address the primary challenges facing the district, and support the organization’s long-term goals.

The PAYETTE team devised six strategies to achieve these goals: Paving and Pedestrian Crossing, Planting and Gardens, Lighting, Curbside Dining, Shade Structures and Traffic Calming. 

equitable

Mission:

EquiTable is a food justice organization committed to transforming local food systems through advocacy, design innovation and community-driven initiatives. With expertise in environmental sustainability, food policy and culinary arts, their diverse team works to address systemic barriers and promote equity in every project. Guided by the principles of practicality, equity and joy, they envision a future where public kitchens foster connection, understanding and positive change—creating spaces that turn cooking into a powerful tool for building stronger, more inclusive communities.

Brief:

EquiTable sought the design of a new Public Kitchen as a permanent home for the organization in hopes to provide a “third space” for the community. They wanted 3D visualizations of interior and exterior potential designs and floor plans, including a kitchen space, library nook, dining area and outdoor canopy.

The PAYETTE team toured the Harvest on Vine Food Pantry location in Charlestown, MA and used that as a base for designs of the future renovations and fundraising. Following the visit to Charlestown, the team took on various roles developing physical models, drafting plans and analyzing the site to generate potential design ideas. By the Day of Service, these elements were well-prepared for exploration. The team organized into three focus groups—outdoor spaces, the kitchen and the gathering/reading nook—allowing each member to contribute their creative ideas and refine them into tangible solutions.

shrek the musical

Mission:

Bridge Boston Charter School is an inclusive and joyful community that combines a dynamic academic and social emotional learning program with an innovative full service model in order to meet the needs of the whole child and ensure their scholars can achieve their greatest potential in high school and beyond. Their intention is to build a thriving school community that brings together students, staff, families and volunteers in support of the development and well-being of their students. They envision a school that is deeply rooted in the surrounding community where many of their students live. On 2.35 acres in the heart of Roxbury, they have over 30,000 square feet of space. Their neighborhood includes community organizations and potential for partnerships to support the school and surrounding community.

Brief:

Bridge Boston Charter Schools approached PAYETTE to design and construct a set for their theatre program’s performance of Shrek the Musical.

This set design would be the fourth in a series of theatre sets produced by PAYETTE’s fabrication team in collaboration with a Boston public school, following Dr. Suess the Musical, Lion King Jr. and Aladdin. The most recent of these sets is Aladdin, which was also produced with BBCS.

Similar to past sets PAYETTE, we were asked to consider the maneuverability of the design since the children performing would be the ones switching the scenes throughout the play. We decided the scenes would be made of multiple layers of lightweight 3” thick polystyrene foam and put on casters so the students could move them around with ease. The panels are also double sided, so they can quickly be flipped around for the next scene. The BBCS team requested 5 scenes for the set design for Shrek the Musical: a large forest scene, a large castle, Shrek’s house, Fiona’s tower and a field of sunflowers.

veronica robles cultural center

Mission:

The Veronica Robles Cultural Center (VROCC) has been a vital force for cultural preservation, community empowerment and economic development in East Boston since 2013. With deep roots in the Latin American diaspora, VROCC serves as a welcoming hub where art, culture and community intersect, reaching over 50,000 individuals annually through its diverse programs and events. As a Latina and immigrant-led organization, VROCC is uniquely positioned to address the cultural, social and economic needs of Boston’s predominantly Latinx immigrant community, offering culturally and linguistically affirming programming that fosters inclusion, pride and a strong sense of belonging.

Over the years, VROCC has expanded its offerings to include over 100 annual concerts, festivals and events, as well as youth-focused programs in arts education, employment opportunities and social-emotional learning. However, the organization’s rapid growth – from serving 300 members to over 4,000 – has pushed its current 4,900-square-foot facility beyond its capacity. The challenge of operating across multiple partner sites has led to logistical inefficiencies and a diminished sense of unity among students, families and staff, highlighting the urgent need for a permanent, consolidated space.

To address these challenges, VROCC is embarking on a transformative project to establish a new headquarters in a 55,640 SF facility, starting with the design of an initial 26,000 SF space. This expanded facility will serve as a centralized hub for arts and culture education, performances, business incubation and community-building activities. With this new space, VROCC aims to amplify its impact, providing more robust services to the Latinx community and strengthening its role as a cornerstone of cultural and economic vitality in East Boston. By creating a space that embodies its mission and values, VROCC will not only enhance the well-being of its members but also contribute to the broader goals of cultural equity and inclusion across Greater Boston.

Brief:

The primary objective of this project is to design a functional, welcoming and culturally resonant space that aligns with VROCC’s mission and serves the growing needs of its community.

The new facility will:

• Provide dedicated spaces for education, including classrooms and studios capable of hosting simultaneous music, dance and art classes.
• Create a flexible event space for up to 500 people to support performances, community gatherings and cultural celebrations.
• Incorporate shared workspaces to empower Latinx entrepreneurs and artists through business incubation and skill-building workshops.
• Establish VROCC’s first dedicated office space, enabling efficient operations and seamless coordination of its programs.
• Include comfortable and family-friendly communal spaces, such as waiting areas and a café space to foster a sense of community and belonging.

Upon completion of the design phase, VROCC will consolidate most of its programs into this unified headquarters, eliminating the inefficiencies and disconnect associated with having multiple programs in a smaller building.

fields corner main street

Mission:

Fields Corner Main Street (FCMS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the economic vitality and cultural richness of the Fields Corner district in Boston. Their mission is to foster a diverse, thriving business district while serving the needs of residents and business owners in the community. In order to support the economic development of the neighborhood, FCMS offers small business consultations, permitting assistance and advocacy for local service. The organization also organizes events, workshops and initiatives that promote community engagement, cultural preservation, neighborhood beautification efforts and growth of local entrepreneurs.

Brief:

The current Fields Corners Main Street office space is underutilized and would benefit from both reorganization and minor renovation to optimize the available space. FCMS is small but gradually growing, and adapting the existing space will require a series of interventions that can be enacted as needed over time as funding becomes available. The current layout could be more conducive to a productive work environment for the team and more inviting for hosting visiting community members or board meetings. Ideally the space is flexible enough to support these practical functions and continue to evolve incrementally with FCMS as it continues to grow and change over time.

The most pressing need is for a significant increase in storage capacity as well as greater variety in storage types to house items of all sizes and frequencies of use. Consolidating that increased storage as efficiently as possible will free up space for more strategic furniture placement to foster collaboration and create a more welcoming environment. The addition of art or memorabilia and purposefully located pops of color can enliven the space while tackling more practical issues like glare and signage. By taking steps to transform this modestly sized office suite into a highly functional workspace, FCMS will be far better equipped to carry out their mission to serve the Fields Corner community.

beat the odds

Mission:

Beat The Odds (BTO) is a 501c3 that uses the transformative power of music and the creative arts to amplify the voices of Boston’s under-resourced BIPOC youth ages 14-24 in a nurturing, safe space that promotes healing. Through their creative youth development program, they inspire youth to explore their creativity, tap into joy, and build resilience by teaching artist development, music production, dance, content creation and life skills, paired with authentic mentorship to empower them to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Their program stands on three core pillars: mental health support and life skills development through their Marathon Monday empowerment group, creative expression through four artistic tracks (artist development, music production, content creation, dance), and trauma-informed mentorship. They provide workshops on crucial life skills such as creative entrepreneurship, conflict resolution, healthy relationships, job readiness, college prep and financial literacy. As a City of Boston Successlink partner, they pay  participants for their time in these programs, eliminating the tough choice between finding a job and pursuing their passion.

Brief:

A key component of BTO’s vision is to establish a dedicated and purpose-built space that will serve as the heart of their creative youth development initiative. This space will be a safe and welcoming haven, specifically designed to nurture young talents and offer them ample opportunities to discover, create and collaborate. The facility will boast state-of-the-art equipment and resources, providing a hub for artistic exploration and skill-building. Additionally, this space will foster community engagement by hosting workshops, exhibitions, performances and events that involve both the youth participants and the broader Boston community.

Through their own dedicated space, BTO aims to significantly expand the reach of their program, enabling them to welcome more young participants from diverse backgrounds. By doing so, they can better address the unique needs and aspirations of each individual, fostering a sense of belonging, empowerment and purpose among the youth. Furthermore, this expansion will allow BTO to forge stronger partnerships with local schools, community organizations and businesses, enhancing their collective impact on the overall well-being of Boston’s youth and community.

With the establishment of a purpose-built space, they aspire to not only engage more young individuals but also amplify the program’s influence, fostering a positive and enduring impact on the lives of the youth they serve and the broader community as a whole. Through creativity, mentorship and a supportive environment, BTO envisions a future where the participants of their program blossom into confident, compassionate and innovative leaders, enriching Boston’s cultural fabric and contributing to the betterment of society. The interior would include the following elements: a performance/coworking space, production suites and a meeting space for our empowerment groups. The next steps will be for them to work with a contractor to clear out the space, and another contractor to take the design and renovate the space to fit the design.