Location: Scottsdale, AZ

Client: City of Scottsdale

Duration: 17 months

Contract Value: $8.9 million

The Granite Reef Senior Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a state-of-the-art facility that blends modern design with environmentally conscious features to serve as a community hub for seniors. Completed in July 2006, the 41,898-square-foot center was thoughtfully designed and constructed to reflect Scottsdale’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

As one of Arizona’s first LEED Gold Certified buildings, the center incorporates sustainable practices such as using locally sourced materials, a rooftop solar plant that reduces energy usage by 282,000 kWh annually, and water-saving features like drought-resistant landscaping and low-water plumbing fixtures. The project achieved an impressive 75% construction waste recycling rate and redeveloped a brownfield site under the EPA Superfund program.

The facility offers welcoming, functional spaces tailored to the needs of the community, including a lofty dance hall supported by responsibly harvested lumber, activity rooms flooded with natural light, and a central thermal mass brick structure that enhances energy efficiency. Designed with sensitivity to the surrounding neighborhood, the building harmoniously integrates modest spaces on its northern side, respecting adjacent residential homes.

As a flagship project for Scottsdale’s Green Building Program, the Granite Reef Senior Center exemplifies the city’s vision for sustainable development and serves as a vibrant, enduring asset for its residents.