Marie Lopez Rogers Complex Senior & Resource Center - City of Avondale

The Marie Lopez Rogers Complex is a state-of-the-art facility that provides the surrounding community with much needed resources. The complex features include meeting rooms, senior dining facilities, office spaces, classrooms, mothers rooms, a play room, and several multi-purpose areas to host various programs. Knowledgeable of our experience designing systems to support the needs of this facility type, the City of Avondale teamed with Henderson Engineers to help bring this center to life.

The main entryway and lobby are a welcoming transitional space that connects the two services of the Complex, the Avondale Senior Center and operations for the Avondale Neighborhood and Family Services Department.

Special attention was given to the kitchen and adjacent areas such as the dining room and classroom. Our team coordinated closely with a kitchen consultant to ensure the equipment selected met all necessary requirements including the walk-in refrigerator and freezer as well as all ventilation and exhaust systems. The dining room was intended to not only provide a space for visitors of all ages to enjoy a freshly cooked meal but to also be an area where folks can develop a sense of community spending time with friends and loved ones.

To meet unique thermal requirements and promote sustainable design, linear diffusers were utilized throughout the facility to align with goal of a slower velocity of air in addition to C02 sensors to determine the occupancy of each space, provided a demand-controlled ventilation. A building with an abundance of windows and natural light in nearly all common spaces, daylight sensors were incorporated into the design throughout.

The lighting design of the complex's exterior, walking paths, and garden allows visitor to use the facility's exterior amenities both during the day and evening. Overall, the site possesses an abundance of opportunity to celebrate the surrounding natural landmarks through it's history and relationship to the Agua Fria River and distant views of the Estrella Mountains.