Barelas community kitchen

Albuquerque, NM

MASS, in collaboration with the Street Food Institute (SFI), has designed a commissary kitchen in Barelas, one of Albuquerque’s historic Hispanic neighborhoods. Located on Fourth Street, a vibrant commercial corridor, the project seamlessly integrates modern design with the area’s cultural heritage, featuring colorful tiled facades and recessed openings that provide natural shading. The adaptive reuse design includes storefronts for SFI graduates and a second level with nine office and artist spaces to support small business entrepreneurs. This commissary kitchen will empower food entrepreneurs by providing a fully equipped, affordable space to prepare their products.

This project presented significant complexity, further challenged by an accelerated timeline for securing funding. Initially, the plan was to repurpose an existing building; however, it was determined that the programmatic requirements could not be adequately accommodated within the structure. As a result, a portion of the building was demolished, and a new facility was constructed between the remaining structures. The design progressed from Schematic Design to Construction Documents within an expedited four-month timeframe. The completed building features five commercial kitchens on the ground floor, including a teaching kitchen, a baking kitchen, and a dedicated kitchen for food

sensitivities. The second floor houses nine office spaces, each complemented by communal artist sinks. A courtyard for teaching and gathering creates a campus-like feel with the existing buildings on the site.