715, located in downtown Lawrence, was gutted to make way for the crisp, minimalist-designed eatery, which features salvaged wood. Scott Trettel was the builder.

Van Go Mobile Arts, 715 N.J., was remade into a sleek, modern space by architect Dan Rockhill.

Can creative design and architecture change lives? Make a lasting impact?

The forces behind a couple of local commercial renovations are convinced they can.

The striking, contemporary façade of the clean-lined Van Go Mobile Arts studio and gallery on New Jersey Street is barely recognizable to those familiar with the aged brick building before its recent incarnation.

Van Go is an arts-based youth employment agency for at-risk 14- to 21-year-olds. The youths are hired to create public works of art sold in the community. Acclaimed architect Dan Rockhill was the visionary behind the transformation of 3,000 square feet of cramped quarters into 12,000 square feet of sleek, stylish and creatively functional space.

The spacious, multi-purpose studio features movable track-mounted stage lighting complemented by soaring, screened skylights that allow both fresh air and natural light. Glass-walled offices line the perimeter of the studio, maintaining the focus and the interaction with the creative process. A separate new gallery venue showcases artwork for sale.

Everything from the eye-catching, personality-imbued entrance mural to the state-of-the-art stainless-steel kitchen/lunch gathering spot has a profound effect on the participants, according Van Go marketing director Eliza Nichols.

“This new space adds value to our program. It makes our kids feel important and lets them know that we value them and their work.”

Like Van Go, the new 715 restaurant on Massachusetts Street incorporated a greater purpose into the building plans. The historic, three-level interior, dating to 1866, was gutted to make way for the crisp, minimalist-designed eatery. Instead of discarding debris, salvaged wood, including some with storied bullets embedded, were repurposed throughout the new renovation.

Despite the labor-intensive processes involved, paying homage to history and respecting Mother Nature made this a worthwhile project for builder Scott Trettel.

“There’s a sense of satisfaction in knowing this was an honest attempt to minimize the impact on the environment,” he says. “Wood that was more than a century old didn’t go to the dump. We created jobs instead of cutting down trees to make this happen and, in the end, that’s more useful, more meaningful.”

“Home and Away” premieres at 6:30 p.m. Monday on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 and replays throughout the week.