The Children’s Institute (CII) in Los Angeles will open a 200,000-sf campus designed by Frank Gehry this summer. The new development will provide CII with its first purpose-built home in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood, and is designed to host programs and offer resources for this economically disadvantaged community.
CII has been a dedicated non-profit organization for 116 years, and has worked with the Watts Community since 2007. They have partnered with families, as well as other community organizations, to provide services like counseling and workshops. This campus at Success Avenue and East 102nd Street in South LA will centralize Children’s Institute’s operations in the area.
Gehry’s design aims to downplay the building’s mass, while showcasing the important community work happening inside. The facade is broken down to relate to the adjacent single-family residences using simple interlocking volumes made of plaster and corrugated metal cladding. The priority was to create a welcoming building, one that was scaled appropriately to the surrounding neighborhood and one that feels approachable.
The interior is full of natural light from the large windows and the many skylights throughout. Double-height public spaces are scaled to accommodate larger community gatherings, while office areas are open to the central atrium below on the second floor. A series of small group and individual therapy rooms are located off the atrium, each with large windows to fill the space with natural light.
Designed For the Community
The Watts campus was intentionally designed to make a connection between CII and the Watts community. The building operates both as a community center and a therapy center, and offers space for neighborhood meetings and events. The center will be home to a number of outreach programs that directly respond to the issues within the community, including the Watts Gang Task Force and the LAPD Community Safety Partnership. Programs include:
- Toddler socialization
- Individual and group counseling
- Youth development
- Parenting workshops
- Workforce development/employment support
- Project fatherhood sessions
“The new Watts campus is a beautiful symbol of Children’s Institute’s ongoing commitment to our city and this neighborhood in particular,” said Los Angeles Police Department Captain and Children’s Institute Trustee Emada Tingirides. “I know that my patrol officers that work in the community of Watts have a partner as we try to address some of the concerns, trauma and violence in the community. Children’s Institute continues to be an unwavering partner to Watts families year after year.”
The Children’s Institute has planned a Community Celebration on June 25 at the new Watts Campus to welcome families to enjoy a day of performances and activities.
Building Team:
Owner and developer: CII
Architect of Record: Chait & Company
Design architect: Gehry Partners, LLP
MEP engineer: Schnackel Engineers
Structural engineer: Workpoint Engineering
Landscape Architect: Elysian Landscapes
General contractor/construction manager: Oltmans Construction Co.
Related Stories
Smart Buildings | Apr 28, 2014
Cities Alive: Arup report examines latest trends in urban green spaces
From vertical farming to glowing trees (yes, glowing trees), Arup engineers imagine the future of green infrastructure in cities across the world.
| Apr 24, 2014
Unbuilt and Famous: LEGO releases box set of Bjarke Ingels' LEGO museum
LEGO Architecture has created a box set that customers can use to build replicas of the LEGO Museum, which is not yet built in real life. The museum, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, will commemorate the history of LEGO.
| Apr 24, 2014
Gothic-style dance center breaks ground at University of Southern California
The program for the three-story building will include a dance/performance studio, five dance studios, instructional classrooms, performer support spaces, costume storage, and faculty and administrative offices.
| Apr 23, 2014
Mean and Green: Top 10 green building projects for 2014 [slideshow]
The American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment has selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and ecological design projects that protect and enhance the environment. Projects range from a project for Portland's homeless to public parks to a LEED Platinum campus center.
| Apr 16, 2014
Upgrading windows: repair, refurbish, or retrofit [AIA course]
Building Teams must focus on a number of key decisions in order to arrive at the optimal solution: repair the windows in place, remove and refurbish them, or opt for full replacement.
| Apr 15, 2014
12 award-winning structural steel buildings
Zaha Hadid's Broad Art Museum and One World Trade Center are among the projects honored by the American Institute of Steel Construction for excellence in structural steel design.
| Apr 15, 2014
Chipperfield's sparkling brass-clad scheme selected to be new home of Nobel Prize
The distinctive building, with its shimmering vertical brass elements and glass façade design, beat out two other finalists in the Nobel Center architectural competition.
| Apr 11, 2014
First look: KPF's designs for DreamWorks in the massive Shanghai DreamCenter
Two blocks of offices will be centerpiece of new cultural and lifestyle district in the West Bund Media Port.
| Apr 11, 2014
Start your engines: Ferrari plans to build first ever hotel
Clad in the carmaker's signature "Ferrari red," the hotel will resemble the grill and hood of one of its iconic cars.
| Apr 9, 2014
Colossal aquarium in China sets five Guinness World Records
With its seven salt and fresh water aquariums, totaling 12.87 million gallons, the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park is considered the world’s largest aquarium.
