Attached to a Los Angeles housing project, a pair of commercial storefronts have been revived to house a new community center in Compton, California. The sunny design by Kadre Architects accommodates both community resources as well as offices for homeless services provider HOPICS across 1,000 square feet. “We had the idea to use the renovation as an opportunity to transform the entire block by leveraging the community church next door, along with the housing project we’d helped finish,” says Kadre Architects founder Nerin Kadribegovic. “We hope the result demonstrates the transformative power of a single storefront by creating a unifying feature on the block with a distinct sense of community at the street level.”
An expansive new north-facing facade emits an ethereal glow through a lattice structure whose color story mirrors that of the housing project and echoes the gabled roof shape of the church. Inside, functionality informs a materiality including custom storage and cabinetry that permeate warmth with maple-faced ply. Epoxy painted floors tout durability and reflect light, while Asymmetrical wooden desks cut from laminated plywood echo the geometric patterns of the floors. Skylights from the double-height vaulted ceilings accentuate the brightness of the interior’s white and yellow hues and amplify a sense of calm. “The spirit of a place is so important to our psyches and we take it as our mission to instill dignity through vibrant colors, playful design elements, meditative landscapes and an abundance of natural light,” Kadribegovic adds. “We hope the resulting recuperative feeling will serve the neighboring residents on their journey out of homelessness.”
