Project Details
- Project Name
- Spring Park Senior Villa
- Location
-
Gardena ,California
- Architect
- John Mutlow Architects
- Project Types
- Affordable
- Size
- 52,529 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2015
- Team
- Walton Construction Services, Builder, Builder
- Project Status
- Built
2017 Builder's Choice & Custom Home Design Awards
Affordable Housing: Merit
More and more studies report how keeping up with social activities can go a long way toward keeping older adults’ minds sharp and moods elevated. Los Angeles-based John Mutlow Architects focused heavily on this concept when designing an affordable senior housing and community center in Gardena, Calif.
The team generated appealing social spaces both formal and informal, inside and out. Eight light-filled gathering spots are scattered among the L-shaped building’s three floors. Three cozy lounges, two large multipurpose rooms with kitchens, a mezzanine over the lobby, a roof terrace overlooking a nearby golf course, a secluded courtyard, and a community garden all offer socializing opportunities. In addition to these crafted social spaces, other common areas received architectural nudges to encourage impromptu interactions. An oversized elevator lobby and laundry room, for example, give residents space to chat. The double-height lobby also supports spontaneous lingering with an array of seating.
Outside, the largely transparent elevations give the structure a sense of lightness, and wood-and-metal screens prevent excessive heat gain. The wood slats shading residential areas vary in density based on the busyness of the corresponding street and perforated metal screens protect and highlight the translucent street and courtyard entries. The infill project fits more than 50,000 square feet of habitable space on a lot wedged among 1960s apartment buildings. Each unit also includes a small balcony with enough room to sit and watch the hustle and bustle of the surrounding urban neighborhood. — S.D.H.
“The form, materiality, and translucency of the façade reflect a strong level of architectural thinking and exploration.” - Juror Timothy Lock
Project Description
From the architects. CONCEPT The design of the 100% Low Income Affordable Senior Apartment Project addresses the special lifestyles of older residents, for the residents to feel that this is their home. Each unit entry door is recessed and the units are designed so that the residents can age in place. The Project includes a senior community room to accommodate a special outreach program for seniors living in the northern section of the City of Gardena. Serving as an extended Senior Citizen center, the project provides free lunches, senior day care services and a social service coordinator. SOCIAL The two-story entry lobby also serves as a lounge for the seniors so that the residents can sit at the front of the building and watch the activities of the street scene. The transparency of the exterior facades connects the lobby to the courtyard, a private social space with its shaded lanai. A resident communal garden is adjacent to the courtyard. Social gathering spaces are distributed so that each of the 3 floors has its own social space. The mezzanine on the second floor overlooks the entry lobby. The intent is to limit isolation and encourage social engagement. The laundry room is located adjacent to the elevator lobby to act as an extended social space. CONTEXT/NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS The project is an urban in-fill building among adjacent 1960’s period apartment buildings. The Chester Washington Golf Course with a community building and a public park is directly across the main street. The terrace on the third level provides views toward the golf course, and the lounge on the third floor has distant views over the adjacent residential neighborhoods. The property is within walking distance of convenience retail shopping and service providers and is linked to the larger community with public transportation with a bus stop in front of the building.
