Kadre Architects unveils its latest social hub, a community center located in Compton, CA that will provide supportive services to residents of the neighboring transitional housing community. The project revitalizes a once unremarkable building, now boasting vaulted ceilings, an abundance of natural light, and a newly designed façade to create an inviting atmosphere both inside and out. The expansive windows transform the existing storefronts, connecting the church and residential community to create a powerful symbol of community engagement at the street level. Founded by veteran architect Nerin Kadribegovic in 2022, Kadre Architects is emerging as a leader in architectural innovation in tackling the state’s housing crisis. The firm has established a functional prototype that includes interiors, landscaping, recreational spaces, color and aesthetic interest with a focus on creating a sense of place in each community.
Kadre was tasked by the client, homeless service provider HOPICS, to build a community center that would provide case management services to residents of the neighboring interim housing facility. Services would cover everything from document procurement, connections to medical and behavioral health services, applications for vouchers, to support acclimating back into the job market and other critical social services to facilitate the path to permanent housing.
The original 1000 sq. ft. space was made up of two conventional storefronts that Kadribegovic quickly investigated for hidden potential. Upon climbing into the ceiling, he uncovered not one but two separate roofs hiding an additional 10ft of height. Out of this concealed space, the team was able to create soaring, double-height vaulted ceilings punctuated with skylights, fully transforming the interior with an abundance of light and spatial complexity. The natural light bathes the space in an everchanging ethereal glow and has an intentionally calming effect on visitors who seek help at the facility. The color palette of bright white and yellow (a nod to the service provider’s brand colors) is deployed with the studio’s signature graphic approach allowing the light to spread dramatically throughout the room creating an uplifting environment that defies expectations for a simple office space. Asymmetric wooden desks, constructed out of laminated plywood, mirror the geometric floor patterns and create unexpected shapes and shadows throughout the room. These are accompanied with custom shelving out of matching plywood and wall-to-wall cupboards to store individual case files for residents.
At the rear of the building the team turned the building’s former parking lot into a play yard and garden for visitors to enjoy whilst waiting to meet with their case managers. They selectively cut out pieces of the existing asphalt and intercut with artificial turf to create moments of green respite, softening the space to give the atmosphere of a lush, courtyard garden. The architects designed the color palette and pattern for the space in their studio using cutout pieces of colored paper layered together. This painterly, collage approach brought unplanned details to the composition, with some paper fading in the sunshine and creating complementary shades of the same color, a detail that the team embraced and then carried forward into the final design. Longtime masters of reuse and creating beauty within the tightest of budgets, the team modified playground equipment from their nearby housing project and installed it in the courtyard garden for visiting families. They also planted additional trees for shade as well as created an opportunity for urban gardening for the community. This oasis, in a densely urban and concrete environment, is another example of the firm’s commitment to creating uplifting gathering spaces and moments of relaxation for vulnerable members of the community.
The team saw an opportunity to unite the entire block through the building’s street facing façade. The new north-facing store front emanates an ethereal glow through a carefully colored and layered lattice that picks up southern light. They riffed off the gable roof shape of the neighboring church, and integrated the color of the housing project into the lattice work. The result demonstrates the transformative power of a single storefront by creating a distinct community and, in turn, serves as a catalyst for positive change for the entire block.
The Center is located at 1730 E. Compton Blvd, CA 90221 and will be open to residents from January 2025
