James M. Wood Community Center - 2001

Client: SRO Housing Corporation

The Success enjoyed by the Drop-In Center prompted a reunification between client/developer and architect for the James Wood Community Center. Conceived of to serve the people of the Skid Row area of Downtown Los Angeles, it will bear the name of a longtime social worker, whose work was dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life for people living in the shadow of poverty. The Design uses a vocabulary of light and pattern to create spaces which are a joy to inhabit. The facade takes its formal cues from classical edifices to imply the civic importance of the building.