The Janet L. Witkin Center is an affordable senior housing project comprised of 17 one-bedroom apartments, two community rooms and support offices.
The challenge of incorporating critical community spaces on a small site necessitated finding unique opportunities for social gathering throughout the project. A large central community room was designed at the ground floor to open up in to the central south-facing courtyard to create a light and airy space. An expanded walkway serves as a gathering place near the communal laundries at each floor and affords an overlook to the tenant courtyard below.
Windows at the street side of the space create a connection with the outside neighborhood. A “front porch” patio adjacent to the sidewalk and overlooking shared balconies above give the building a direct connection to the streetscape. At the top floor, the building mass steps back at the street side to allow for a large open community garden at the 4th floor. The apartments are laid out in two groups, and the unit entries are clustered to promote resident awareness and interaction with immediate neighbors.
Accessible design elements throughout the project will make the day- to-day lives of the tenants easier. Roll-in showers with grab bars and seats, and sliding pocket doors are incorporated throughout the units. Despite being such a small project, way-finding is still very important in senior housing. Unique accent colors and materials at different floors assist in creating recognizable visual and tactile cues that assist with orientation.
The building materials reinforce the two main massing elements. The front of the project is clad in warm composite wood that wraps around the building horizontally, while the second mass is clad in metal panels that form a vertical element. The remaining portion is a warm neutral painted stucco. The courtyard, open walkway and units were oriented to the south to receive natural light and warmth.
The project has a Platinum LEED certification goal and will incorporate many sustainable elements including solar hot water heaters, highly efficient HVAC systems, and recycled building materials. Permeable paving and native plantings were incorporated into the design to reduce water runoff and consumption.
The challenge of incorporating critical community spaces on a small site necessitated finding unique opportunities for social gathering throughout the project. A large central community room was designed at the ground floor to open up in to the central south-facing courtyard to create a light and airy space. An expanded walkway serves as a gathering place near the communal laundries at each floor and affords an overlook to the tenant courtyard below.
Windows at the street side of the space create a connection with the outside neighborhood. A “front porch” patio adjacent to the sidewalk and overlooking shared balconies above give the building a direct connection to the streetscape. At the top floor, the building mass steps back at the street side to allow for a large open community garden at the 4th floor. The apartments are laid out in two groups, and the unit entries are clustered to promote resident awareness and interaction with immediate neighbors.
Accessible design elements throughout the project will make the day- to-day lives of the tenants easier. Roll-in showers with grab bars and seats, and sliding pocket doors are incorporated throughout the units. Despite being such a small project, way-finding is still very important in senior housing. Unique accent colors and materials at different floors assist in creating recognizable visual and tactile cues that assist with orientation.
The building materials reinforce the two main massing elements. The front of the project is clad in warm composite wood that wraps around the building horizontally, while the second mass is clad in metal panels that form a vertical element. The remaining portion is a warm neutral painted stucco. The courtyard, open walkway and units were oriented to the south to receive natural light and warmth.
The project has a Platinum LEED certification goal and will incorporate many sustainable elements including solar hot water heaters, highly efficient HVAC systems, and recycled building materials. Permeable paving and native plantings were incorporated into the design to reduce water runoff and consumption.
| Client: | Affordable Living for the Aging |
| Cost: | NA |
| Area: | 17 Units |
2011 Architectural Award, Multi-Family Affordable
Los Angeles Business Council
