Design/Completion 2002/2004
West Covina, California
24,000 s.f.
Building Structure – Concrete masonry and steel framing
Building Materials – Concrete masonry, exposed steel framing, metal roof and wall panels, high performance glazing, high impact exterior plaster
Design Awards:
2004 Concrete and Masonry Association of California and Nevada: Award of Merit
2004 AIA Orange County Chapter: Honor Award
2004 Gold Nugget Award of Merit
This Community Center is located in a neighborhood park in West Covina. The previous facility was deteriorated and unable to support community programs. The new design grew from a public workshop process and includes a gymnasium and activity rooms. The new building is home to a wide variety of recreational programs. The 24,000 square foot, project provides: an entry lobby, administrative office space and lounge area; a youth playroom and pre-function space; a divisible conference/ meeting room facility and adjacent outdoor events patio, with a catering kitchen also serving as a lobby concession counter; a double gymnasium, divisible into two full size basketball or volleyball courts with cross courts, toilet rooms with separate locker and changing areas. The building is designed for flexibility, with moveable walls between the conference/meeting rooms and bisecting the gymnasium. Each function can be locked separately for different operating hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., while maintaining access to the kitchen and toilet rooms in a safe and secure manner.
The new community center represents a keystone project in the funding of new community service facilities within the City. Site planning and building design is responsive to a public input process that has included community design workshops, committee meetings, planning meetings, and City Council meetings. During programming and design, extensive debate ensued regarding the proportion of conference and meeting space to the gymnasium floor. The design concept articulates the project elements to minimize the building scale to the street, to create a park-oriented entrance and outdoor gathering area, to preserve the existing mature trees and canopy, and to enhance existing walkways/parkways and parking areas.
The Cameron Park Community Center is an overwhelmingly popular destination. The facility is host to a variety of community activities that previously could not be offered to an underserved community. In addition to an active basketball and volleyball schedule, other activities include dance classes, karate, gymnastics, and performing arts. This is truly an example of giving form to a community vision for a new recreational center.
