LPA Design Studios was recently honored by the California Parks & Recreation Society (CPRS) with the Award of Excellence in facility design for West Hollywood Aquatics & Recreation Center (ARC). The award recognizes excellence in planning, design, community involvement, quality of aesthetics, usability, accessibility and versatility in public aquatic, recreation and cultural facilities.
The four-story West Hollywood ARC provides a new center for social and recreational activity for the city’s 35,000 residents. The design supports health and well-being through indoor and outdoor recreation and wellness spaces tailored to the specific needs of the community, including a multi-purpose gym and outdoor recreation and yoga decks. The project’s signature, a three-story outdoor grand stair, links the open space of the community park to raised observation and recreation decks and a rooftop aquatics center which connects to existing tennis courts.
The facility was recognized for reflecting the identity, diversity, and interests of the West Hollywood community. The design balances the needs of numerous user groups, arts organizations and neighborhood associations, doing more with less to maximize the tight urban site. Integrated planning and an innovative structural design support a rich diversity of community uses through flexible, multi-use spaces. Connections to West Hollywood Park bring community-rooted arts, athletic and leisure activities together in a multi-layered public space.
“Our design was always focused on creating a facility that reflected the community’s identity and diversity,” says LPA Design Director Rick D’Amato. “Many of the elements of the ARC are a direct response to input from the community.”
The Award of Excellence is the latest of several honors LPA has received for the ARC. Previously, the project received a Sustainable Innovation Award from the U.S. Green Buildings Council’s Los Angeles Chapter, an Honor Award and COTE Honor Award from the American Institute of Architect (AIA) Orange County Chapter, a Los Angeles Business Council Award, and an AIA Long Beach/South Beach Citation Award for unbuilt work.
“The new center is the heart of the city, and it is the direct result of years of collaboration between the community, the city and designers,” says Steve Campbell, the city of West Hollywood’s Director of Public Works. “The ARC shows what can be accomplished on a tight urban site when people work together.”
To earn CPRS’ top award, projects must support the Society’s California Action Plan and Parks Make Life Better! goals, promoting physical, emotional and mental health and wellness, support of economic vitality, strengthening of community identity and stewardship of natural, historical and cultural resources.
