Yale Terrace
Los Angeles, California

On a sloping site, the 65,000SF building incorporates 45 large family units, underground parking for 74 cars, a childcare space, play yard, and community rooms. The three unique courtyards provide the opportunity for play, private meditation, and community gatherings. The building is a solid carved out by two large central courtyard spaces to accomodate a variety of community functions; reduce the massiveness of the building and provide most units of the building with corner orientation and cross ventilation. The exterior of the building is designed to catch the spirit of the traditional beauty in Chinese design by its solid symmetrical massing with an emphasis on horizontal lines, materials and forms. The window design as a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese lattice openings, and the slightly sloped roofline to resemble the wings of a flying bird. Visitors enter through a traditional moon gate set into a landscape. The courtyard gardens carry out the central theme of harmony with the very "soft" flowing and asymmetrical landscaped courtyards contrasted against the hard solid edge of the buildings. Finally, the color on the building adds onto the Chinese accent with a traditional red for the central columns and more muted colors for the buildings and courtyard walls.