Archinect
The Architects Collective

The Architects Collective

Inglewood, CA

anchor

Anchor Place

With an aim to help break the cycle of homelessness, the Century Villages at Cabrillo campus is a 27-acre former military base that currently provides housing for homeless veterans and families as well as extensive on-site supportive services.  The campus is characterized by an array of smaller buildings, open spaces and pedestrian circulation, all with a granular quality and lack of hierarchy.  The project adds to the campus a total of 120 units, 75 for veterans and 45 for families.  Additionally, campus-serving amenities, including community room, fitness center, social services, and a small game room, are located along the main pedestrian axis on the ground floor.  Anchor Place aims to reinforce and introduce an organized hierarchy of architecture, open space, and pedestrian circulation, which together inspire an intuitive comprehension of place.  The building design enhances the best qualities of the existing campus while seamlessly integrating into it.  The building, comprised of four wings, reinforces the southern edge of the campus and steps down in scale toward the existing village.  Each of three courtyards offers a distinct character and experience to residents.  The east-west pedestrian axis is extended, with courtyards functioning as extensions of the axis.  The placement of the laundry rooms, common areas and courtyards encourage moments where people can get together, socialize and build a community.

 
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Status: Built
Location: Long Beach, CA, US
Firm Role: Architecture
Additional Credits: Client: Century Villages at Cabrillo