CHILDREN'S INSTITUTE WATTS
Los Angeles, CA
Children’s Institute, Watts, in the heart of this historic neighborhood, is the most recently completed of four CII campuses in Los Angeles dedicated to the healing and growth, education and inspiration of children as well as parents. Elysian’s diverse and imaginative landscaping plan was conceived to sustain an ever-expanding mission, with the underlying vision of an urban oasis where families, CII staff, and partner organizations like the LA Police Department and the storied LA Interagency Gang Task Force meet on common ground.
Sustainably planted and hardscaped spaces conspire to nurture and celebrate durable supportive partnerships that have been forged over decades in one of the city’s most challenged, but also famously collaborative communities. The vibrant informality of Elysian’s design for the spacious entrance forecourt welcomes all its users and visitors with the promise of spirited social engagement. Stacked cedar plinths extending out from rotated architectural planters in the entrance forecourt become natural platforms for casual encounters as well as planned gatherings.
Pursuing a complementary strategy in the design of outdoor spaces for CII’s therapeutic programs, Elysian laid out a lush and secluded garden path at the perimeter of the campus, a verdant refuge that subtly filters out the distractions of the surrounding urban context.
Design Team:
Gehry Partners
Elysian Landscapes
Completed: 2021
Area: 28,560 sf