It Takes A Village...
LAVC, Location: Los Angeles, CA, Architect: Pankow
LAVC, Location: Los Angeles, CA, Architect: Pankow
LAVC, Location: Los Angeles, CA, Architect: Pankow
The age old expression, “it takes a village to raise a child” has never been more true than it is today. With the dawn of summer finally upon us, friends and family are looking for that certain something, that they can all do together. The new Los Angeles Valley College Community Services Center takes a new approach for its village.From running and jumping into foam pits, to mastering a new recipe, climbing up a wall, or just in general having fun, the new facilities offer the perfect place for it all. The list of possibilities goes on and on. Too many to even begin to scratch the surface. But best of all, it brings everything under one roof.The teams from Quattro Design Group and Pankow Builders wanted to keep the design open and free flowing. The building incorporates large folding walls and mobile furniture so that the spaces may change to fit the needs of the community. The best example can be seen above where the gymnasium connects to the rock climbing room. Or it can divide the space to facilitate more classes. The kitchen below may also facilitate one large group or two separate with its hide-away wall.Photographing this location was a trip in its own! Navigating through the schedules of all sorts of classes. Coordinating with large groups of people that seemed to come and go as they pleased. All the while ensuring everyone’s safety while I told them to, “Hey, hold that pose!” I was pretty lucky to have a great team that day. Both the Quatro Design Group and Pankow Builders were on site and really came together to bring life into the brand new cooking facility.In one shot, we had the seemingly chaotic gymnasium where the children ran, jumped, and flipped to their stations. All the while we had to coordinate with the rock climbing team in the way, way back as they traversed up a 30ft wall, as well. And on the other hand, we had a very controlled and planned out kitchen scene where the teams sent from the builders and architect took part in “teaching” us how to cook as they posed for the shot. No vegetables were harmed in the making of this shoot.The large translucent facade of the Community Center invites the outside world in. Passersby have the opportunity to visually sample all that the Center has to offer without even entering. It will provide a facility of growth, community, and fun for small children, the students of LAVC, and all of the surrounding neighborhoods. If it truly takes a village, this isn’t a bad place to start!