16819 Normandie Avenue provides 63 Single Room Occupancies (SRO) located within the city of Gardena. The site was an abandoned nursery, and zoned industrial, abutting a single-family residential zone.  The only type of residential uses allowed within the industrial zone were single room occupancies limited to 350 sf. in size.   

 

The project is separated into 2 distinct wings flanking a 5-tier automated “puzzle lift” mechanical parking system.  The automated parking was chosen to limit the footprint required to provide a code minimum of 1 parking space per unit.  The driveway leading to the structure is composed of a “gravelpave” system to improve aesthetics and control stormwater runoff. 

 

A 3-story wing faces the corner of Normandie Avenue and 169th Street and a 2-story wing faces the corner of Brighton Avenue and 169th Street, reduced in scale to relate to the single-family residences across the street. All ground floor units open on to patios contained between LID planters, controlling roof water runoff and providing a landscape buffer to the adjacent sidewalk. A 3,500-sf roof deck above the 2nd floor is designed to provide gathering spaces for individuals and groups, and connects directly to the 3rd floor of the adjacent wing. Condensers have been hung from parapet walls to minimize the mechanical footprint and allow all unused roof areas to be dedicated to photovoltaics. 

 

Since all of the units are identical and less than 14’-0” wide, the design concept was to create a white grid with angled openings painted 2 bright colors, shifting and alternating from floor to floor, creating a sculptural pattern along the streets. 

 The goals of the project have been to provide high density creative and affordable workforce housing for the city of Gardena, and to provide a sustainable and pedestrian oriented transition from the commercial and industrial zone along Normandie Avenue to the single family residential along Brighton Avenue.