Gateway Garden locates at the busiest intersection in the center of Leimert Park, which has been referred as a center of both historical and contemporary African-American art, music and culture in Los Angeles. To bring the prevalent wind in, a volume parallel to the wind direction was subtracted. It’s not only enhance the ventilation of each unit, but also open the pedestrian’s view when they are approaching from both Degnan Blvd and W 43rd St, preserving a view corridor as if the building has opened itself to the activity on the street. The anodized aluminum panel is chosen for the skin because it’s cost-effective. It was anodized to brownish-grey and perforated with 1-inch circle holes at 50% level that provide a balance of privacy and lighting demand for each unit, as well as elevating the aesthetics of the form of building. The rotation window and aperture of the elevation are thoughtfully designed and engineered to integrated with anodized aluminum panels.
