USGBC Natural Talent Design Competition 2009 - Los Angeles Chapter

Competition Challenge
A new shopping center built in 2007, sits atop a portion of the Compton Creek that was capped during the site’s last function—as an auto plaza in the 1980s. Across the creek from the shopping center lies the Crystal Casino and Hotel, which is under new management and striving for better times. Also nearby is the MTA Blue Line Artesia Station with existing commuter park and ride lots. This potential Transit Oriented District can also become the interface with a restored urban creek. How would you make a design that synthesizes these land uses, provides pedestrian links from destinations in the surrounding neighborhood and highlights the revitalization of Compton Creek? How would you transform the currently disjointed confluence of light rail, freeway and creek into a walkable district for employment, education, entertainment, dining, and shopping? The challenge is to balance progressive, whole-system design with economic feasibility and constructability. LEED ND and NC criteria should highly influence design goals, and commercial real estate square-footage formulas should be considered.

Project Context and Location
The competition site is located in the City of Compton and is a part of the city’s Enterprise Zone for preferred redevelopment and creation of economic opportunities. The epicenter of project consideration is the land enclosed by Willbrook Ave and the Blue Line station to the west, Greenleaf Blvd to the north, Alameda St to the east and Artesia Blvd and the 91 Freeway to the south. The proposed building site lies along the Compton Creek which is an 8-mile long tributary to the lower Los Angeles River, which drains much of Urbanized Los Angeles. One referenced entity, out of the many organizations focusing on revitalizing the Compton Creek and Los Angeles River is The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Watershed Council. This project focuses on developing a masterplan that incorporates three areas around the earthen-bottom portion of the Compton Creek. The first area is the Gateway Town Center at the northern portion of our site. On the other side of the Creek is the Crystal Casino and Hotel. The MTA Blue Line services these two areas, but has limited direct connectivity to each attraction. From Greenleaf Blvd. on the north, down to the 91 Freeway, exist multiple opportunities to create an integrated sustainable system of pedestrian linkages that increase visibility and awareness of the Compton Creek, while attracting the community and visitors to the existing Gateway Center and Crystal Casino and Hotel. Compton Community College is also within walking distance to the east across Alameda Street and a set of freight train tracks.

Brief (PDF)