Housing in YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay in San Pedro, Los Angeles Residences, Homes

Housing in YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay

Real Estate for Grapevine Economic Development Fund in California, USA – design by SPF:architects

July 2, 2019

Housing in YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay in San Pedro

Design: SPF:architects

Location: 437 W. Ninth Street, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Historic-Cultural Monument #186

Low-income housing addition for the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay in San Pedro

The YWCA: 1918 (L), 2019 (R)

SPF:architects to design a 100% affordable housing complex on the site of 1918 Julia Morgan building.

April 23, 2019, Los Angeles, CA—SPF:architects (SPF:a) has been chosen to design a low-income housing addition for the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay in San Pedro, California.

YWCA of San Pedro Historic Julia Morgan Building exterior:

photograph courtesy of SPF:architects (SPF:a)

The new construction will be sited directly adjacent to an existing YWCA building, a landmarked board-and-batten structure by the prolific American architect Julia Morgan (1872-1957). The project anticipates the addition of an on-site daycare center and approximately 35 one- and two-bedroom housing units targeted for single women with children.

First opened during the fall of 1918 with a mission to build a recreation center that included housing and facilities for laundry and cooking, the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay has been part of the YWCA national legacy as one of the oldest, most active and important organizations helping women and families. Over the last 100 years, the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay has provided the community with an array of resources, among them a preschool, health programs (exercise classes, free mammograms), voting seminars, racial justice programs, and other activities.

The YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay is, in fact, the only Morgan-designed YWCA continuing to provide services to women and their families as originally intended.

YWCA of San Pedro Julia Morgan House:

photo courtesy of architects

SPF:a was selected as architect of record by the Grapevine Economic Development Fund, a non-profit housing developer. “We undertook a very rigorous selection process in choosing the appropriate architect,” says Grapevine Economic Development Fund Board Chair, Leticia Acevedo. “What stood out to us about SPF:a was the depth of experience of their team and their work in historic preservation; we knew they would carry this through to the Julia Morgan project.”

“The YWCA of the South Bay and Harbor Area’s motto is to ‘Eliminate Racism and Empower Women.’ How better to live our motto than to meet one of the great social challenges of the day head on by providing permanent supportive housing,” says Julie Wichmann Huerta, President of the YWCA of San Pedro’s Board of Directors.

“This will give homeless women and their families the stability and support services to not only survive but also thrive in the community. This will be life changing for families in our community. We look forward to working with our development partners, the Grapevine Economic Development Fund, and SPF:a to help better the lives of families in our community.”

The project is still in the early stages of design and SPF:a is working closely with Grapevine, the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay, the local community, and the city of Los Angeles to define the site and determine the most cost effective approach.

YWCA of San Pedro Historic Julia Morgan Building:

photo courtesy of architects

Speaking to the task at hand, Zoltan Pali, FAIA, SPF:a Founder and Design Principal, notes: “If you look at Julia Morgan’s work, you’ll see she wasn’t drawn to any specific style of architecture—she did it all. What she really cared about was how her spaces would be lived in. We want the new building to embody this architectural spirit. It will pay tribute to the historic structure but also the community it exists in.”

The YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay eventually hopes to restore the Morgan structure itself. The building turned 100 years old last year.

Low-income housing in San Pedro – Building Information

Location: 437 W. Ninth Street, San Pedro Los Angeles
Designation: Historic-Cultural Monument #186
Estimated size: 17,000 SF
Architect: SPF:architects (SPF:a)
Developer: Grapevine Economic Development Fund
Owner: YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay

Housing in YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay, Los Angeles images / information received 020719 from SPF:architects

SPF:a Architects

Location: 437 W. Ninth Street, San Pedro Los Angeles s, California, USA