2010
Los Angeles, California

Downtown Women’s Center








OVERVIEW
The Downtown Women’s Center Project Home transforms a historic building into permanent supportive housing for women. Through adaptive reuse, Pica + Sullivan Architects paired preservation with a service-rich residential program, creating a place defined by dignity, stability, and care.
CLIENT
The Downtown Women’s Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to women experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty in Los Angeles. Its mission shaped the project’s emphasis on permanent housing, daily services, and spaces that support safety, health, and long-term stability.
PROJECT SCOPE
Project Size: 67,000 SF within a six-story structure built in 1926
Opening Date: 2010

Certification: LEED Silver 2010
Icon of a Silver LEED Certification
DESIGN GOALS
The design set out to preserve a historically significant building while reshaping it into a safe, service-integrated home for women. Preservation, code compliance, sustainability, and resident dignity guided every decision.
KEY INTERVENTIONS
The rehabilitation restored the façade, upgraded all major systems, and introduced seismic improvements to support a full residential conversion. Within the renewed structure, 71 units with private baths and kitchenettes are paired with shared spaces for dining, wellness, learning, counseling, and community.
People sit and eat at tables in the rooftop garden at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
Exterior of the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project, from a low angle.
Exterior of the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project. A sign with
Two women play a game while a third reads in a comfortable living area in the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
CRAFT & ART

Historic character was retained through careful restoration, while new details brought warmth and identity to the project. Decorative entry gates by artist David Shelton and thoughtfully designed interiors reinforce a sense of welcome, pride, and permanence.
A woman sits on a bed in a comfortable room in the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
Two women talk in a reception area at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
A woman stands with a plate and a mug in a kitchen at Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project, from a low angle, focusing on the windows and decorative features.
Women sit and read in a rooftop garden at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
A woman eats in a small kitchen at Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
OUTCOME
  • The completed project gave the Downtown Women’s Center a permanent home that expands both housing and supportive services while preserving an important Los Angeles landmark.
  • It stands as a model for how adaptive reuse can advance social impact, sustainability, and civic value at once.
A set of wall-mounted, open display cabinets filled with ceramics in the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project, from a low angle, focusing on the windows and decorative features.
A low wall with decorative elements and decorative metal safety fencing on top of it at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
Women dance in costume in front of the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project.
Exterior of the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project, from a low angle, focusing on the windows and decorative features.
Exterior of the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California non-profit architectural renovation project. A sign with
PROJECT TEAM

Architect: Pica+Sullivan Architects

Civil Engineer: George G. Boghossian & Associates

Structural Engineer: Johnson Leifield Structural Engineers

Mechanical & Plumbing Engineer: Maroko & Shwe

Electrical Engineer: Ballesteros & Associates

Acoustical Engineer: Dohn Associates Acoustical Consulting

Landscape Architect: Carter, Romanek Landscape Architects

Specification: Construction Specifications Service

Hardware: Finish Hardware Technology

Waterproofing: Terra-Petra

Kitchen Consultant: Surfas, Incorporated

LEED Consultant: GAIA development services

General Contractor: W.E. O'Neil

Photography: Randall Michelson Photography

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Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 323 653 7124
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