Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter School

The charter school movement is generating schools that are smaller, more “urban” in design, and more closely linked with their neighborhoods. This particular project is the result of a collaboration between the boxer Oscar de la Hoya and Green Dot Public Schools. Located in Boyle Heights on the difficult 36,000 sf site of Oscar’s original gym, the 45,000 sf program combines a charter high school with a boxing center open to the neighborhood and has 40 parking spaces on grade. Sun control for the Western facing classrooms was also a primary design issue.