This project explores the transformation of underutilized school fields in Los Angeles County, with a focus on Downey, into sites for neighborhood sports clubhouses. Yoli drew inspiration from her 2024 USC Jon Adams Jerde Traveling Fellowship, during which she studied the urban planning and programmatic elements of successful European clubhouses.
In LA, car-dependent suburban sprawl has exacerbated play inequity and fostered isolation by limiting access to local recreational spaces. By repurposing school fields, this project seeks to localize sports, eliminate cost and travel barriers, and create opportunities for neighbors to connect. Collage techniques, incorporating imagery from Yoli’s photography in Downey, El Monte, Whittier, and Compton, visually represent the communities these clubhouses could serve. Designed with public input, the project reflects Downey’s changing demographics and envisions school-site clubhouses as spaces that foster a sense of belonging and provide accessible places to play.