Stribley Community Center
City of Stockton, California

Located in a community-engaged, lower-income neighborhood, the City of Stockton’s Stribley Community Center was designed to help sustain a resurgence in community pride.

To ensure that the Center would reflect the community’s interests while meeting the City’s requirements for public-facility durability and maintenance requirements, LDA Partners, LLP held a series of stakeholder meetings to gather program input. Based on insights gained through these engagements, LDA Partners, LLP developed plans that included a complete renovation of the existing community center structure and the construction of a new addition to the facility.

Almost double the size of the City’s other community centers, the 28,000 square-foot Stribley Community Center features a number of dedicated-purpose rooms, including a “virtual” library, arts and crafts room, a dance facility, and two gymnasiums. The structure also incorporates a number of multi-purpose rooms that can be rented for community meetings. A central reading gallery greets visitors and features easy sight lines to a children’s play room located within the building’s “tower.”

To promote community safety and facilitate a positive relationship between city law enforcement and area residents, the Center also incorporates a police sub-station.

The entry is composed of a curved metal canopy built from standard steel shapes and metal decking. Flanking the entry is the “tower,” which is illuminated at night, creating a beacon for the neighborhood. Two colors of metal siding were selected to complement the metal roofing and reinforce the Center’s striking form. Outside the Center, a comical, interactive, water-spray feature invites neighborhood youth to enjoy a cool retreat. 

The Center makes extensive use of durable metal materials, including primary framing, steel studs, metal siding, and exposed structural framing in the gym. Metal laminate was used on casework to give the reception counter a unique look and feel. Environmental features include clerestory windows and skylights to provide daylight illumination, occupancy sensors to moderate electrical consumption, a reflective “cool” roof to minimize solar gain, storm-water filtration, and recycled-steel siding.

One of the Center’s most-dramatic features is the 80- by 100-foot gymnasium, which features a combination moment-frame and concentric-base-frame primary steel structure. A clerestory window system rings the perimeter allowing for natural light and creating a stunning visual effect at night.

This project earned an Award for Excellence in Design from the American Institute of Architects and an Award of Excellence from the City of Stockton.