A New Expanded Home for the Legacy Community Arts Organization
For nearly four decades, The Center for ArtEsteem has served as a safe and trusted place in the Hoover Foster neighborhood of West Oakland where the transformational power of art making is experienced and elevated. Designed for the community by the community, this design concept envisions an expanded ArtEsteem campus, and is inspired by weeks of enriching imagination and engagement from ArtEsteem Teaching Artists, current and alumni ArtEsteem students, ArtEsteem staff and committees, and the wider community of families, neighbors, and partner organizations. “Heart Centered” is designed as a neighborhood sanctuary for creativity and convening for the West Oakland community.
Project Details
Project: New Construction, Education / Commercial
Location: Oakland, CA
Status: Concept Design Completed July 2025
Spaces for: Youth, Restorative Justice
Client: The Center for ArtEsteem
DJDS Team: Shelley Roberts, Deanna Van Buren, Lucia Castello, Pranav Subramanian, Athena Do, Allison Wong
ArtEsteem’s Capital Campaign
The “Cultivating Heart Space” campaign for building The Center for ArtEsteem is a pivotal chapter of a love story. A love that’s rooted in the desire to heal, revive, and regenerate to set forth a legacy to turn the tide in our culture.
It is a love story that aims to develop critically aware and motivated individuals, and a love story that works to instill value in people to uplift our communities and our world.
Please visit their website and consider supporting the next chapter in this incredible story.
Project Themes
- Rooted & Ever Evolving | Rooted within a permanent site in West Oakland, the design intent is to allow for ArtEsteem’s future growth and resilience over the decades. Simple massing geometry and efficient structural design create flexible open spaces that can adapt to potential evolution in the program, and also budget-friendly construction to support the organization’s longevity.
- Infuses Nature | Vegetative screens and planters at the entry guide you to a tranquil garden space away from the street. Natural light and views of outdoor plantings create a connected indoor-outdoor experience. The backyard oasis and roof deck can double as an outdoor classroom for nature-based art lessons.
- Neighborhood Sanctuary | The ground floor spaces — reception/gallery, multi-purpose space, and backyard — have the capacity to close off or connect depending on the day-to-day needs. Additionally, the site is enclosed with beautiful fencing for safety; it can fully open to the sidewalk for special events, allowing art and celebration to overflow into the community.
- Celebrates the Power of Art | The deliberate simplicity of the architecture creates a canvas for art to be showcased inside and outside.