Betty Bazar Community Center and Preschool: Kadre Architects’ Transformative Social Design in Woodland Hills

Betty Bazar Community Center and Preschool is a vibrant new community hub in Woodland Hills, California, designed by Kadre Architects to support families transitioning out of homelessness. The project is part of the adjacent The Woodlands transitional housing campus and was completed in 2025 with support from Hope the Mission, the Child Care Resource Center, and the Mary E. Bazar–Robin Foundation. It reimagines a former diner into a welcoming facility that blends education, community services, and public engagement in a highly visible boulevard setting. KADRE ARCHITECTS+1

The 4,500 sq ft center includes bright, naturally lit preschool classrooms and multifunctional meeting spaces designed to accommodate educational programming, family support, and community activities. Skylights, large doors, and connected indoor-outdoor areas foster a sense of openness and safety for children aged 18 months to 5 years. Outdoor grounds are intentionally car-free, creating a secure play and social space directly adjacent to the housing community. A bold perforated aluminum screen wraps around the building’s façade, signaling optimism and anchoring the center as a positive civic presence along Ventura Boulevard. Design Indaba