Enroute To Diversion

ENROUTE TO

DIVERSION

THESIS MANIFESTO | DANIELLE ASPITZ | JACKSON STUDIO

ENROUTE TO DIVERSION SENIOR THESIS PROJECT

written, designed, and developed by: Danielle Aspitz within Doug Jackson’s studio at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo between September 2014 - June 2015

Greg Heumann | “neon in front fender”

2 | CONTENTS

CONTENTS

01 MANIFESTO 4-5 6-15 16-23 24-31 32-43

INTERACTION BETWEEN STRANGERS [ABSTRACT] [AMERICAN DREAM] [DENSITY] [SOCIETAL DIVIDE] [DESIGN INTENT]

02 PROCESS 46-47 48-49 50-51 52-61

ENCOUNTERING THE SOCIAL REALM [DESIGN STUDY 01] [DESIGN STUDY 02 | ABSTRACT] [DESIGN STUDY 03] [PULSE | VELLUM]

03 ANALYSIS 64-73 74-75 76-79 80-87

UNVEILING LATENT DESIRES [FREEWAY CONDITIONS] [CONNECTIVITY] {FUTURE] [INTERVENTION]

04 SITE 90-91 92-93 94-95 96-97

ASSESSING LOCATION [SITE] [ONCE IDYLLIC] {CURRENT STATE] [SITE ANALYSIS]

05 PROJECT 100-111 112-117 118-153

DIVERTING LIKE FREQUENCIES [SECTIONS] [EVOLUTION] [FINAL ITERATION]

06 SHOW 156-161 162-169

STRIPTEASE [DIAGRAMS] [STRIPTEASE]

MANIFESTO | 3

01 MANIFESTO

INTERACTION BETWEEN STRANGERS

AMERICAN DREAM DENSITY SOCIETAL DIVIDE DESIGN INTENT

4 | ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Hyper-efficient motives in city planning create zones of homogenous use, which require transit between them throughout the day. The obligatory travel becomes banal; the journey takes little importance and diversion is rare. While this public amenity is shared, it is hardly a social experience. “In Los Angeles people think

Danielle Aspitz | “Abstract” This abstract design study utilizes a resin cellophane tile within a plywood frame to invite users to peer through receiving a distorted view and occasional eye contact with other visitors within the gallery space

of space in terms of time, time in terms of routes and of automobiles as natural and essential extensions of themselves,” says Reyner Banham in Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. Time is valued over experience, privacy over connection, and efficiency over meaning. Angelenos fly above the city, sealed in isolation, unconscious to the rich surroundings they zip by.

The Los Angeles Freeway network fails to truly connect its users. Rather it creates a stark boundary condition — terra incognito. The freeway has morphed the previous role of the street as a mediator between functional and spontaneous space into a non-space purely for transit. The medieval walls of London, while a stark boundary, were the most vibrant parts of the city. According to Richard Sennet in Democratic Spaces, “these are the zones that escape regulation from the center and these are walls that are extremely lively spaces… It is a permeable membrane.” Interventions along the freeway system could reinstate notions of both social interaction and leisure along this network utilizing the idea of a porous membrane.

Public exposure to others allows individuals to develop a criticality to their life by comparing it to other views and lifestyles. Transforming the freeway into a social, connective tissue would allow for spontaneous encounters and a richer understanding of the city. I plan to transform the urban infrastructure of Los Angeles into a social and connected public network within the city.

MANIFESTO | 5

AMERICAN DREAM

American culture firmly pushes the idea of the “American Dream.” This

Jill Greenberg | “Glass Ceiling”

dream encourages brute capitalism which drives individuals to seek “success”

1 deCerteau, Michel: Walking the City

above all else. Success often gets interpreted as “making a living,” or “earning

2-4 Banham, Reyner: The Architecture of Four Ecologies

money,” which lacks the incentive to innovate, network and better the world. It is a very competitive and isolated reality in which time is spent primarily on functionalist “productivity,” rather than an equal balance between work and leisure. “[T]he functionalist organization, by privileging progress (i.e. time) causes the condition

“IN LOS ANGELES PEOPLE THINK OF

of its own possibility - space itself - to be forgotten; space thus becomes the

OF ROUTES… AND OF AUTOMOBILES AS

blind spot in a scientific and political technology.”1 Function has taken control of

THEMSELVES.”

our entire agenda, and our priorities when zoning. Cities have become a series of

SPACE IN TERMS OF TIME, TIME IN TERMS NATURAL AND ESSENTIAL EXTENSIONS OF

REYNER BANHAM2

homogenous hubs that require transit between each use. This segregation makes travel a banal obligation, the journey takes little importance, our focus is set on the destination, and our goal is efficiency over experience. “In Los Angeles people think of space in terms of time, time in terms of routes… and of automobiles as natural and essential extensions of themselves.”2 We are constantly moving above the city, sealed away in isolation, rather than within the city, experiencing it as we go. Are the vast freeway networks serving to connect or simply transport its users? Drivers lack a real connection to their surroundings, and neighbors. Our current culture has compartmentalized the city structure and privatized our experience within spaces. The city infrastructure, the freeway network, acts primarily as a machine for transport, it does not serve to connect us to place, time or community in ways past modes of transportation, in particular “the boulevard,” did. The freeway acts more as a barrier than a link, it separates heterogenous activities, withholding the potential for productive adjacencies and minimizes opportunities for unplanned social encounters or experiences. The freeway has transformed the streets’ previous role as a mediator that dissolved functional space into spontaneous space—to a present non-space—for pure, functional transit.

“Los Angeles is famous as the home of the Freeway.”3 It is the home of

elaborate intersections, heavy traffic, and enormous, tacky signage that speaks to the mass of motor humans - “the Los Angeles freeway system is indeed one of the greater works of Man.”4 While an impressive work there is something off-setting MANIFESTO | 7

Jill Greenberg | “Glass Ceiling”

about this massive network. Isn’t it odd that every daily muse requires sealing

5 Banham, Reyner: The Architecture of Four Ecologies

oneself into a private car and zipping down the interstate? Not only are we sealed throughout our journey, even our time spent at our destination is isolated. Individuals leave their estranged suburban homes, drive alone to work, sit in personal cubicle offices, and solemnly return home without once interacting or even negotiating with a stranger. Isolation has become the norm. Even considered public spaces: grocery stores, waiting rooms, lobbies, act as empty non-spaces throughout which users blankly perform their tasks. Efficiency is on the tip of everyone’s tongues, and yet the result is cold, empty and isolated. There is little to no interaction between different groups within society, and hardly any curiosity to “otherness.”

Angelenos have begun to regard the highway as a sociable experience:

“coming off the freeway is coming in from outdoors. A domestic or sociable journey in Los Angeles does not end so much at the door of one’s destination as at the offramp of the freeway, the mile or two of ground-level streets counts as no more than the front drive of the house.”5 The thrill of driving and being so close to others within the city is Angelenos’ most bonding experience throughout the day. Anglenos seek to find a social aspect behind this shared journey, but the experience remains personal, mechanized and cold.

8 | AMERICAN DREAM

Both exposure and interaction to a variety of social groups is a biological

Robert Adams | “Interstate 25” Colorado Springs, Colorado 1968-1972

human need. Interaction with others provides the individual with a sense of validity in their ideas, actions and voice within society. Exposure to others allows the individual to develop a criticality to their life by comparing it to other views, lifestyles

6 Hardt, Michael and Negri, Antonio: Multitude War and Democracy in the Age of Empire

and habits. Both exposure and interaction heighten the individual’s sense of being human and self-aware. These sensations are similar to what one feels when traveling, the realization that foreigners are different, but vastly similar, because many human traits are universal. “Unlike physiological functions, habits and conduct are shared and social. They are produced and reproduced in interaction and communication with others. Habits are thus never really individual or personal. Individual habits, conduct, and subjectivity only arise on the basis of social conduct, communication, acting in common. Habits constitute our social nature.”6 The primary way we learn how to behave is by observing others. There are a number of persona types, and by observing enough people we can seek the influences that fit our persona. The best way to bring about change is through habit. Actions speak louder than words, and by spreading new habits through society a revolution of new cultural habits can rise. We have inherent needs for socializing, relaxing, conversing, and acting spontaneously. These needs hardly surface within the “efficient” timeframes our MANIFESTO | 9

Vicky Moon | “Expired LA”

culture currently practices. America’s voracious pursuit towards absolute capitalism

7 Banham, Reyner: Los Angeles The Architecture of 4 Ecologies

and “success” has driven many Americans into a state of detrimental isolation.

8 Hardt, Michael and Negri, Antonio: Multitude War and Democracy in the Age of Empire

Many citizens lack the value of play and interaction in their day-to-day. Through a heightened exposure to and interaction with the social realm of play a new way of life can be instigated.

A reconsideration of the everyday commute, and an increase in social

opportunities en route, could re-engage isolated citizens with their natural human needs/instincts. “Everyday commuting tends less and less to move by the classic systole and diastole in and out of downtown, more and more to move by an almost random or Brownian motion over the whole area.”7 Our movement within the city has lost its meaning. The network fails to connect its users to one another and to the city itself. Interventions along the freeway system could reinstate notions of both social interaction and leisure into the everyday life. These new public resources would increase coexistence by mixing functionalistic, isolation-prone citizens with socializing, leisure-driven ones. Simply the exposure can lure the first group to acknowledge human needs demonstrated by the second. “Habits are living practice, the site of creation and innovation. If we look at habits from an individual standpoint, our power to change may appear small, but as we said habits are not really formed or 10 | AMERICAN DREAM

performed individually. From the social standpoint, in contrast, from the standpoint

Vicky Moon | “Expired LA�

of social communication and collaboration, we have in common enormous power

9 Sennet, Richard: The Open City

to innovate.�8 If we take advantage of our commonalities to experience and learn from one another we could create a much more intricate, connected and human network within the city. By exploiting existing needs of citizens this new network can fit directly into their paths and respond directly to their interests rather than to socioeconomic backgrounds, accessibility and social stigmas which most existing public spaces respond to, and thereby fail to really mix users.

By use the freeway isolates individuals, but physically it has dissected the

city into a sum of incongruent pieces. The freeway has isolated the city from itself by consuming its citizens and strangling its mass of land. The immense, elevated structures sweep through the city leaving behind scarred terra incognito. These leftover spaces are occupied solely by the dregs of society, only they can cope with the omnipresence these giant structures presume. These areas function as looming barriers within the fabric of the city starkly separating the diverse demographic groups, and keeping them from interacting with one another.

The proposed

interventions can act to remedy these non-spaces and create more permeable boundaries between these regions.

MANIFESTO | 11

Permeable boundaries can allow for exciting transitions and unconventional

Roger Wilkerson, The Suburban Legend! |“Chrysler in Snow”

social encounters with others. “The visual structuring of evolutionary time is

ClassicStock | “846-02793754”

a systematic property of the open city, which has three important systematic

Daily Overview | “Residential Housing” Gardnerville, Nevada, USA

elements: passage territories; incomplete form; and development narratives.”9 Older cities, like Rome, had walls that housed many exciting barrier conditions much like a porous cell membrane. Taxes, trade, city heretics and other strange entities created a clear distinction between inside and outside.

The porosity allowed this

World of Mysteries | “Patterns of Human Landscapes” 10-11 Sennet, Richard: The Open City 12 Hajer, Maarten, and Arnold Reijndorp: In Search of a New Public Domain

passage to act as a monumental threshold and still behave as an inviting place for various different communities of the city to meet. The incomplete form allows for democratic engagement, whereas highly desiganed spaces can often reduce the potential for creative and democratic engagement as in Norman Foster’s City Hall in London. Foster’s defined forms and strict allotment of space actually harm natural congregation of citizens. Public space must be open enough to allow the user to define the activity. These abstract spaces are meant for spontaneous and unplanned social encounters, so they must feel as natural and unmeaning as possible to invite this type of subconscious interaction. “The architect Peter Eisenman has sought to evoke something of the same credo in the term ‘light architecture’, meaning an architecture planned so that it can be added to, or more importantly revised internally in the course of time as the needs of habitation change.”10 Architecture needs to respond to the spontaneous nature of man, and the ever-changing needs of society rather than remain strictly confined to the original intents of more rigid architects and planners. This way the space can remain culturally relevant and interesting over time, thereby warranting recurring use. “The development of narratives states the value in leaving room for discovery and exploration - if a novel were to immediately reveal the entire plot we would close the book.”11 Spaces must evoke an agency from users, a need to define the space via their use. Their use should activate the space, bringing it to life. This manipulation gives the user a form of authorship and allows the space to directly respond to or shape the user’s needs by offering unforeseen advantages. Ideally the community space can present the activity to the public, put it on display, so that the individual gets some valuable attention and the potential for like-minded people to join in. This exposure is a strong lure to convey the capacity of the human to socialize and play within these public resources.

Too often we stay within our own personal spheres of comfort. “People

increasingly use space a’la carte, frequenting those exact events, festivals, schools and shops that conform to their identity and avoiding other places. This means that MANIFESTO | 13

Robert Venturi | “Learning from Las Vegas”

different groups in society follow different paths through space and time. The public space turns out, in reality, barely to function as a public domain; rather it is a transit zone between enclaves of different variations on ‘our kind of people’.”12 If people were exposed to alternatives they might find that “chance encounter” that is so romantically emphasized as the ultimate urban experience. The more comfortable people become in engaging with these situations within the public realm in which the outcome is “unknown,” the more capable they become in navigating change and embracing innovation. Our world is more fast-moving than ever and still the status quo is clung to more forcibly than within reason. The public realm must became more appealing and easily accessible in order to draw crowds like medieval plazas once did. There is tremendous potential to reach out to the masses via this heavily-used, yet anti-social network to reconnect the citizens of Los Angeles into a coherent, collaborative network.

14 | AMERICAN DREAM

Danielle Aspitz | “Birds”

MANIFESTO | 15

DENSITY

By 2050 70% of the world population is expected to live in cities.13 Cities

need to adapt to this increasing density by encouraging residents to interact and coexist more cohesively. “In particular what is missing in modern urbanism is a sense of time — not time looking backwards nostalgically but forward-looking time: the city understood as a process, its imagery changing through use, and urban

Daniel Strohl | “Los Angeles, 1960s” 13 “Urban Population Growth.” World Health Organization (WHO), n.d. Web <www.who.int 14-15 Sennet, Richard: The Open City 16 Jacobs, Jane: The Death and Life of Great American Cities

imagination image formed by anticipation, welcoming surprise.”14 The modern city lacks the democratic creativity and exploration it needs for social experiences to occur. The more a city can mix and combine its users and uses the more familiar they can become with the rich network in which they live. “[LeCorbusier’s architecture] has tried to destroy just those social elements of the city that produce change in time, by eliminating unregulated life on the ground plane; people live and work in isolation, higher up.”15 It is the unregulated life that allows us to follow up on our curiosities and discover new things. Los Angeles is so full in content and activity, but only when freed from functionalistic obligations can users enjoy their resources.

The ground plane, and streets, need to reclaim their positions as middle ground for spontaneous, unregulated activity to occur.

The freeway, like Corbu’s architecture, elevates users from the ground

plane into isolation. Interventions would flow along prominent routes to recreate the sense of a continuous plane of activity. They would guide users through a more dynamic urban experience and expose them to opportunities for engagement. “The more successfully a city mingles everyday diversity of uses and users in its everyday streets, the more successfully, casually (and economically) its people thereby enliven and support well-located parks that can thus give back grace and delight to their neighborhoods instead of vacuity.”16 Cities need to transform single-serving spaces into shared, multi-use spaces to provide opportunities for individuals with a similar agenda to meet. Fusing a variety of users’ agenda can encourage exposure to others and allow for strangers to mingle and interact. “As it is, workers and residents are able to produce more than the sum of our two parts. The enterprises we are capable of supporting, mutually, draw out onto the sidewalk by evening many more residents than would emerge if the place were moribund. And, in a modest way, they also attract still another crowd in addition to the local residents or MANIFESTO | 17

“...enabling all sorts of what we might call informal commerce. These are the zones that escape regulation from the center and these are walls that are extremely lively spaces. In the case of medieval London, the wall is one of the most vibrant parts of the city because it is the space least controlled by the local communities. It is where all the stuffs that escape regulation happen. It is a permeable membrane.”

-T h e Op e n Cit y, Rich ar d S e nnet

CalTrans | “Transitway above the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles”

18 | DENSITY

MANIFESTO | 19

Danielle Aspitz | “Edge”

local workers. They attract people who want a change from their neighborhoods,

17,19 Jacobs, Jane: The Death and Life of Great American Cities

just as we frequently want a change from ours.”17 A layering of uses produces far

18 Shepard, Benjamin, and Smithonian, Gregory: “Control, Exclusion, and Play in Today’s Modern City.” The Beach

more use than the sum of the parts. Once an area is defined and used by a certain group, and is accessible to other groups, then the use begins to grow exponentially.

“People attract people,” Jan Gehl would say.

Many American cities have prioritized and thereby designed for primarily high-middle class residents. “[1976, NYC housing commissioner, Roger] Starr’s idea for dealing with the fiscal crisis was to divide the city into a ‘productive’ majority that deserved to be saved and an ‘unproductive’ minority that should be driven out.”18 This priority was reflected in a car-centric city and a loss of active public spaces. Pedestrian routes have become dangerous and visibility is limited by the oncoming traffic. New developments in the city mean new highways and further dissection of the city, instead of improving and adding to the city the problem keeps spreading outwards.

A new form of expansion should focus on accessibility within the city—especially between zones cut off by the freeway—,mixing various individuals and activities to find overlapping shared uses, and the creation of a platform geared for the exchange of lifestyles and ideas. “Samuel Johnson, for one, remarked on this relationship back in 1785. ‘Men, thinly scattered,’ he said to Boswell, ‘make a shift, but a bad shift,

20 | DENSITY

without many things… It is being concentrated which produces convenience.’”19

20 Hajer, Maarten, and Arnold Reijndorp: In Search of a New Public Domain

Proximity creates interest in one another, which is valuable economically, socially and individually.

Exposure to otherness is extremely refreshing. It is like a new lens through which to view your own thoughts and experiences. “The core of successful public space thus lies not so much in the shared use of space with others, let alone in the ‘meeting’, but rather in the opportunities that urban proximity offers for a ‘shift’ of perspective: through the experience of otherness one’s own casual view of reality gets some competition from other views and lifestyles.”20 Spaces that draw a multitude of users can offer each a “shift in perspective” if they are open to it. In contemporary American society there is a stigma that strangers are bad, especially in public spaces, “don’t talk to strangers,” we are taught. However at a private wedding or a private dinner party we would gladly pour our hearts out over a crisp glass of chardonnay.

What is it that makes us feel so much more comfortable in a private situation over a public one?

We trust the people attending the private gig far more than those seen lingering in a public space. The mutual connection due to the choice or invitation involved in reaching this space instantly bonds us with surrounding individuals, while in public MANIFESTO | 21

Danielle Aspitz | “Along the Gates” Jerusalem, Israel

22 | DENSITY

spaces there is a distinct element of fear and distrust in the thought of interacting with strangers. Whether or not we admit to judging people, we all pass judgment

21 Whyte, William H.: The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. : Project for Public Spaces

based on clothing, stature, occupation, etc. These are all indicators of identity. Our brain loves making associations. We seek, above all else, to identify the subject of our attention. In most situations the first subject of our attention is ourselves. We seek to identify commonalities in others that agree with the choices and directions we have chosen in our life. We, some more than others, like to define ourselves by the choices we make. A sense of customization or choice could serve to identify users to assist like-minded people in finding and trusting one another. If the choice led to a more intimate setting, like a public niche, personal space boundaries could be intruded and vulnerability could be aroused. Proximity can lead to discomfort, but could also make us more aware of our shared human instinct to interact. Could public spaces offer a choice that would define the user’s identity? Semi-private niches could help filter the vast amount of users and define various subgroups. Through recurring use or exposure to a space users might begin to feel more comfortable with this proximity of others and could begin to engage in activities and interactions at a more intimate level.

William Whyte noticed a triangle phenomenon in public spaces. When there was an event, C, than strangers, A and B, were far more likely to communicate. By choosing to participate in the event, both strangers enter a vulnerable realm where their opinions are on display. This allows for commonalities to be noticed and sought after. UN studio’s temporary installations in urban public squares sparked a sense of curiosity among society that resulted in spontaneous gathering and interaction.

If these spaces are intriguing people may be willing to leave their personal space bubbles and enter this new vulnerable realm. If public life is forming the display, the ever-changing human activity will continue to draw intrigue. As soon as a few begin to express themselves in these spaces more will follow and soon a new sense of livelihood can consume the city. This new vibe could re-create the “street ballet”21 that so vibrantly occupied society in the previous century.

MANIFESTO | 23

SOCIETAL DIVIDE

Americans value safety, take precautions, and love organization. In cit-

ies this is reflected in very strictly defined rules and often flawed incentives to

Gillian Beth | “Terry Richardson’s Diary” 22-23 Sennet, Richard: The Open City

encourage planners to design what looks good on paper. With good intentions these over-protective zoning regulations have killed the spontaneity and rich urban life of successful, old-fashioned, European cities which materialized in a much more natural, sporadic way over time. “LeCorbusier’s intended destruction of vibrant street life was realized in suburban growth for the middle classes, with the replacement of high streets by mono-function shopping malls, by gated communities, by schools and hospitals built as isolated campuses. The proliferation of zoning regulations in the twentieth century is unprecedented in the history of urban design, and the dissemination of rules and bureaucratic regulations has disabled local innovation and growth. It has frozen the city in time.”22 These utilitarian views of planners have zoned each purpose into its own little cubby, allowing for little disorientation, confusion, or any curiosity at all. These city planners erased the need for wandering, or the slight chance of crossing into unknown territory. This homogeneity leads to very banal spaces in which the sole function is strictly laid out allowing for no mixing or interrogation, everything is clear-cut and “efficient” as can be.

Middle space has been removed

from the equation. which had no obvious priority other than to expose city life.

“Jane Jacobs, in the course of arguing against the urban vision of Le Corbusier.

She tried to understand what results when places become both dense and diverse, as in packed streets or squares, their functions both public and private; out of such conditions comes the unexpected encounter, the chance discovery, the innovation.”23 By favoring a code that defines and prescripts every zone within the city we have sucked out the any chance for life, creativity and excitement. Public and private need to be mixed for these mystical encounters to occur. Cities have become so regulated and monotonous that people tune out their journey, thereby eliminating these moments to physically connect with their city. Planners have also failed to recognize these journeys, encounters and spontaneous space as valuable. Los Angeles has invested millions into simply transporting users as quickly and efficiently as possible, no further problems MANIFESTO | 25

26 | SOCIETAL DIVIDE

seem to be pursued in the development of streets. Some streets in the U.S. have even eliminated sidewalks as cars seem the obvious choice of transport.

Jason Chavez | “LA Traffic” Moon Chase! | “Anza Oyama”

Homogenous zones, like shopping complexes, have replaced what Jacobs calls

24 Jacobs, Jane: The Death and Life of Great American Cities

“champion dissonance” - a healthy mix of zoning and usage within cities. “If

25-26 Sennet, Richard: The Open City

density and diversity give live, the life they breed is disorderly,” she claims praising spontaneity and mixed use spaces in the fight to rid cities of monotony.24

Richard Sennett calls this “the brittle city.” He describes this type of

city as homogeneous, predictable, overly “easy” and “efficient.” What may seem easy and efficient, however, is actually a falsity. Is it more efficient to do all one’s groceries at once in one closed complex or to sporadically buy what you need when you need it en route to work, lunch, or home? Small and sporadically dispersed grocery stores are the norm in Europe, and seem to fit their quaint life of flux. The US version of giant box, shopping complexes may save some time, allowing you to do all the groceries at once, but require far more planning, commitment and routine. The sporadic technique allows for spontaneity, intimacy and excitement of living in the moment. America praises ease and obvious choices, which eliminates the joy of discovery, overcoming confusion, and breaking routine. “The consequence of that ideal is to reject experiences that are out of the ordinary because they contest or are disorienting. Things that ‘don’t fit’ are diminished in value,” Sennet explains of the Closed City “a mountain of rules defining historical, architectural, economic and social context — ‘context’ being a polite but potent word in repressing anything that does not fit in, ensuring that nothing sticks out, offends or challenges.”25 The Closed/ Brittle City has proven useful to some, (i.e. Suburban Stepford wives,) but has eliminated creativity, innovation and interaction. It is monotonous and absent, of course no one asks questions, no one seeks advice from their neighbor, everything is overly clear and orderly, and vacant of any emotional response. Everyday tasks are as banal and routine as can be.

Sennet explains that democratic space is important now more than ever.

Globalization and Glocalization have taken over cities and skewed any sense of scale, connection and understanding of community. “For cities like London and New York, becoming global in scale, the problem of citizen participation is how people can feel connected to others, when, necessarily they cannot know them. Democratic Space means creating a forum for these strangers to interact.”26 He calls out the recently developed Millennium bridge which connects MANIFESTO | 27

“If we can make our urban environment observable we will have created classrooms with endless windows on the world.

- Rich ar d S au lu r man, “Everythi ng Loose Wi l l Land”

Ansel Adams | “LA Freeway”

MANIFESTO | 29

Nick Ford | “Urban Driving”

30 | SOCIETAL DIVIDE

St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tate Modern. “Though highly defined, the corridor is not a closed form; along both the south and north banks of the Thames it is

27 Sennet, Richard: The Open City 28 Simmel, Georg: O Estrangerio

regenerating lateral buildings unrelated to its own purposes and design. And almost immediately upon opening this corridor has stimulated informal mixings and connections among people walking the span within its confines, prompting an ease among strangers - the foundation for a truly modern sense of ‘us.’ This is democratic space.”27 This newly created corridor increases connectivity, accessibility and allows for overlapping uses. A constant stream of people moves to and from the attractions and either bank of the Thames. The closeness to others is a large part of the thrill in experiencing the space and sharing this epic journey.

We gain so much by experiencing social encounters on a consistent,

day-to-day basis. This shift of perspective offers an incredibly refreshing sense of clarity, that many Americans are not getting elsewhere. Europeans travel into different countries much more than Americans and are therefore more familiar with this shift. In the US we have the diversity, but lack the opportunities to experience it first hand. The car culture has removed what was once considered middle space. Middle space was a platform for shared space and negotiation between users. This negotiation is key in developing social skills and being comfortable acknowledging one’s needs.

The individual’s personal space bubble has grown, the majority of their

day is viewed through a giant screen in which new forms of interaction occur more frequently and with less emotion. In the past, shared space was a place of negotiation, eye contact, and a brief connection with strangers. In these environments individuals feel more connected to a human network. “The stranger is close to us, insofar as we feel between him and ourselves common features of a national, social, occupational, or generally human, nature.”28 By experiencing others we identify with their human traits, tendencies and desires bringing clarity to our own.

MANIFESTO | 31

DESIGN INTENT

The primary change that could bring people back in touch with their human

instincts is a daily exposure to human life. “The freeway is where the Angelenos live a large part of their lives.” This network which used to serve primarily to bring 29

people from outwards in, now primarily isolates individuals by allowing them to

Brent Banks | “Los Angeles Skyline” 29 Banham, Reyner, The Architecture of Four Ecologies 30 deCerteau, Michel: “Walking the City”

privately experience the public realm. LA drivers do feel an exhilaration of being a part of this vast network movement, but there is no physical outlet to share the experience with their counterparts. “Travel (like walking) is substitute for the legends that used to open up space to something different. What does travel ultimately produce if it is not, by a sort of reversal, ‘an exploration of the deserted places of my memory’, the return to nearby exoticism by way of detour through distant places, and the ‘discovery’ of relics and legends: ‘fleeting visions of the French countryside’, ‘fragments of music and poetry’, in short something like an ‘uprooting in one’s origins’ (Heidegger)?”30 Could freeways act like boulevards in this sense of poetically drifting through an experience of space, time and community? Could exposure to these spaces lure users to pause, experience and socialize with one another? Could these spaces act to reconnect users to the city and fellow citizens that surround them?

The boulevard is magical because of the exposure to the hubbub of people

using the city’s public resources. This liveliness and our spontaneity in leisurely browsing our surroundings both relaxes our instincts and stimulates our sense of connection to this network of civic life. Currently the highway acts as a barrier and limits accessibility and flow between the diverse groups in Los Angeles. Could Sennet’s porous wall technique transform highways into interactive portals? Could activity in and around highways transform this network from solely transit-oriented to an enjoyable travel-like experience along boulevards similar to the dis-locating, dream-like drifting state deCerteau describes in “walking in the city.”

Strict zoning laws have eliminated middle space in order to “simplify” and organize the use of the city. Freeways also follow this bureaucratic/capitalistic need for order and efficiency above creativity and spontaneity. By creating interventions along the freeway the city can be re-populated with middle space to encourage spontaneous social encounters. Lively public spaces along the highway can spark isolated drivers’ MANIFESTO | 33

DOLORES PARK

The beauty of this park is the ability for a wide variety of groups to enjoy themselves in such close proximity to one another. A distinct zone for hula hoop dancers is established, while sun tanners spread out to the left. Drug dealers seek shelter underneath the sparse trees, while their effects can be seen throughout the space. Families with children can be found closer to the bottom of the crescent shaped hilltop.

Wanderers are caught floating between territories, unsure of the distinct parochial groups.

The fullness and diversity of the users enhance the quality of the experience for all. It is a fascinating site, and no moment is quite like the one before it.

Danielle Aspitz | “Dolores Park, San Francisco”

MANIFESTO | 35

“The core of successful public space thus lies not so much in the shared use of space with others, let alone in the ‘meeting’, but rather in the opportunities that urban proximity offers for a ‘shift’ of perspective: through the experience of otherness one’s own casual view of reality gets some competition from other views and lifestyles.”

- H a j e r & Re ijn d o r p , In S e ar ch o f Ne w P ubl i c D omai n

36 | DESIGN INTENT

MANIFESTO | 37

Constant Nieuwenhuys | “New Babylon”

curiosity to occasionally shift their routine and experience other social circles in

31 Jacobs, Jane: The Death and Life of Great American Cities

their community. Experiencing otherness develops a criticality toward our life

32 Wendell, Oliver Jr.: “2 -Forward.”

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

via comparison to others and identifying with human instincts. The exposure and connectivity can create new networks to foster sharing of ideas and fueling innovation.

“I have spoken admiringly from time to time about the intricate, underlying order of cities. It is part of the beauty of this order that success for the mixture in itself, and success for the peculiar and specific elements of the mixture, are apt to be in harmony rather than contradiction.”31 (171) When viewed as a coherent and interactive place the city is quite a rich place to be. When the experience is shared city flows become much more meaningful and civic activities much more rewarding. Isolated functionalistic views must be replaced with more collaborative, human views. We have so much our disposal, we must take advantage, together. “We are too much occupied with the means of living to live,”32 it is time to fully live and experience all the city has to offer.

38 | DESIGN INTENT

Constant Nieuwenhuys | “Ode à lOdéon” 1969

MANIFESTO | 39

Archigram | “Instant City”

40 | DESIGN INTENT

Archigram | “Plug-In City” 1969

MANIFESTO | 41

“...enabling all sorts of what we might call informal commerce. These are the zones that escape regulation from the center and these are walls that are extremely lively spaces. In the case of medieval London, the wall is one of the most vibrant parts of the city because it is the space least controlled by the local communities. It is where all the stuffs that escape regulation happen. It is a permeable membrane.”

-The Open City, Richard Sennet

Thealtwriter | “Freeway”

42 | DESIGN INTENT

MANIFESTO | 43

PROCESS

02

ENCOUNTERING THE SOCIAL

Approaching projects as abstract representations depicting one concept and conveying an experience. These studies build upon the development of early ideas about how social interaction occurs naturally, and whether design can create natural chance encounters.

DESIGN STUDY 01 DESIGN STUDY 02 | ABSTRACT DESIGN STUDY 03 PULSE | VELLUM

Cylla von Tiedemann | “Ballet Classico”

44 | SOCIAL REALM

WE CRAVE SPONTANEOUS URBAN ENCOUNTERS YET OUR CURRENT CITY MODEL, BASED ON LARGE SWATHS OF NON-SPACE FOR TRANSIT, LACKS THE PUBLIC PLATFORM NEEDED TO SATISFY OUR SOCIAL NATURE. THIS INFRASTRUCTURE RE-IMAGINES THE LOS ANGELES FREEWAY NETWORK AS A PUBLIC SPACE THAT CONNECTS THE CITY WITH ITS INHABITANTS.

DESIGN STUDY 01 Lenses distort surroundings to lure users to peer through.

The diameter of the apertures are roughly the size of a face. Occasional eye contact is made if the same lens is chosen by two individuals, one on either side of the hanging piece.

Selecting the same aperture and experienceing an interaction may identify the user,to the other individual.

Sharing a decision validates both users.seeing one another through certain films offers the user a sense of privacy to view the world more naturally releasing social instincts unhindered by societal constraints.

46 | ABSTRACT

DESIGN STUDY 02 This abstract design study follows the previous concept of alluding to and providing opportunities for social interaction. This is a modular component of an undulating screen which becomes wider (obscuring views) where the apertures become portals which fit the dimensions of a face to encourage strangers to make eye contact through the distorted film.

A new material was created by casting resin into crinkled cellophane envelopes which were pre-sealed to fit within each frame.

PROCESS | 49

DESIGN STUDY 03 This study continues exploring the idea that making the same choice leads two individuals to feel a strong connection and trust. This study is a graphical representation of this phenomenon. A series of planes comprises a volume on one end and a seemingly infinite field of choices on the other end.

Little bits of glass represent individuals separated by there personalities on the side with the choice field. The wires lead each bit of glass through a tiny hole or â&#x20AC;&#x153;choiceâ&#x20AC;? to the other side where they become unified as one glass orb held togesther with the different wires/personalities.

50 | ABSTRACT

52 | VELLUM

PULSE | VELLUM

By nature people choose to sit apart. This is most obvious on busses and trains; until the last seat is taken a person will rarely choose to sit next to a stranger. The ambiguity of this piece creates an illusion of four separate seats, two chaise lounge seats and two bar stool seats. However as soon as two people sit, particularly in the chaise seats they can feel the closeness and in the chaise lounge seats the two users are in an ideal position for conversation.

PROCESS | 53

Vellum Furniture Competition 2014, San Luis Obispo

54 | VELLUM

PROCESS | 55

CNC MILL FILES 1

2

3

4

20

19

18

17

16 5

15 6

7

8

9

10

56 | VELLUM

14

13

12

11

2.175” - 3 ply

.45” - 1 ply

.725” - 1 ply

FLIP MILL

PROCESS | 57

A redesign was initiated due to the extreme weight and lack of portability in the initial iteration. The new version utilizes thinner individual ribs [1.5â&#x20AC;? deep rather than 3.5â&#x20AC;?]and the design now breaks into 3 pieces. The seams are pronounced and held together with four connecting bars which get bolted in place and sealed away to maintain the appearance of one single body uniting users.

58 | VELLUM

EXTERIOR PAINT

BONDO

LAMINATED ULDF RIBS

BONDO

CONNECTING BAR

EXTERIOR PAINT

BOLTED IN PLACE TO LOCK 3 PIECES TOGETHER

1/8” MDF

SEALING UNIT RIBS AND BOLTS IN PLACE

END CAP

FASTENED TO 3 PIECES USING RARE EARTH MAGNETS

PROCESS | 59

60 | VELLUM

PROCESS | 61

ANALYSIS

03

UNVEILING LATENT DESIRES

The freeways act as stark barriers dividing the urban landscape.

FREEWAY CONDITIONS CONNECTIVITY FUTURE INTERVENTION

The Los Angeles Fine Arts Squad / “Isle of California” 1971

Los Angeles Fine Arts Squad (Victor Henderson, Terry Schoonhoven) | “Isle of California” 1971: Everything Loose Will Land: 1970’s Art and Architecture in Los Angeles by: Alex Kitnick

ANALYSIS | 63

NO CONNECTION H ighest de gre e o f separation from surround ing s

110 & 405 intersection near Carson

FOREIGN Infrastructure dominat e s surro un din gs

101 & 60 near Boyle Heights

MINIMAL S ound w alls p reven t most visib ility, b ut plants and so m e building s can be se en

64 | FREEWAY CONDITIONS 405 near Culver City

AUTO-ORIENTED L a n d s c a p e i s d e si g n e d f o r c a r s , a n d l a cks an y h u man scal e

5 near Bell Gardens & Montebello

SOME Landscape is littered w i t h i c o n i c a r c h i t e ct u r e

101 near Central Los Angeles/Bunker Hill

MOST L a n d s c a p e p re se n t s h o me s , a n d u r b an l i vab i l i t y

ANALYSIS | 65 101 near Edendale

CONNECTIVITY Ma r k e r s s h o w t h e imp lic a t i o n o f c o n ditions p r e v io u s l y d e f i n e d r e g a r d i n g h o w c o n nected c o mmu t e r s f e e l t o their s u r r o u n d i n g s a l o n g these routes

66 | ENCOUNTERING THE SOCIAL

THESIS MANIFESTO |9 ANALYSIS | 67

DIVIDE Ma r k e r s s h o w t h e imp lic a t i o n o f c o n ditions p r e v io u s l y d e f i n e d r e g a r d i n g h o w c o n nected c o mmu t e r s f e e l t o their s u r r o u n d i n g s a l o n g these routes

The de gre e o f orang e shows th e he igh t o f ea c h resid en ce â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incom e . The darker sh ad es rep res ent the hig he st in co m e levels, and the ligh t er represen t the lowe s t .

68 | FREEWAY CONDITIONS

The degree of blue r e p r e s e n t s t h e n u mb er of people that occupy a h o u s e h o l d . T h e d a r k est blue represents a sole resident, while the l i g h t e s t s h a d e r e p r e se n t s f o u r o r mo r e o c c u p a n t s.

ANALYSIS | 69

DISPERSE

BOTTLENECKS IN LOS ANGELES, 2013

DISCONNECT

70 | FREEWAY CONDITIONS

DEGREE OF URBAN SEPARATION

DIVIDE

ISOLATE

I-110 & I-10 NEAR DOWNTOWN, 2015

INDIVIDUALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FREEWAY EXPERIENCE

CURRENT CONDITION I-5, 101, & 60 NEAR DOWNTOAN LA

= UNTAPPED POTENTIAL PIAZZA DI NAVONA PIAZZA DE SIGNORA PIAZZA DI SPAGNA SUPERKILEN RADHUSPLADSEN BLAGARDS PLADS AMAGERTORV OPERA PLACE VENDOME PIAZZA DE MICHELANGELO

ANALYSIS | 71

SUPERKILEN

PIAZZA DE MICHELANGELO

RADHUSPLADSEN

BLAGARDS PLADS

PIAZZA DE SIGNORA

PIAZZA DI SPAGNA

I-110 and I-10 near Downtown

SITE 01

FREEWAYS

SITE

SENSE OF SCALE

AMAGERTORV

PIAZZA DI NAVONA

OPERA

PLACE VENDOME

Plazas take up a relatively small footprint in dense urban areas, and provide so much vibrance to cities.

Freeways take up immense amounts of land and create huge barriers. Could architecture soften these boundaries, and provide more shared space to transform the function of the freeway into a more vibrant, exciting space within the city.

PIAZZA DI CAMPIDOGLIO

I-5, 101, & 60 near Downtown

LA 12% 72.3% 10.5% 7.3% HOLLENBECK PARK

29.4 MIN

ANALYSIS | 73

CONNECTIVITY

1+ HR

NATIONALLY LA

Los Angeles Daily News | “Average commute for L.A. County residents 29.4 minutes in 2011”

74 | CONNECTIVITY

ALONE

CARPOOL

8.1% 76.4% 9.7% 12% 72.3% 10.5%

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

5% 7.3%

AVERAGE TIME

25.5MIN 29.4MIN

Helen Cathcart | “LA to San Francisco Public Domain Archive | “Bicycle Bridge Black White River” tumblr | “Angeles Hollywood”

"This information shapes our understanding of the boundaries of local and regional economies, as people and goods move across the nation's transportation networks," according to Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau statistic.

ANALYSIS | 75

FUTURE

By 2030, Shanghai is predicted to host 60% of the world’s 8 billion people.

Transportation needs to step it up a notch to meet growing needs.

HANDS FREE

General Motors (GM) and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC) are exploring several solutions, most promising of which is the new EN-V (short for Electric Networked-Vehicle).

SAFER human error accounts for majority of accidents

76 | FUTURE

SUPER CRUISE from GM TRAFFIC JAM from BMW ROAD TRAIN from the European Satre Project (which includes Volvo)

ELECTRIC

Removes need for petroleum and

presence of emissions

ALLEVIATES CONCERNS Regarding Traffic Congestion Parking Availability Air Quality Urban Affordability

GM.com Media / “GM Unveils EN-V Concept: A Vision for Future Urban Mobility” BBC Future / “The Cars We’ll be Driving in the World of 2050”

ANALYSIS | 77

78 | FUTURE

Unsplash | “Mario Calvo”

ANALYSIS | 79

Freeways commonly have off-ramp shopping, dining, and overnight needs,

DIVERSION

especially on longer stretches between major cities. Rarely however do strips of the city overlap with currently dominating strips of the freeway. The space surrounding freeways, beneath freeways and above freeways currently acts as terra incognito. Improvements to cars in the future nameably a mass transition to electric cars to reduce noise and emissions, as well as a transition to self-driving cars will allow interventions along the freeway network to become more feasible, functioning and vibrant elements of the future city.

These interventions will provide daily commuters and occasional passersby With an opportunity to see people, activities, and special occasions in cities simply by driving through them. Considering this is a main form of transportation for the majority of citizens in the county of Los Angeles, this series of interventions is likely to affect a great number of people. Simply seeing life and activity in an open space allows some of the leisure mindset to vicariously slip into that of the voyeur.

Opportunities to diverge from the most efficient path are important and necessary to maintain peace within our stressful environment. America has placed a strong 80 | DIVERSION

emphasis on the values of efficiency and success. While it is those that dare to

diverge, trust in the unknown, and take a step that are often the most successful

Nathaniel Smith | “The 110 at Night”

in the end. In Denmark they believe (like milk advertisements say about the

Uta Barth | “From, 2012A”

Californian cows), that happy people are the most productive and efficient people.

The Danish municipality’s top concern is that citizens are happy, therefore urban design as a top concern, and functions as a widely funded civic plan for action in bringing the most out of each neighborhood. Public livability plays a large, if subconscious, role in determining our happiness.

Whether for daily, occasional, or simply vouyeristic use, diversions along the freeway, if designed in an attractive, inviting and well-functioning space. People attract people and currently this mass flow people and swaths of land are not capitalizing on this inevitable magnetic force.

ANALYSIS | 81

Copenhagen, DK vs. Los Angeles, CA Independent Research Project | â&#x20AC;&#x153;Among Strangersâ&#x20AC;?

Everytime a person enters a green, open space they trigger their

spontaneous brain. In most daily activities we are solely activating our focused brain. People who live within 300 m (984 ft) of a green space are likely to use it 3 times a week, whereas if they live within 1000 m (3280 ft) they will use it less than once a week. While Copenhagen is doing pretty well to reach all the homes with long thin stretches of park, and small pocket plazas, LA is neglecting a large portion of their residents. Clearly the city could be much more healthy.

MORE LEISURE ACTIVITIES, RECREATIONAL AREAS AND CULTURAL OFFERS. Copenhagen needs to prioritze a broader framework for its cultural life, an active leisure life and recreational offers in the green areas. The green areas should inspire adults who do not usually exercise to use the areas actively in their leisure life. With more Copenhageners in the future, new and improved cultural and leisure facilities as well as new green areas are required.

Temporary city space, city gardens, playing fields, local sports facilities and halls should be established.

- City of Copenhagen Municipal Plan 2011

82 | DIVERSION

UNHEALTHY REGION

300m

We must design a healthy and active civic future as urban density continues to rise.

- City of Copenhagen Municipal Plan 2011

ANALYSIS | 83

The concept of pairing the dichotomy of leisure and efficiency seemed a bit jarring

INTERVENTION

to me, so I created these collages to further explore the harmony or lack thereof.

I feel the fact these two worlds seem so far from one another has a number of variables besides simply the motives of each group.

The leisure is taking place outside, in warm, natural spaces, while the efficiency is in a man-made and cold environment. Secondly the leisure spaces have less of a scripted way to use them, they are open to be used and interpreted freely giving the users a sense of independence and ownership, belonging, and/or connection to the space as they feel more natural using it as they please. On the freeway there is a very defined way of use. It requires full focus and for some a minor anxiety tied with the potential dangers it poses.

As future cars continue to develop and dramatically shift our culture and environment this space can become less dangerous, noisy, fuming, and stressful.

Soon the mentality on the freeway can be a more curious, vouyeristic experience through the city.

84 | INTERVENTION

Interventions provide a connection and extension of leisure space in

neighborhoods which were previously robbed of this mass of space. They begin to re-stitch portions of the city that have been severed from larger parts, and better integrate all the components of Los Angeles into a cohesive network. Having such public platforms serves to publicize locality of several hubs to a larger cohort of commuters and visitors to the city. People, events, and micro-cultures can begin to

Early design studies “FOR THE FREEWAY, QUITE AS MUCH AS THE BEACH, IS WHERE THE ANGELENO IS MOST HIMSELF, MOST INTEGRALLY IDENTIFIED WITH HIS GREAT CITY.” REYNER BANHAM

characterize each spot and mix with non-locals who stop in to visit and continue to pollinate Los Angeles with a newfound vibrance and connectivity.

ANALYSIS | 85

PROPOSED NET. 1 HOLLENBECK PARK AND EXTENDED ARTS DISTRICT 2 ANGELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOREST AND POMONA VALLEY 3 WHITTIER NARROWS RECREATIONAL AREA 4 DOWNTOWN AND UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

NORTHWEST COUNTY

5 ECHO PARK, HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN, & ANGELENO HEIGHTS

WEST HOLLYWOOD

6 EAGLE ROCK PLAZA AND CARR PARK 7 MAYWOOD RIVERFRONT PARK AND THE HARBOR

BEVERLY HILLS

5

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

8 CULVER CITY AND BEVERLYWOOD

D

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS

8

4

CULVER CITY

HU

LADERA HEIGHTS

SOUTH BAY 86 | INTERVENTION

INGLEWOOD

PASADENA

GLENDALE

6

THE ANTELOPE VALLEY

ALHAMBRA ANGELS FOREST ROSEMEAD

THE VERDUGOS

2

THE POMONA VALLEY

DOWNTOWN

1 3

SOUTHEAST

MONTEBELLO

UNTINGTON PARK

THE HARBOR

7 ANALYSIS | 87

04 SITE

ASSESSING LOCATION

SITE ONCE IDYLLIC CURRENT STATE SITE ANALYSIS

88 | SITE

Craig Hodgetts | “Ecotopia” 1978 Everything Loose Will Land: 1970’s Art and Architecture in Los Angeles by: Alex Kitnick

SITE | 89

90 | SITE

Erick Molinar | “Hollenbeck Park, Boyle Heights, CA, Los Angeles”

SITE

ONCE IDYLLIC

In the late 1880’s and early 1890’s a large accumulation of “pleasure grounds”

Elizabeth Fuller | “Old Los Angeles Postcards”

were brought into Los Angles as a part of a national “city beautiful” effort. This land was a natural arroyo next to Mrs. Hollenbeck’s estate. Mayor Workman and generous Mrs. Hollenbeck commissioned the dam to build the reservoir and form the park. Three bridges spanned the luxurious lagoon. The largest of the three was meant to look like a rustic representation of the famous Bridge of Sighs in

http://www.image-archeology.com/hollenbeck_park_los_angeles.htm (2, 5, 6) Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce | Los Angeles Today - 1915 http://www.movielocationsplus.com/ HOLLEN.HTM

Venice. The arrival of the depression in 1893 did not help the park’s creation. A dam and reservoir was created but the lake was problematic until 1896. The park was officially named and bestowed upon the city in 1893, and a boating franchise opened soon after to offer “pleasure boats.” In 1960 the freeway robbed the park of it’s serenity. In May of 1929 Laurel and Hardy shot the film “Men’o’War” in this park, representing the popularity of the pleasure boats. Over time development in downtown and industrial transformation shifted Boyle Heights’ upper and middle class residents to a working and middle class population. The introduction of the freeway cut off direct access to downtown and further brought down the value of this neighborhood.

SITE | 93

94 | CURRENT STATE

CURRENT STATE

SITE ANALYSIS

INTERBOYLE AVENUE HISTORIC BLVD NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LA PUENTE LEARNING CENTER

101

NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRY

ELMER SIMONS HOME

DOWNTOWN

INNER PARK ENTR

SUBMERGED PUBLIC SPACE

HOLLENBECK PALMS RETIREMENT HOME

BRIDG LAKE FRONT COVERED SEATING AREA FOREST

PREDICTED EXPANSION OF ARTS DISTRICT

SKATE PARK SITE

LOWER PARK ENTRY

5

96 | SITE ANALYSIS

10

V

HIGH POINT OF PAR GREAT VIEWS OF DT POPULAR FOR WEDDINGS AND QUINCINEIRAS

HOLLENBECK PARK

R K RY

EAST LA

PICNIC TABLES

GE AXIS

VIEWS

RK T

EL REY PRINCIPE

FOOD TRUCK OF CHOICE

LINDA VISTA

ABANDONED COMMUNITY HOSPITAL SITE PROPOSED SITE FOR SENIOR APARTMENTS

SITE | 97

05 PROJECT

DIVERTING LIKE FREQUENCIES

SECTIONS EVOLUTION FINAL ITERATION

Section Analysis Process Final Iteration

PROJECT | 99

100 | SECTIONS

SECTIONS

The sectional studies were a huge guiding force upon the

development of this project. The immense scale and odd pairing of groups

Iteration 01 - 01/15 Iteration 02 - 03/15 Iteration 03 - 04/15

and forces remained a challenge throughout the process. Attempting to weave in the park in a gentle yet intentional movement, drawing in vehicles without interrupting the rhythm of pedestrian activity, and maintaining a strong relationship between internal and external flows.

This collage represents the development of form, scale and programmatic understanding of this work.

PROJECT | 101

SECTION 01

This initial study was inspired by Joel Sanders’ proposal for Gangbuk park.

The tube form best follows the Freeway as it ebbs and flows. In the Gangbuk park design strips of the park are raised, and others recessed into the ground, diagrams represent how these tubes can be filled with layers of program. Most inspiring to me, were how various levels could peek into others. Focusing on ideas of voyeurism in the sense that users can gain so much from experiencing “otherness.” There is a range of more open public spaces, and more focused activity spaces to accomodate for a consistent flow through the space and a range of active and resting zones.

In this iteration the concrete tube form allows for a very organic flow to the spaces. Steel ribs loosely inspired by Santiago Calatrava gradually adapt to the form, in a repetitive, skeletal rhythm. A sheer skin, imagined as ETFE would seal the tube, allowing seamless visibility both in and out, and retaining an indooroutdoor quality similar to the galleries in medieval France.

102 | SECTIONS

SECTION 02 This exploration describes the initial structural idea utilizing a repetition of steel and concrete trusses that adapt to the form of the tube. Steel cross members would create ribs along the tube and would line up with operable ETFE louvres. The louvres would be programed to open up to allow sun and ventilation through the spaces, and could also open and close on the cue of class or program managers to accommodate to specific users needs.

DANCE STUDIO

STAGE FARMERS MARKET

I-10

CAFE

HOLLENBECK LAKE

104 | SECTIONS

COMMUNITY CENTER PARKING

NORTH-SOUTH LONGITUDINAL SECTION

COMMUNITY CENTER

STAGE

I-5

I-10

WEST-EAST CROSS SECTION

SECTION 03 A double-diagrid system was developed in attempt to open up the interior so the volumes become more seamless and mimic the endless flow of the freeway.

As visibility opens up through the tube visitors can continuously be lured to explore the contents and enjoy the depth and variety of activities offered.

The cladding remains as the ETFE louvres, and the supports also remain as large concrete pillars, mimicking supports which compose the freeway infrastructure. Program spaces inside remain open when not in use, or depending on the activity in session, otherwise sliding glass panels can seal and sound-isolate the spaces.

106 | SECTIONS

EAST-WEST CROSS SECTION PROJECT | 107

SECTION 04 Further development brings the form down to actually meet the ground level and solve the pre-existing dilemma of terra incognito created beneath the freeway. If the future cars truly are much quieter and pollution-free then the form can actually envelope the freeway to create the most connection and opportunity for voyeuristic appeal between locals and commuters.

108 | SECTIONS

SOUTH-NORTH LONGITUDINAL SECTION

PROJECT | 109

SECTION 04

The more opportunity for connection, including visual, between diverse users in the city, the more connected they feel and the more human and communitynation- or global- oriented their motives can become. The idea being that the more people see others the more in tune they become with their own primal instincts. In hopes that these interferences are positive, they can act to motivate users on more real social cues, rather than imagined ones that pressure people to aim for “success” and “status,” which are ultimately much more vague and exclusive motives.

110 | SECTIONS

EAST-WEST CROSS SECTION

PROJECT | 111

EVOLUTION

A large inspiration for these forms were public plazas of medieval

“Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II”

cities and the “Galleria” trend that spread primarily through France. These beautiful spaces emphasized sitting outside, admiring the flow of people, and simply enjoying the city with no obligations.

The process for this project developed from closely studying freeway forms and attempting to pair them with forms of public spaces in successful cities. Re-imagining these large swaths of space for a new purpose, one of connection, social interaction, and culture.

PROJECT | 113

ITERATION 01

This iteration was devised as a response to the large span and curvature of the freeway. Program was imagined as long flowing spaces that frame multi-level void spaces. These void spaces would be at the fulcrum of each programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry/exit points and revolve around the activity. People constantly flowing in and out would keep these void spaces lively and attractive for people to stay and admire the activity.

PROGRAM

PEDESTRIAN FLOW 114 | EVOLUTION

INTERSTITIAL VOID

VEHICULAR FLOW PROJECT | 115

ITERATION 02

Formal Development

Initially the structure was developed as a large open bridge. Inspiration

was taken from transit oriented structures including roller-coasters, and train stations. Train stations were once widely celebrated as spaces to welcome, gather, and commemorate cities and those arriving or departing from them.

The form was developed in response to the curvature of the freeways, the topography of the site, and the turn radius necessary to pull of at high speed velocities. The double diagrid was a solution to creating an open, porous space, that connects users within to one another while still maintaining a connection to surroundings.

116 | EVOLUTION

DIVERT TRAFFIC

GREENSCAPE

REACH TO SURROUNDINGS

LOUVRES

ADHERE TO NETWORK FLOW

DIAGRID

FLOOR PLATES

PROJECT | 117

FINAL ITERATION

The final iteration, while still necessitating the contribution of

community voices to fully occupy the framework, imagines an infrastructure to enrich and strengthen communities alongside the freeway. Re-connecting neighbors and alerting commuters and passerbys of the vibrant life below these streets can re-ignite the sense of connection one feels to the whole of

“[T}HE FUNCTIONALIST ORGANIZATION,

BY PRIVILEGING PROGRESS (I.E. TIME) CAUSES THE CONDITION OF ITS OWN POSSIBILITY - SPACE ITSELF - TO BE FORGOTTEN; SPACE THUS BECOMES THE BLIND SPOT IN A SCIENTIFIC AND POLITICAL TECHNOLOGY.” MICHEL DECERTEAU

L.A. and spark the viewers natural human instincts and spontaneous reflexes often elicited in parks or plazas. These motives arise and trump societal beliefs of solely concentrating on progress in terms of monetary success and ultimate efficiency. Often success is a far more humanitarian result of utilizing instincts and understanding behavior, and efficiency is far more a result of feeling an internal happiness rather than simply a mechanical effort of minimizing distractions. Enroute to Diversion responds to these forces by prioritizing social enhancement in cities in hopes of solving diminishing sources of cultural connection and human interaction along dense urban realms.

PROJECT | 119

INSULATED GLASS UNIT STEEL STRONGBACK

3” STEEL DECKING

VERTICAL ALUMINUM SCREW SPLINE MULLION 2” CONCRETE TOPPER

ALUMINUM BRACKET STRUCTURE 2.5x5’ CONCRETE + STEEL PIPE DIAGRID - 100’ SPANS 1x2’ CONCRETE + STEEL PIPE DIAGRID - 30’ SPANS

CONCRETE DOUBLE-DIAGRID DETAIL

DETAIL WITHIN AXON

DETAIL SECTION 120 | FINAL ITERATION

DETAIL DRAWINGS

This detail describes how one section in the project can connect

visitors from the park level, the freeway stretch, above freeway amenities, taco truck visits, fast-food stops and overhead greenery. The louvres can open and close depending on programmatic needs as well as thermal conditions.

They are formed of Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (EFTE) a flourine-based plastic. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transparent nature allows dual-sided visibility and connection, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thermal strength allows for comfortable conditions within, with the ability of fresh air to passively heat and cool the space. The double-diagrid structure was inspired by bridge technology and has the ability to span long distances and hold tremendous loads. It was chosen to allow a very open feel and longspan views through the space and retain a strong connection with surrounding spaces and flows of activity.

THESIS MANIFESTO |9 PROJECT | 121

FORM CURATION Upon studying the freeway the curvature and flow fascinated me.

The form allows vehicles to pull off into the structure at high speed, and is cut to frame views of its surroundings. Connecting arms reach out toward new and proposed spaces, while program guides visitors through the space.

VEHICULAR SPEED DETERMINES RADII CREATING FORM

1150’ 300’

11

50

’

SLICE PROVIDES VIEW TOWARD CONNECTION FILLETED EDGES RAISED TO CREATE SEATING FACING VIEWS PAR K

AR TS

122 | FINAL ITERATION

ARMS CONNECT TO SURROUNDING SPACES

LAKE ARTS DISTRICT

DRIVE-IN

SKATE

PROGRAMMING SPACE WITH LOCAL AND COMMUTER AMENITIES PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR ACCESS

PROJECT | 123

124 | FINAL ITERATION

LECTURE /PERFOR -MANCE HALL

DANCE AND MUSIC STUDIOS

ART GALLERY

REC CENTER

06

126 | FINAL ITERATION

LECTURE /PERFOR -MANCE HALL

DANCE AND MUSIC STUDIOS

ART STUDIOS / EXHIBITION SPACE

FARMERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MARKET

REC CENTER

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MULTI-USE MEDIA LAB AND CAFE

ART GALLERY/ PUBLIC SPACE ART GALLERY AND MULTI-USE COMMUNITY CENTER

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MULTI-USE COMMUNITY CENTER

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CAFE AND KIOSK

SKATE PARK EXTENTION

SKATE RENTAL SHOP

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B C

B

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PROJECT | 133

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PROJECT | 135

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PROJECT | 137

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PROJECT | 139

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PROJECT | 141

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PROJECT | 143

PROJECT | 145

SECTION MODEL

PROJECT | 147

This model, depicted at 1”=24’ scale, represents the diagrid structure of the Boyle Heights freeway intervention crossing the I-5, I-10 and the 101 freeways in Los Angeles. The orange filament represents the primary, 2.5x6’ members, and the yellow filament represents the secondary, 1.5x3’ members. The diagrid members, and filled in region are all pouredin-place concrete. The filled-in region creates an occupiable roof terrace, for cyclists and pedestrians.

PROJECT | 149

The top surface was imagined to be concrete poured into the diagrid framework, and in some units containing plant beds for an overhead park. This would be a pedestrian walkway allowing for views over the city and park, while still connecting to activity outlets within.

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PROJECT | 151

“The everyday has an allure to it that can never quite be captured, the excitement it needs to keep people in a creative and motivated stir.

‘Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.’”

- (Doyle, quoted in Langbauer 1993:94) in Everyday Life and Cultural Theory: Ben Highmore

PROJECT | 153

05 SHOW

STRIPTEASE

DIAGRAMS STRIPTEASE

Ryan Craney | “Julien”

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SHOW | 155

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Ben Pennell | Projection Structure Assembly Diagram Doug Jackson | “Striptease” Postcards

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RENDERINGS

Ben Pennell | Layout Diagram

SHOW | 159

Ben Pennell | User Interface Diagram

Leap motion 3D controllers allowed visitors to interact with a constant feed of

Ryan Craney | “User Interaction”

streaming images projected on the screen. Each set of images presented one students’ project and once clicked led to more images, drawings, diagrams

VISITORS COULD SELECT, MOVE, RESIZE, AND CLICK FOR ADDITIONAL CONTENT

and text. Encouraging viewer interaction, the user interface recognized three physical gestures: pushing forward to select content, pinching to grab and move content, and pinching and moving both hands together or apart in order to resize content. This allowed visitors to personalize their perception of each project, and compare it to others, via manipulating content from the constantlychanging crawl. Simultaneously each visitor interacting with a Leap Motion sensor affected other visitors’ experience and created teasers for them to join in and explore as well.

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STRIPTEASE

“Striptease” was the final presentation of undergraduate architectural thesis

Ryan Craney | “Striptease”

projects from the 2014-2015 Jackson Studio at the Cal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design. The intensive year of research and production culminated in this powerful, interactive exhibition. Presenting 18 projects, the studio comprised a wide range of proposals that demonstrate new possibilities for architecture, which were featured on participatory projection displays that engaged visitors through digital visuals and interactive

PARTICIPATORY PROJECTION DISPLAYS ENGAGED VISITORS THROUGH DIGITAL VISUALS AND INTERACTIVE INTERFACES

interfaces. Fully designed and constructed by students in the studio, the installation undulated through the exhibition space, defining a curved perimeter of screens that surrounded viewers in a continuous image crawl of each of the students’ projects. The user interface, designed and scripted by the students, was intuitive and easy to use. Leap Motion Sensors allowed the design to respond to human gestures and Immersaview Projection Software allowed for the rear-projections to flow seamlessly across the curved surfaces of the screen. Inspired by ticker tape, and lured by interaction design this ambitious vision came to life. The commitment and dedication of the studio and the constant insistence on providing the most daring and engaging thesis show experience allowed for “Striptease” to be achieved.

SHOW | 163

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rear projection screens feature a continuous interactive image crawl of the students’ work

Ryan Craney | “Striptease”

SHOW | 165

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Trevor Larson | “Intro - Striptease” Ryan Craney | “Striptease”

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SHOW | 169

THANK YOU

8 | AMERICAN DREAM