CHOREOGRAPHY fragility in motion

“What can architecture do?”

The project site is situated in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. It is bounded by Pacific Ave, Venice Blvd, and Dell Ave. There is a canal that bisects the site into two parts. And it is only one block away from the beach on the west side, and there is a wealthy neighborhood on the south side. The current planning proposition suggests the housing problem and potential solutions are city-wide, and therefore the location of new affordable housing should likewise be distributed equitably throughout the city.

This affordable housing project focuses on the integration with the local artist community and the city in general. This project minimizes the appearance of each housing unit. Yet, it is infused with vertical gardening on the wireframe, oblique aperture following the geometric form, and multiple observation decks for the ocean on the west side, canal on the site, and city views on various sides.

Due to its significant location in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, the views from all sides, and the canal system on the site have become the most dominant consideration. There was an existing bridge on the site. We abstracted the shape of it into the alphabet “U”. Then, this shape is oriented and deformed according to the view of the ocean, the rest of the city, and not blocking the canal underneath.

Collaboration with: Adam Wang

Instructor: Eric Owen Moss