i n t e n s e w e s t
u r b a n i s m :
h o l ly w o o d
c o n n e c t i v e
f u t u r e s
i n t e n s e u r b a n i s m w e s t h o l ly w o o d c o n n e c t i v e f u t u r e s
SWA: Laguna Beach in collaboration with California State Polytechnic University Pomona Department of Landscape Architecture
ta b l e
o f
c o n t e n t s
-Connective Futures Studio Credits Collaborators Team Members Team Statement -West Hollywood Our View - Site Inventory Mapping A Changed Paradigm Food Creates Community Foodie Heaven Far-Flung Production -Intense Urbanism Argument Intense Urbanism Statement The Benifit to West Hollywood Comparing System Types Contextual Argument Iconic Worldwide -Urban Design/Architectual Strategy Urban Design Strategy Statement Flexible Typologies Spaces that give Rise to Community Programmatic Goals Context Awareness Specific Programs Deep Layering -Images and Renderings Site Area Existing Conditions Rendering Modeling -Final Words-
s t u d i o
c r e d i t s
c o l l a b o r at o r s
5 -Instructors Rennie Tang; Andrew Wilcox -SWA Team Sean O’Maley Pavel Petrov Natasha Harkinson Miguel Rivera Evan Lee Nabyl Macias Kevin Slawson
s t u d i o t e a m
c r e d i t s
m e m b e r s
Eli Feldman 3rd Year Undergrad
6 Carlos Perez 3rd Year Undergrad
t e a m
s tat e m e n t
As cities become increasingly dense, large open spaces for recreation, industry, agriculture, all become less viable. Now we must design a different type of space - one that manages to provide some of the benefits of large open areas within the cracks and crevices of this dense, new paradigm. The roughly one-acre site at 8950 Sunset Boulevard provides a special opportunity to test a fresh model, both because of its prominent position on the Sunset Strip, and within regional culture.
7
8
1 9 2 2 1 9 3 1
w e s t o u r
h o l ly w o o d
v i e w
West Hollywood is a microcosm for both what has passed and what is to come. Its rapid growth mirrors some of the region’s greater influences, from early train systems to movie production. Positioned today as a forward-thinking City, it has the potential to be a mirror for other cities to emulate healthy practices in the future.
As such, West Hollywood is actively promoting high density development, but also methods to achieve equity in the number and type of public spaces created in the process. Like the majority of the greater Los Angeles area, West Hollywood is an automobile-driven space. For better or worse this has evolved into a city and culture that’s largest public space is the street, or more specifically a narrow strip of sidewalk bordering the street. Future development demands a nuanced treatment of these spaces, embracing them or using them as counterpoints of design.
9
10
a
c h a n g e d
u r b a n
p a r a d i g m
s p a c i n g
a
c h a n g e d
m a p
p a r a d i g m
n a r r at i v e
Urban design is no longer about creating monumental spaces. Instead, it is about the cracks and crevices - the small interstitial spaces in between. The two figure-ground diagrams on the facing page show this dramatic shift in space type. However, many general goals such as public health and public space are still desired at every scale. This then becomes the question, how to accomplish these goals in tiny spaces.
This new paradigm is especially true in the United States, where more than eighty percent of the population (as of the 2010 census), lives in urbanized areas. As designers we have a unique opportunity to help mold the future of density, both in our own respective home countries, but also as models for developing nations who increasingly are facing their own density issues.
11
12
f o o d
c r e at e s
S I T E
A S
c o m m u n i t y
H O S T I N G
G R O U N D S
farmers restaurants
bars
waiters
hosts
sellers
chefs busboys
f o o d m A P
c r e at e s
c o m m u n i t y
N A R R AT I V E
Traditionally, food is considered the main product of agricultural systems. In this project, we take a different stance, proposing that the main product of agriculture is community, with food as a bi-product.
With this view we can begin to design a different type of system, one that serves the community first and foremost. Success depends on the quantity and quality of the relationships created in this model.
The graphic on the facing page represents just a fraction of the possible connection food can create. In a relatively local food system the interaction between all of the constituents increases dramatically and there is a communication between them, as opposed to a far-flung, hierarchical system, which we discuss later.
13
F O O D I E
H E AV E N
h e a lt h
c o n s c i o u s
14
c o m m u n i t y
health restaurants super markets health stores residential Weho 1/8 radius mile 1/4 radius mile
F O O D I E m A P
H E AV E N
N A R R AT I V E
Unlike some parts of the Los Angeles area, West Hollywood has a rich food culture with a health conscious bend. The graphic on the facing page shows restaurants, supermarkets and mom/pop stores all dedicated specifically to health. There is clearly no shortage.
In light of this reality, we see West Hollywood as a prime area to further push and explore healthy, sustainalbe food systems. The health food culture and community that already exists in the area can only be bolstered by projects that bring the actual production of food closer to said citizens.
15
FA R - F L U N G
P R O D U C T I O N
C a l i f o r n i a S t a t e F o o d P r o d u c t i o n
16 L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y F o o d P r o d u c t i o n
FA R - F L U N G m A P
P R O D U C T I O N
N A R R AT I V E
Despite the rich food culture shown on the previous page, West Hollywood and the Los Angeles region generally are still extremely poor in terms of actual food production. The status quo remains and the vast majority of food is grown on massive industrial farms in other parts of the state. This food is then shipped sometimes hundreds, often thousands of miles elsewhere to be consumed. The cost to the environment and the consumer pocketbook are unacceptable.
Instead of this far-flung production model, we propose a much more localized system that serves a pre-specified area. The graphic on the facing page shows agricultural production areas (in green), of Los Angeles County (outlined in red), within the State of California, and also the City of West Hollywood (outlined in red), within Los Angeles County. The County map is especially revealing of the local situation.
In an area originally founded for its potential to grow massive amounts of food, little to none is grown. We must challenge ourselves as designers to once again make these urban spaces productive.
17
i n t e n s e u r b a n
18
u r b a n i s m
s tat e m e n t
s p a c i n g
As cities become increasingly dense, large open spaces for recreation, industry, agriculture, all become less viable. Now we must design a different type of space - one that manages to provide some of the benefits of large open areas within the cracks and crevices of this dense, new paradigm. The roughly one-acre site at 8950 Sunset Boulevard provides a special opportunity to test a fresh model, both because of its prominent position on the Sunset Strip, and within regional culture.
Perhaps the most notable open-space system that has been exiled and hidden from our urban setting is food. Few other things have the same power as food to generate local community and health, as evidenced by the wild popularization of farmer’s markets, health stores and restaurants in the past decade. Yet the production, distribution, and waste management of food is still incredibly decentralized. The City of West Hollywood, “The Creative City”, is a great place to show off a truly local system because its citizens are already leaders in environmental awareness and action, with a long history of putting social needs front and center. Using agricultural systems and the site’s sloping topography as the primary drivers of form, we propose a space that’s main product, through food, is a place of service, sharing and rest for the local community.
t h e
b e n i f i t
t r a d i n g
t o
a i r
w e s t
h o l ly w o o d
r i g h t s
Trump world tower was made possible by buying air rights from smaller adjacent properties
L.A. made large profits from the sale of the public library’s air rights
19
Weho can sell its air rights piecemeal or in one monolithic sale. The price per/sq ft will increase over time
c o m p a r i n g
s y s t e m s
l i n e a r
i n t e r c o n n e c t e d
v s .
t y p e s
Interconnected Nodes
20
Responsibility is shared and information flows continuously in all directions
Linear Hierarchy
Responsibility is centralized and information flows in only one direction
c o n t e x t u a l
a r g r u m e n t
There are many areas that a food-driven, community-building project would be well-suited for. However, West Hollywood presents a special opportunity for this type of project because of its prominent position in the larger culture, therefore giving the project the potential to speak to and influence a much larger audience.
The culture and happenings that emerge from West Hollywood are many. From the film industry to the music industry, from the Lesbian-Gay-Bi-Transexual community to the celebrity community. Each one is connected to a much wider community, creating a worldwide linkage.
21
i c o n i c
w o r l d w i d e
p o t e n t i a l
22
t o
a f f e c t
w i d e r
c u lt u r e
u r b a n
d e s i g n
b a l a n c i n g
s t r at e g y
s tat e m e n t
a c t
At their hearts all communities and relationships are about reciprocity. This exchange, of information, goods, services etc., is the lifeblood of healthy development. We propose a space that balances future density by exchanging its air rights with those around it, establishing a healthy exchange amongst neighbors. This model of balance through sharing and/or collaboration carries itself throughout the project.
In order to create a space that accepts many disparate food and non-food related programs over time, we identified three universal typologies that stimulate the public realm - squares, stairs and fields. Each acts a general platform for more specific programs that the public can adapt over time.
23
F l e x i b l e
t y p o l o g i e s
s q u a r e s ,
s ta i r s ,
24
f i e l d s
TIMES SQUARE
2 0 1 3
1 9 4 8
F l e x i b l e
t y p o l o g i e s
s q u a r e s ,
s ta i r s ,
f i e l d s
LINCOLN MEMORIAL STEPS
1 9 6 3
2 0 0 9
25
F l e x i b l e
t y p o l o g i e s
s q u a r e s ,
s ta i r s ,
26
f i e l d s
C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y F I E L D S
1 9 8 2
2 0 0 4
s p a c e s s p a c i a l
g i v e
r i s e
t y p e s
t o
a n d
SQUARES
c o m m u n i t i t y
e f f e c t s
Bring people from periphery to core
S TA I R S
C r e a t e s a p l a t f o r m for sharing
FIELDS
Allow completely free movement
27
p r o g r o m m at i c
g o a l s
s e r v e ,
r e s t
s h a r e ,
C
A B
B
C
A n
c o n t e x t r e a c t i o n
30
awa r e n e s s t o
l o c a l
d y n a m i c s SITE HIGH POINT
HOLLYWOOD HILLS
SUNSET BLVD.
HILLDALE STREET
31 DTLA
s p e c i f i c t h e
32
p r o g r a m s
p u b l i c ' s
c o n t r i b u t i o n
winter fall summer Spring farmer s educatio n market program
art shows
music/ concer t
celeb chefs
33 theater / plays
beer tasting
i ce skating
d e e p t h e
34
l ay e r i n g p u b l i c ' s
c o n t r i b u t i o n
FOOD FOREST
C O N C E R T PA R K
MEETING FORUM
TA I C H I
35
CLASSROOMS
OUTDOOR MOVIES
WAT E R PA R K
GRASSLAND
b e i n g s i t e
36
t h e r e
a r e a
b e i n g
t h e r e
e x i s t i n g
s t r e e t
c o n d i t i o n s
37
b e i n g
t h e r e
r e n d e r i n g
38
39
m o d e l i n g s t u d y
40
m o d e l s
m o d e l i n g f i n a l
m o d e l
41
f i n a l
w o r d s
p r o j e c t
42
r e f l e c t i o n
In this rapidly urbanizing world, what is our challenge as designers? To create the highest density floor-area-ratios (F.A.R.) possible? To resist density-driven and profit-driven projects and preserve open space? Through the process of this project we have come to the resounding conclusion, NO. Both of these approaches represent extremes, and like the balance in density we seek in West Hollywood’s future, a balance in approaches must be struck as well.
We have shown that all of these goals are simultaneously achievable, high F.A.R’s, profitability and publicly-driven space. We can stop asking ourselves what to prioritize and what to sacrifice. Instead we can find inspiration in the melding of goals, spaces and program types. This combining, layering, connecting, this is the true form of density, eschewing one set form or other.