Location: 634 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Year: Fall 2022 Advisor: Eric Olsen
This project proposes the adaptive reuse and preservation of the Westlake theater in Los Angeles. The design approach combines the existing building as an archives and creating new public access spaces that expand and attach to the existing theater. It organized around a grid system that prioritizes wind and solar exposure. The building facade is optimized for solar capture with mounted solar panels and operable windows for natural ventilation and heat capture. The result is an efficient and sustainable building that balances the preservation of history and architectural heritage with modern functionality and environmental responsibility.
Site Plan
Location: 650 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Year: Summer 2018
Advisor: Paul Chiu
The Community Village Tower in Los Angeles is a mixed-use complex that provides residential, commercial, and child care services, connecting residents, pedestrians, and Metro station commuters. Inspired by VIA 57 West, the residential units are designed with balconies of different sizes that range from one to two bedrooms. The location next to MacArthur Park allows for the framing of the experience of nature. Access to transportation is provided through the underground Metro station and underground parking, as well as cars accessing the drop-off area from Wilshire Blvd.
Location: 210 S Sunol Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Year: Fall 2021
Advisor: Hannah Hortick
Team: Avery McDougal and Long Ngu
The Autopark proposal is a unique and innovative approach to designing a space that serves multiple purposes, namely a car park and a garden that acts as a sound barrier to reduce noise from the nearby Pomona Freeway. The residential floors are divided into two grid systems, providing both communal and individual spaces for multigenerational families on the ground floor and individuals transitioning from homelessness on the second floor. The design approach emphasizes inclusivity and community, while the use of sustainable materials and construction methods ensures the project is environmentally friendly.
Year: Spring 2023
Advisor: Mark Ericson
This project aims to generate three-dimensional voxels from two-dimensional images by extracting color data as a primary driver for form generation. The use of color manipulation can create variations in light, shadow, depth, and texture. Distance is used to organize the programmatic location of the voxels, where placing voxels further apart creates private spaces, while centralized voxels create communal spaces that encourage interaction. This approach offers an alternative to traditional generative methods such as hand drawings and physical models, emphasizing the importance of data processing in all imaging.
Location: 7500 N Glenoaks Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91504
Year: Spring 2023
Advisor: Kishani DeSilva
Team: Class
Our WSoA team, are passionate about designing and building a Net Zero, 3D-printed micro home to demonstrate energy efficiency and promote accessible and affordable home-building solutions. Our ~500 SF micro unit showcases innovative design strategies, such as 3D printing to reduce waste and cost, data-driven site analysis to inform the form of the house, strategically placed windows for natural ventilation and lighting, a centralized mechanical room to contain all MEP equipment, curved walls for 3D printing efficiency, linear walls for modularity and expansion, and an open floor plan for user flexibility. The modular roof system, with a highly efficient design that angles for optimal solar capture and thermal resistance with an R-value of 38-40, and it was conceptualized as can be easily assembled and disassembled to save on construction time and cost.
