intense urbanism: revelatory sensescape
sarmen abedi + shawn (in seol) park + julie pell + chad so
cal poly pomona department of landscape architecture + swa laguna beach
table of contents 1 3 5 7 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35
team bio intro to west hollywood case studies existing conditions site inventory mapping blurred: overload sight: light + perception sight: transparency sound: urban sound exposure taste: preference touch: pulse of the city - day touch: pulse of the city - night
intense urbanism argument hypothetical density pattern: phase 1 hypothetical density pattern: phase 2 hypothetical density pattern: phase 3 contextual argument
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urban design framework movement typology hide + reveal vertical + lateral progression form revealed acrylic model programmable space program duration sensors
renderings final thoughts special thanks to
team bio team members
sarmen abedi
shawn (in seol) park
julie pell
chad so
02 team manifesto Mirroring the continual evolution of urban conditions, theories on how to design the cityscape have also been in flux, rendering ineffective recent theories that have just emerged. Indeed, these strategies operated only for a short period before the urban realm’s progressive nature mandated the exploration of other strategies. In order to accommodate the steadily growing population, urbanism primarily focuses on density. Building dense cities is logical and valid in dealing with the increasing population. However, the lens of urban design zooms in so closely on the matter of density that it takes the spotlight away from the actual users, denigrating them to pure statistics rather than human beings. This single-mindedness leads to a design strategy that focuses only on the capacity and the square footage of the space, without regard to the quality of human experience. Furthermore, programming decisions are based on the economics of density instead of the relationship between people and place. Ultimately, the current approach creates a disconnection between the space and user.
In order to combat this unwanted side effect, a paradigm shift must occur along with a realization of what an urban environment truly requires. Much like the concept of the French Situationists Movement, urbanism needs to consider how the urban terrain affects the user’s movement and experience. We need to critically think about the user’s response and behavior and how the space influences changes in perception. In organizing dense cities, urban design needs to prioritize the user and the quality of his/her experience before and beyond mere measurable quantities.
intro to west hollywood universal city
west hollywood hollywood
beverly hills
los angeles
site analysis video
04 West Hollywood has always been in an evolutionary flux, ultimately transforming into the city it stands as today. In the 1870s, this area was once divided into parcels for agricultural activity and was soon envisioned by Moses H. Sherman as a connector of Los Angeles and Santa Monica by means of an electric railway system. This innovative transportation system brought settlement to the area, and it soon expanded northward to where West Hollywood exists. As the avocado and poinsettia fields once blanketing the Sunset Strip developed into an urban realm, city’s character also underwent a drastic shift. Despite the fact that it occupies only a mileand-a-half stretch, the Sunset Strip has always expressed its eclectic nature. In its earlier years, it was identified as a stretch located outside the range of the Los Angeles Police Department’s jurisdiction, ideal for the development of an urban playground for entertainers. The bars, music venues, restaurants, and boutiques attracted both entertainers and elites. Amidst these changes during the 1940s-50s, notorious mobsters such as Mickey Cohen and Bugsy Siegel made their mark, hosting illicit gambling dens in the area. As the strip evolved further into a rock-n-roll influenced area, the place came alive with frequent celebrity sightings. Until recently, the music scene clearly defined the character of the Sunset Strip. However, as more developers invest in hotels and replace old music venues in the area, the Sunset Strip is facing an uphill struggle to maintain its persona.
Today, the Sunset Strip’s mandate is to overwhelm the senses. The users are thrown into a preplanned experience rather than being given the opportunity to pave their own experience. The status quo of the strip is the result of West Hollywood’s primary agenda to generate revenue through advertisements on billboards and tall walls. These light sources create the ambience of the strip but also a visual blur that causes people to bypass the memorable nuances of the area. As density increases, so will the visual and sensorial intensities. Amidst the growing population, there is nothing wrong with the application of density; however, even too much of water is detrimental to the health of a person. Similar to how cities built parks as an antidote to the industrial revolution in the mid19th century, the Sunset Strip needs relief from the densification to provide a deeper connection to the place. Densification is not only specific to the current site of the project, but permeates throughout the surrounding urban context. With that in mind, the Sunset Strip is an appropriate ground for the exploration of a new urban design approach that takes into account not only density but also orchestrates an active and real interaction between the space and user.
case studies it building proposal in in new delhi, india - nicolas laisne
indian architecture modern building natural cooling systems
solar orientation
technology
filtering the sun
screens on the facade
fresh air
tradition and modernity
two 100 meter high buildings
opening or closing corridors
147,465 sq feet surface
06 moriyama house - ryue nishizawa
building and open space relationship
house as a city
uncovered windows
landscape in between urbanity inside the building
ten cuboids with different floor areas
single-story
views
elevated open space
open lot without any hedges or fences triple-story
nothing remains concealed double-story
white cuboid structure
rectangular surface area
surrounding views gardens opposite of the surroundings
boxes oversized window openings sarmen abedi & julie pell
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existing conditions
chad so
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existing conditions
site inventory mappings blurred mapping sight mapping sight mapping (transparency) sound mapping touch mapping taste mapping
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blurred mapping
overload
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Before initiating our mapping series, we visited the Sunset Strip several times and noticed its multisensorial characteristics. The sensorial overload on the strip caused a blur, disabling us from noticing any subtleties or nuances. We felt the need to isolate the individual layers that conjure this blur. In order to investigate what causes this blur and analyze each layer of the place, we slowed down to saunter across the strip, identifying how the place interacts with the individual senses.
collaborative effort
sight mapping light + perception
The most obvious identifiable feature on Sunset Boulevard is the series of billboards and tall walls. These light sources along with the bar and music venue signages set the unique ambience of the strip. Despite being partly responsible for the vibrancy of the night life, because the scale of the advertisements is directed towards the view of the cars and not the pedestrians, it creates a visual blur for the user. When we traversed at a normal pace, only the visual blur was apparent to the eye, but after slowing down, the nuance and subtle changes in color became visible. For instance, as the digital billboards changed images, the areas that it lit up changed in hue and luminosity.
16 In addition, this mapping revealed different patterns in concentration of light throughout the strip with the highest concentration of light residing within the vicinity of the intersection of Palm Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. The insight obtained from this investigation triggered the notion of extracting the strip’s ambience and choreographing it in a way so that it is less overwhelming and more subtle.
julie pellrt
sight mapping light and perception
18 The layout of the Sunset Strip is structured much like a strip mall, with the stores arranged in a row. Because the stores meet the edge of the sidewalk, it seems more inviting to the pedestrians. The materiality exhibited throughout the strip ranges from completely opaque to transparent. By mapping the difference in transparent levels, we observed an interesting finding. Due to the diversity of materiality, when viewed as a whole, the facades begin to weave a mosaic pattern unique to the strip. Within the mosaic of the Sunset Strip, some facades are more public and exposed to the passerby than others. For instance, the patio of some restaurants and cafĂŠs, considered fully transparent, extend out almost blending into the sidewalk. Not only does this tend to hold the passerby for a longer duration, but this also creates opportunities for interaction between the pedestrians and the diners. On the other hand, opaque facades seem closed off to the public and disconnected from the public realm. Through this mapping we learned the critical role of materiality and how transparent materials have the ability of holding passerby for a longer period of time.
shawn park
sound mapping urban sound exposure
20 On the strip, the two predominant sounds derive from vehicular traffic and the crowds of people. During the day, majority of the sounds come from traffic passing through the Sunset Strip, while at night, the sound intensity increases with the addition of night life enthusiasts and tourists. The sound exposure level remains constant throughout the day because of the constant level of traffic; however, when the sun sets, there is a direct correlation between the sound intensity and the level of activity within the vicinity of the bars and music venues. In the process of developing this sound map, further investigation of the logistics of sound was executed. We researched on the intensity of the decibel levels based on the distance sound traveled and the level based on the source of sound. From this research we concluded that the decibel level of heavy traffic was on the higher end of the spectrum, which directly correlates with how the noise level from the street added to the overall blur. When all the sounds of the Sunset Strip were layered on top of each other, it was inaudible but when we slowed down and attempted to isolate the sounds we were able to pick up on interesting conversations.
sarmen abedi
taste mapping preference
22 Taste is defined as a feeling or knowledge relative to the person expressing it. To further explicate, taste is not related to food but preference, such as a preference for performance, vanity, and mystery. With this notion, we came to a conclusion that the programs on the strip reflected the taste of the place.
Finally mystery was found on the strip. The Strip was prevalent with opaque store fronts with no hints of the program it hosts.
By breaking down the taste of the strip into three main categories, we were able to analyze each preference with more depth.
The category of performance varies from the popular music venues to the restaurants that performed the art of cooking. Vanity represents the boutique shops and the leading retails of the fashion world, and the many businesses that sell products to make you more attractive, such as tanning salons and spas.
The mapping resulted in a collage consisting of concentrations and overlays formed by different performances. Areas with a high number of performance venues were the most active while areas by the mysterious venues were the quietest. Lastly, the vain venues were often overlapped with the performance venues.
chad so
touch mapping pulse of the city : day
24 Feel the city’s heart beating. Renowned for its highly animated streets at night, the Sunset Strip hosts a wide array of urban conditions. During the day, it camouflages behind a street weighed down with heavy traffic that flows at a steady pace. By night, the pace picks up, revealing its nocturnal energy. When investigating the strip to genuinely understand its nature and qualities, we made a bold statement. We declared that we were able to feel the pulse of the city as we observed and absorbed the surroundings. But it was true. Different nodes were activated during the day and night, concentrated with a varied level of activity.
The more time we spent on the strip, the more the pulse emitted from its scattered nodes. The nodes by Sunset Plaza were highly concentrated during the day and nodes by the bar and music venues such as The Roxy closer to the site were highly concentrated during the night. This mapping is an abstraction of movement of the people in and out of cars. By sauntering and slowing down, we were able actually feel the pulse of the city through the concentration of activities in the nodes that fluctuate between the day and night.
shawn park
touch mapping pulse of the city : night
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shawn park
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chad so
intense urbanism argument Urbanism has been responsible for shaping cities over the years with the objective of improving the overall unity and functionality. However, at some point, cities began to lose its integrity as the relationship between the space and user became less intact. The focus of urbanism turned more towards densification in order to accommodate people only as quantifiable assets, rather than as human beings. As urban spaces became entities poised for only maximizing revenue instead of a part of a network for the user to develop associations and connections, the disconnection between the user and space increased. Based in the context of the Los Angeles County, West Hollywood is in the process of evolving as it embraces the new architectural sprouts of the city. As its surrounding cities continue to become denser, West Hollywood refuses to fall behind. Density is inevitable in the midst of an ever growing population and cities are forced to expand vertically. Nevertheless, this increasing focus on density is in fact depriving the quality of the user experience. It is not as much the density that is negatively impacting the user experience but it is rather the repercussion of urbanism’s lack of consideration for the user interface.
Density is positive in a sense that it solves the problem of not having enough space for the increasing population; however, an over dosage of density is not bound for a completely positive effect. Because of urban growth’s inevitability, cities will only grow denser, but there needs to be a modification in terms of the urban design approach. In order to offset the repercussion of massive skyscrapers depleting the user of the experience, there needs to be a relief in the city. From a landscape architecture stance, we genuinely believe that a space has the potential of providing a relief for the city. We also believe that the user experience comes from the arrangement of spaces and the complex relationship born from the network of urban conditions. Our project provides this relief. It alters the urban realm in a way that the space and the user form a symbiotic relationship. It reconsiders the hierarchy of what is important and what has been missing from the picture the whole time. As important as it is to centralize and provide more space for the population, the central focus of urbanism should be more about who occupies the urban realm and makes the city’s heart pulse.
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intense urbanism argument
hypothetical density pattern
shawn park
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intense urbanism argument
hypothetical density pattern
shawn park
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intense urbanism argument
hypothetical density pattern
shawn park
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9 the hustler revelatory sensescape sunset plaza
the roxy
pacific design center
intense urbanism argument
contextual argument
9000 bldg. West Hollywood is poised for a change in the way we approach urban design because it is a primary example of an urban environment. Specifically across the Sunset Strip, the streets are packed with both vehicular and pedestrian traffic that resemble its life source. Because of the existing sensorial blurs on the strip, it demonstrates a common condition of the urban context. Currently, the Sunset Strip illuminates its streets at night through a series of billboards and tall walls, which creates the ambience. Unfortunately, the visual overload draws the attention away from the nuances hidden underneath the layers of light. On top of the visual overload there are other sensorial conditions that only add onto the frantic nature of the strip. This condition specific to the area, creates an ideal location for our urban experiment.
We envision the Sunset Strip to be a catalyst for the way urban design can be approached at a larger scale. By creating a place situated in the center of the strip that takes into account the user experience more than merely the total square footage, it can act as the archetype for how urban realms should be designed. When implemented into urban areas, this urban design approach can bring balance amongst the skyscrapers built with the intention of only maximizing the floor area ratio.
urban design framework
38 As population increases, cities become denser and building vertically becomes the only option. Unfortunately, the current strategy to building up only considers maximizing programmable space and is missing the vital component of the urban realm, the user. A new approach to addressing density must be considered. Revelatory Sensescape provides a new strategy to adapt to the increasingly dense urban context that is the Sunset Strip by redefining density as not only a concentration of mass but also considers the user experience. Despite West Hollywood being named the most walkable city, the Sunset Strip lacks the consideration of the urban experience. The strip has so many elements that the user must perceive such as the overflowing car traffic, vibrant billboards and tall walls. The overload of elements on the strip makes it difficult to process, detaching the user from the environment and only focused on moving forward. This fast-paced nature negatively impacts the urban user, disassociating the primary component of the urban realm from the city. Revelatory Sensescape subtly slows the pace of the user down in order for them to perceptually absorb the surrounding. This provides an opportunity for the users to notice, understand, and attach to the space they occupy. By slowing down, nuances and new experiences that are otherwise undetected in a fast-paced setting become apparent. It also creates interactions between the users and the space provoking a critical application of thought rather than a passing assertion.
chad so + shawn park
As our framework deals with the movement of the users and how their pace affects their experience, our form derives from the movement. Although Revelatory Sensescape is not a high-rise that maximizes F.A.R. and occupancy level, it is a necessary relief within the urban environment. In order to achieve the slow-pace of the user it implements several strategies. While providing an experientially-rich space, it also offers a high number of programmable space. Occupied in these spaces is a wide array of mundane and timeconsuming programs intended to hold the user. Outside these programs, the users’ movements are controlled through sequence of corridors and spaces that hide and reveal various nuances. Along these spaces there exist nodes where sensors translate different inputs into interactive outputs that slow down the users, enabling them to absorb the experience. The Sunset Strip is a highly appropriate context for the Revelatory Sensescape because of its dense and fast-paced urban nature. However, it is relevant to any other urban environment lacking the consideration for the user’s experience. It’s important to build up to accommodate the highly dense urban conditions, but it is also crucial to provide a relief from the overly fast-paced patterns, which Revelatory Sensescape is intended to achieve.
urban design framework movement typologies
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shawn park
urban design framework hide + reveal
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chad so
urban design framework
vertical + lateral progression
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sarmen abedi
urban design framework form revealed
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sarmen abedi
urban design framework acrylic model
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urban design framework programmable space
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sarmen abedi + shawn park
urban design framework program duration
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chad so
urban design framework sensors
In order to hold the users in our site for a longer period of time, we incorporated different sensors that send out an output based on the users’ input. Vibration, sound, and motion sensors are the main three proposed sensors throughout the site.
Vibration sensors transfer the vibration created from the user’s movement to an output of light on the walls. The sound sensors capture the sound coming from the Sunset Strip and project a different light on the facade of the building depending on the intensity of the incoming sound from the strip. Finally, the motion sensors detect the users and the subtle lights on the walls slowly change as the users move through the corridors.
54 wall
output input
open space sensors // vibration floor
input
ard
output
su
o
tb
e ns
v ule
external sensors // sound
corridor sensors // motion output input chad so + shawn park
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renderings cafe
sarmen abedi
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renderings
barber shop + bookstore
shawn park
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renderings salon
chad so
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renderings street view
sarmen abedi
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renderings
looking towards the 9000 building
sarmen abedi
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Revelatory Sensescape Walkthrough
renderings
aerial
sarmen abedi
final thoughts
68 When we started this quarter, urban design was an unexplored territory with boundaries that were impenetrable; however, after ten weeks of trying to grasp the scope of urban design, we barely stepped our foot across the border. Intense urbanism dealt with exploring means of how the urban realm can be shaped to maximize density, optimize performance, and develop deep connections. Our project specifically focused on maximizing opportunities that helped create deep connections and associations between the space and user.
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additional credits
final acrylic model // julie pell final video // sarmen abedi writing // shawn (in seol) park
special thanks to contributors
Rennie Tang Andy Wilcox Sean O’ Malley Natasha Harkinson Pavel Petrov Laguna Beach SWA Staff
sources
“INFO.” Sunset Strip History. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. «West Hollywood History - Official Guide to West Hollywood.» Official Guide to West Hollywood. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.