Capitalizing on the Ordinary

In America, architecture serves as a reflection of capitalistic society, where the reduction of structures to its essential elements often blurs the line between architecture vested with premeditated intention and that of mere functionality. The resultant buildings frequently adhere to conventional norms, conforming solely to meet minimum code standards and foregoing design nuances that are key to expressive architecture.

Los Angeles’ early twentieth-century single-family homes embody ordinary architecture, while offering potential for transformation through their ambiguity.

A transformation can be made to ordinary architecture by making incremental transformations through a series of algorithmic operations to its inherently mundane components and reimplementing with a purposeful intention. By introducing these incremental changes, the architecture becomes a dynamic force that preserves the existing identity of the city while subtly modifying it to embrace its evolving nature.