Category: ARCH 202B: Architectural Design II

My design stems from the theme of building blocks around a courtyard; a courtyard conceived as an open to sky garden with blocks set around them. This open space and spill-over spaces whether ground based or other-wise (balconies, loggias) have been thought of as centers of activities aiding transition from one space to another, encouraging a constant dialogue between the open, semi-open and built spaces and enhancing social contact and interaction of users.

The other cornerstone of the design is of expanding the program of a kindergarten (adding meditation/yoga, music and dance halls) resulting in encouraging different age groups to frequent the building, ensuring footfalls and utility of the building after kindergarten hours (and hence it’s use throughout the day) ; It is hoped that the expanded Program would lead to spaces that are not mutually exclusive(contribute to co-learning and growth) those that would be culturally vibrant, therapeutic and free mind and soul.

The above combined with the precedent of the industrial shed (and related exercises done earlier) with it’s extent, ribbed structure, symmetry, sloping silhouette give rise to a visual imagery(simple in plan and elevation) a deconstructionist form rich in pattern, texture (with screens/lattices) and utilitarian spaces, with clear linkages and circulation patterns.

A journey that gives you a complete change of scene. Exploring unorthodox ideas and techniques in design, I came up with a few concepts. Concepts that are conjured up by different perspectives on life. I wanted to create something interesting using themes such as exponential growth, intentional asymmetry, modularity, obscurity, and ideas of nature. P3 is essentially a kindergarten with an aquarium built into it, programs are interwoven into a pitched butler building located in the LA Arts District.

The concept of this project is to create a space which follows the existing shed’s rhythmic structure and rearrange the used material. And also plays with the idea of inside and outside by creating transitional space and have hierarchy between the inside and outside spaces. This project changes the conventional classroom boundaries and create a secondary space in to the existing shed and gives a new function to the in-between space. The translucent poly-carbonate playground is the imitation of a tree house, which has a central core that connects five small spaces in different levels.The existing building shed was elevated to create a shell for the inside translucent structures. The light can be control by the metal and transparent roof materials. The tree structure is suspended by cables and existing truss structures.

Explorations of a continuous single surface to form all the spaces within a typical Los Angeles sawtooth truss warehouse to create a new typology for working adults and their children.

When I think about kindergarten, I would want to introducing the nature into the school. In order to achieve that, I chose botanical garden as my secondary program. The main concept of arranging different programs is having the garden on the top, and the school on the bottom. The other concept is decreasing the boundary between the indoor and outdoor. School does not have exterior envelope, only the trusses are used to give a hint of the overall form. Also, very minimal doors are used in the school.

In Project 2, I investigated the concept of creating various educational spaces with a single structure, as I refer to as “the fort.” Expanding this idea in Project 3, the domestic shaped glass structure physically moves throughout the existing warehouse to form three different learning spaces for the young students. During these physical transitions, the forts “lock” into their designated phases by the usage of visual cues of the domestic shape. This can be seen in the dematerialization of the brick, cut outs of the light wells, and removable of the grid from the waffle grid. Extending visual cues on to the ground, a super graphic acts as a step by step guide representing how the forts are transitioning throughout the building.

Through the use of transparent materiality, the idea of ascension, and cloud based platforms, I created an 8-bit inspired space that breaks conventional classroom culture to allow a child’s mind to wander, explore, and create. My main concept is to create an interior oasis focused on promoting creativity.

My project meshes together an art gallery and a nursery school to create an art exploration center. The art gallery is integrated on the first floor and the nursery school is on the second floor. The nursery school runs from 8 am to 1 pm and the art gallery runs from 2 pm to 20 pm. Using a play on modern art, the users of the art gallery will be able to access the second floor and often times not be able to tell the difference between the remnants of the nursery school or million dollar pieces of art.

My idea is to combine the program with a Zen Garden. 2 of the Classrooms locate at the lower level. Everything is organized around the three. The second level with the tall three really becomes the heart and the focal point of the building. The back part which is elevated by the wood blocks is the main communal gathering for the kids. Back section provides kids an exterior view of the zen pool.