Category: EXPO 2024 Courses

In exploring the intersection of art, architecture, and perception, this thesis investigates the creative integration of 2D photo collage techniques to construct a 3D dimensional representation. By strategically overlapping multiple photographs taken at the same location and magnifying key elements such as location, architecture info, and symbols, the collage piece employs visual hierarchy to highlight significant architectural details. The 2D photo collage becomes a plan for constructing a 3D dimensional portrayal of architecture aesthetics and information. Through its dynamic portrayal of space and perception, these pieces embody the essence of architectural cubism, inviting viewers to reconsider their understanding of the built environment.

The Decontextual uses photographic abstraction as a generative tool to reconsider and reevaluate architectural spaces and representation. Inspired by a curated selection of architectural photographs depicting interiors and specific details or cropped moments of spaces, rather than overall depictions of rooms or building exteriors, led to a perspective-based approach to designing. Emphasis is placed on smaller scale architectural moments such as apertures, thresholds, and corners specifically composed to focus attention on elements that might otherwise go unnoticed. Buildings are designed from inside to out through evaluating how these moments interact with color, light, and shadow. The final product is presented entirely via photographed interior perspective images in order to generate new narratives about familiar places and challenge conventional notions of architectural representation.

The facade is our first impression of a building. An exterior elevation can help us infer what our experiences will entail before we even step inside OR it can mask what awaits. At USC, we have signage that tells us exactly what the building is, creating an environment where the facade is more aesthetic than informational. USC has placed importance on maintaining a visual language through duplicated facades. The result is a first impression which is repeated over again until the campus becomes a conjoined blur. Face First seeks to disrupt this recurrence through re-writing the campus design guidelines that dictate our facades. A sneaky way to remix and redeploy governing systems may yield a campus that maintains branded continuity while also updating and refreshing our architectural landscape.

Mid-century Hawaii witnessed architectural innovation through Tropical Modernism, combining modern aesthetics and tectonics with Hawaii’s diverse cultures and environments. However, these innovations and values seem to be lost today. Urban development pressures continue to favor impersonal high-rise towers functionally detached from nature and uninspired by culture. How can we revive and evolve Hawaii’s sense of place taking into consideration modern living and environmental demands? Learning from the architects of Hawaii’s past, how can we pioneer new architectural technologies at this scale and create spaces grounded in nature, community, and cultural heritage?