• Undergrad Thesis
  • SCI-Arc Undergrad
  • STUDIES

design studio with dwayne oyler



The initial study and force behind this concept was notion of movement. The task began with creating a series of 2D linear paths that would be reflective of the site’s engagement with its surroundings. The corner site, sitting along Chinatown’s metro station in Downtown Los Angeles, sits as a bustling transition point for the local community and the developing sectors immediately around it. Through the development of a composition of layered and weaving lines, the line work which initially only served a 2-dimensional purpose was repurposed as the launching point into the mass’ 3D evolution.



The form’s structure was cultivated directly from the main linear composition. The strongest linear gestures were translated into the form’s primary structure while its supporting gestures developed into a secondary structure. This layering of elements gave way to a stratified structural system imitating the robust attitude of the introductory linear composition.



The initial line drawings, originally dictating form development and then structure, also served as a sort of map that was super imposed onto the site and helped narrate pedestrian movement. The most prominent lines in the drawing determined circulation paths, along with entries and exists. It was through this application of the 2D composition that the main design attributes of the building were developed.



As the primary and secondary portions of the drawing served to narrate the building's and its visitor's immediate relationship to the site, the secondary and tertiary figures of the drawing were translated into structure for the overall mass. The model images below capture the structural development that was extracted directly from the original line drawing which helped further connect the building back into its conceptual origin.





© 2014 VANESSA DE LA HOZ. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.