Portfolio

My Senior Thesis Project, recipient of the Interim Design Award, Outstanding Senior Project Award, and published in the Second Edition of Stable Magazine: Patchwork

The oftentimes criminalized art form of graffiti is intertwined with the heritage of Elysian Valley. Graffiti is a form of heritage art in the area, as a lot of Frogtown’s visual identity comes from its murals and tags dispersed throughout its streets and river basin. This art form is praised by the local art organizations, yet there is no space within the town to create this art in a safe and legal environment; this project seeks to amend that gap in accessibility. The site runs directly parallel to the LA River and spans from Dallas Street to Birkdale Street. Aligned in the center of Frogtown, the project bridges the divide between the newly redeveloped northern half of Frogtown and the primarily single-family home southern portion, which is where most of the original residents of Frogtown live. The site of this project meets that cultural divide and utilizes the original Frogtown culture to define its program. The program enables the artistic development of Frogtown and the restoration of the LA riverfront while preserving the manufacturing jobs and local heritage art culture. It consists of exhibition and gallery spaces centered around the historic street art of Frogtown and the greater LA area; a spray paint factory with a direct retail component; subsidized housing for both factory workers and artists alike; and a landscape that creates a direct connection from the local housing and the restored natural riverbed, utilizing anti-flood terracing to facilitate open wall space for the legal creation of street art.

Mt.Wilson is home to an array of telescopes that used to host a litany of astrological discoveries. In this project, we were tasked with developing a housing unit for astronomers that would revitalize modern astronomy projects at the existing work sites. I centered my design around solar control since a big part of astronomy is an often disjointed sleep schedule to better align waking hours to certain astrological bodies. The open living room and kitchen area have access to the most sunlight during the sunrise and sunset, this is so when astronomers are coming home or leaving for work their public spaces are lit with natural light. In the bedroom, a metal sheet was developed so that the bedrooms can maintain the view of the neighboring mountain range, while blocking light, especially at the head height when laying down for bed.

Commerce is home to over 1,800 businesses and a work force of 60,000 that
commutes daily through the city’s major freeways. Due to this transportation,
Commerce faces enormous health risks from air pollution. Particulate matter in
the air stems from transportation and manufacturing, which brings greater risk of
cancer and respiratory illness.
Although regional efforts through the South Coast Air Quality Management District
are working towards meeting federal standards on air quality, local jurisdictions
have the opportunity to aid their mission for the health and safety of their cities. This
proposal would be a revamp for the public works and transportation departments
in Commerce, which would define what air quality infrastructure looks like.
The building takes the form of a bridge to read like a billboard from the highway. This
facade advertises alternative transportation through the city via bike and pedestrian
bridges over the highway that do not currently exist. The 100% recyclable aluminum
cladding gives the headquarters a machine-like appearance to fulfil its function
of cleaning the air in the city. Further, the building both literally and metaphorically
bridges the commercial and residential sectors of Commerce.
Administrative offices and research labs make up most of the program, although the
public is allowed to pass through and interact with the building at several points. An
unconditioned bike path has a small vestibule halfway through its route, allowing one
to enter the center atrium and meet a friend for lunch or coffee. Classrooms at the
center of the bridge allow for a greater public interaction with the program, where
residents can learn about the risks of pollution, strategies that the city is taking to
combat it, and ways they can tackle the issue in their own backyard.

Japan Study Abroad Project, recipient of the Interim Design Award. Social isolation is a phenomenon that affects people universally. In Japan, it is known
as Hikkikomori. We seek to remedy the underlaying cause of social isolation through a
rehabilitative center focusing on overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellness for
women through a connection with nature and emphasis on art therapy. We seek to
connect people with one another, gradually, and on their own terms to promote sustainable health of the mind, body, and soul.
Additionally, Saisei no Wa embodies the idea of healing as a cycle and process. Patients are housed in differerent residencies corresponding to each step of the cycle.
These residencies’ facilitate healing through their unique programs and connections to
nature. Lastly, the residents are able to connect with the general public through their
art housed in the gallery.
The residents’ journey of healing is celebrated through the kintsugi paths that connect
each “step” of the process. Kintsugi is an artform in which broken objects are repaired
with gold leaf. Rather than hiding the damage of the object, the gold highlights it and
the process is based on the idea that embracing flaws can create a stronger and more
beautiful piece of art. Through the kintsugi pathways, our goal was to draw a parallel
between the residents’ process of healing and the environment around them. Creating
a space that celebrates growth and evolution with respect to their past. It also serves
as a reminder that it is okay to not fit into the “perfect” socially acceptable frame as
they ultimately reintegrate into society.