The multifamily residential development concentrates denser housing at some of the highest points in the township, resulting in spectacular views of Manas Lake from the upper levels of the housing complex. The design explores the use of brick in various forms by reusing the material as vertical planes on concrete-clad floors. Through variations in the position of these planes and the size of openings,  a hierarchy of private and shared terraces are provided. The project attempts to balance the vernacular interpretation of brick with advances in construction techniques.

Programmatically, the project explores the creation of ‘Sky Villas’ and re-interpret expressions and organization of units and shared space. At the ground level, the project establishes a series of shared open courts that embrace the topography of the site and are oriented to take advantage of the views. The project provides a true vertical village that will establish an urban density within a hilltop garden setting.  By integrating open spaces and terraces, a passive microclimate is created that allows the breeze to keep the buildings cool in the warm climate of this region.

The Sudstadt Library is strategically located in the heart of the community at the Weimar Neighborhood Center, in proximity to the residential area as well as the commercial center. The library has an elegant minimalist aesthetic and uses scale and materials to blend in with the existing fabric of the adjacent townhouses. 

The sloped roof maximizes the volume of the development. The interior of the library is fully expressive of this volume and uses both skylights and large windows to create a bright open space that visually extends the experience of the library by embracing the outdoors. The program recognizes that the library is often a multi-use meeting place and that new media libraries are always granted a prominent social function. 

The library modulates the scale of the interior spaces by setting a mezzanine to the rear and provides a variety of spaces to read, meet, or contemplate. Embedded as an integral component of the composition is a dual purpose stair that also serves as a place to sit and contemplate. Needs and constraints tied to the activities of the media library and to the ever-changing modes of delivery have been assessed carefully, which lead to a clear and functional organization of the inventory and by extension to the way the program is organized.

The parking structures serve the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center and consist of three facilities near or adjacent to the Intuit Dome. The West Parking facility is a multi-level parking garage with several access points. A pedestrian bridge at the second level across Prairie Avenue provides direct access to the Intuit Dome Event Plaza. Pedestrian ramps from all levels on the inner north façade are integrated with the pedestrian bridge and create a sculptural composition. Proposed screens create a play of shadows during the day and a play of light at night. In anticipation of more efficient transit options and reduced parking, the garage is designed to operate independently if the northern half is demolished.

The East Parking facility is designed as the hub for TNC, shuttle buses and rideshares and also includes a surface parking facility across from the Hollywood Park Casino. The South Parking facility is a multi-level parking garage with access from Prairie Ave and is anticipated to be utilized by the players, team operations and premium ticket holders. All three parking structures have extensive facades facing the community or major public rights of way. The design of the parking facades seeks to provide a canvas for public art through the articulation of screens that can also provide the code required ventilation for the parking structures.

Supersigns or Monoliths, amplify symbolism or messaging. This is particularly relevant in a complex environment with competing signals. The Supersign study considered heights between 80 and 100 feet tall and potentially in a location adjacent to a major urban center. The Studies recognize that the supersign communicated at the level of the City, the Block, or the Pedestrian scale.

The research evaluated the results of multiple variables. These included the geometry of the base (rectangular, square, or triangular); operations that generated the form such as rotation and fold; and the modulation of the surface (tessellation or score). The composition also evaluated the impact of symmetry as well as the geometry of the surface elements. Finally, multiple permutations between these operations resulted in 36 or more options. The illustration shows the arrival of a Monolith in Griffith Park overlooking downtown Los Angeles.

The Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center will include a range of facilities beyond the NBA arena, headquarters for the team and business operations. Among these are a series of indoor-outdoor “sky gardens” for visitors to enjoy food and drinks. Other facilities include a multi-purpose plaza featuring a concert stage, community basketball courts and outdoor space with a large LED screen to watch Clippers Playoff games and movie premieres. “I want the Clippers to have the best home in all of sports,” said Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer. “What that means to me is an unparalleled environment for players, for fans, for sponsors and for the community of Inglewood.”

“Our goal is to build a facility that re-sets fans’ expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we will call home,” he added. The centre is slated for completion in 2024 to coincide with the expiration of the Clippers’ lease at its current home at the STAPLES Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The privately-financed project is expected to revitalise its plot on a vacant land under the flight path of Los Angeles International Airport, and bolster the economic activity of Inglewood, a city in southwest Los Angeles County with thousands of new jobs. These include an estimated 10,000 construction jobs, as well as more than 1,500 permanent jobs.

The West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor Transit-Oriented District Strategic Implementation Plan will provide holistic land use and economic development strategy for the 14 communities along an industrial/manufacturing corridor with low levels of development, disadvantaged populations, and some of California’s most impacted environmental justice census tracts.  The 20-mile corridor, extending from Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to the City of Artesia, is in need of a unified TOD strategy to leverage the investment of a future transit corridor. 

Most of the communities in the project area are identified as disadvantaged communities and home to 1.2 million residents. The Plan responds to the unique needs of these communities to pursue TOD strategies that can spur investment and improve infrastructure while limiting displacement. The effort is part of an FTA TOD Pilot Program that provides an implementation strategy for TOC plans for each of the 15 station areas along the corridor.

The Southside Transit District Master Plan provides development standards and design guidelines for the emerging area of the Southside Neighborhood,  strategically located within a mile of the downtown core and the University of Southern California. Comprising a gross area of over 340 acres, it is bounded by Santa Monica Freeway to the north,  Harbor Freeway to the west, Central Avenue to the east, and Adams Boulevard to the south. 

Due to the pace of development, the Southside Neighborhood is envisioned as an extension of greater Downtown Los Angeles and is a transit-oriented district served by two Blue line stations on Washington Boulevard and an Exposition line station on Flower Street. These transit lines connect the neighborhood to Pasadena in the north, Long Beach in the South, and West Los Angeles in the west.  The Master Plan recommends the development of a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use character along Washington Boulevard.  This is complemented by a diversity of housing types within a 5-10 minute walking radius from transit stations and denser development proposed along the two major freeways. (Project directed by Farooq Ameen prior to City Design Studio)

The Watts Central Avenue Specific Plan is a Corridor Study of a mile-long 75-acre plan area in the Watts Corridor Redevelopment Project in South Central Los Angeles. The project will establish land use and zoning, building design, and streetscape standards along Central Avenue in the project area. The project will be one of several catalytic projects in South Los Angeles that are expected to accelerate the pace of development. The master plan assesses development opportunities along the corridor with an emphasis on determining the capacity for enhanced public improvements, a focus on retail activities, and mixed-income homeownership opportunities. 

The vision for the plan area has evolved from intensive stakeholder meetings, community workshops, and design charrettes that have involved key members of the community at critical stages. The proposed guidelines and standards are informed by extensive studies of existing conditions including land uses, building inventory, traffic intensities, open space requirements, alley conditions, parcel ownership, economic analyses, and demographics of the project area and influence area.       

The Crenshaw / LAX Transit Corridor is about an 8-mile corridor that connects central Los Angeles to LAX primarily along Crenshaw Boulevard, Florence Avenue, and Aviation Boulevard. Station area planning for each of the eight stations anticipated private investment in transit-oriented development. 

In the first phase, at least three options of varying densities were considered for each of the station areas. Alternatives were based on best practices for TOD and responsive to cultural sensitivities, the viability in the market-place, and the potential for maximum leverage of the proposed transit investment. 

Projects ranged from sensitively scaled infill such as within Leimert Park Village to larger-scale gateway opportunities such as development opportunities adjacent to LAX. Station Area Planning involved extensive analysis and study of existing conditions including existing land use, open space, built form, transit network, cultural sensitivities, and stakeholder expectations. Our team was successful in building consensus among very diverse and polarized communities along the Crenshaw corridor. 

PennDOT’s Bureau of Public Transportation (BPT), the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, and Amtrak are advancing much needed physical improvements to the Harrisburg Transportation Center (HTC). These agencies are seeking an increase in rail ridership along the Keystone Corridor as well as an increase in active transportation modes, such as walking and cycling, by improving connectivity to the HTC from surrounding communities, including the Capitol District, the Susquehanna River waterfront, Market Square and local residential neighborhoods.       

The HTC and surrounding properties possess great potential for supporting Transit-Oriented Development with residential and commercial mixed-use development. The HTC TOD Station Area Master Plan will facilitate the implementation effort and leverage access to public transportation and incorporate features encouraging transit ridership from the vicinity. The proposed expansion of HTC’s multi-modal transportation services should serve as the foundation for the transit-oriented redevelopment of surrounding and underutilized properties.