Searching for Context

Architects have a process. Part of my process is to familiarize myself with the surroundings of a project's site. As a transplant from Orange County, I felt it was important to familiarize myself with my loft's surroundings in the industrial part of Los Angeles. I wanted to get a feel for both the built and natural environment, so after some research, I figured that a run around nearby Elysian Park would give me an ideal perspective. I plotted a seven-mile course that would take me over the Los Angeles River to the park which occupies a hill and is also the home to Dodger Stadium. 

On the way to the  park I ran through a very industrial area that was bit intimidating to navigate by foot due to the lack of crosswalks and the ever present automobile traffic, but I soon started to notice a continuity to the overall look and feel of the place. The cars, bicycles, pedestrians, trucks, trains, all seemed to be choreographed. People driving waited patiently for pedestrians and bicycles and seemed much calmer than their Orange County counterparts. Large trucks would take up the whole intersection just to make a turn, but somehow they did so in such a fluid manner that it did not impede the flow of the congested streets.

Eventually I got to the park and was able to navigate over a dirt trail through a quirky mix of native plant species intermingled with palm trees to the top of the hill overlooking the river and the 5 freeway. I could now see the fabric of the city unfold itself in front of me as a dense, vibrant composition of old and new buildings teeming with activity.

The colors, massing and density of the city are going to inform my selection of colors and materials for the interior of the loft. I want the loft to relate to its industrial environment and feel like it meshes with the local character. The New Urbanist in me won't let me forget that architecture should mean something, and to do so, it should take cues from the local vernacular, cultural history, natural environment, and local climate. I believe people want to relate to their built environment, take ownership of it, and feel like they belong in a community. They do not want feel isolated in buildings that they can not relate to or that disconnect them from their surroundings.  

The imagery I see on these runs through the city will be stored in my mental database and have a big influence on the way I design not only the loft, but all the architecture projects that I will be doing in Los Angeles.