Collaborators: Amy Andalib, Christina Arguelles, Amelia Blackmon, Harrison Boru, Samantha Dalid, Colin Herke, Christopher Shannon

​​

​

East Los Angeles is rich in history and culture, with a vibrant and connected community of residents that take initiative in bettering their surroundings through political activism. Unfortunately, their community faces issues of neglect due to racist zoning policies, lacking an associated municipal community. The built environment further perpetuates this inequality, contributing to an overall poor health and well-being of the community. With a lack of facilities and community investment, car-centric infrastructure, poor air quality, and inadequate access to fresh and healthy food, residents are only made more vulnerable by their surroundings.

 

​For this design competition, we were tasked with designing an addition to Griffith Magnet Middle School that not only addresses the needs of the immediate local community, but also engages the broader community through outreach. Our proposal includes interactive, sustainable building technologies like operable cisterns and rainwater collection systems in order to educate and expose students to green technology early, sparking a growing interest in the environment and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. A large photovoltaic array wraps around the Northeast side of the building, creating a solar facade that diffuses direct sunlight into the classrooms while creating privacy and directing students’ views inwards towards the green courtyard. This facade, along with the rainwater collection system and various passive sustainable design strategies help to push this proposal towards becoming a net-zero energy building.

 

​This project aimed to foster a sense of community as well as prioritize environmental sustainability. The various exterior spaces are designed to provide connections to one another, allowing students in every space in the school to feel included. Different local organizations are also encouraged to host events in the central courtyard, bringing the neighborhood together and creating a stronger sense of unity.

 

​This competition was a collaborative effort between a team of eight undergraduate architecture, interior design, and civil engineering students.