Horses, Church, Porn, Parking
UC Berkeley M. Arch Thesis 2006
Ravee Choksombatchai, Advisor
My thesis looked at the possibilities of the generic. Using Chatsworth, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley) as a case study, I examined how seemingly incompatible groups including the adult entertainment industry, horse afficionados, megachurch users, and shoppers could inhabit the same physical spaces with little conflict.
It became clear to me that the blandness of the architecture makes this mixing possible. Because the buildings of The Valley are blank boxes, nearly anything can go on inside. The design portion of my thesis looked at how density could be increased in Chatsworth by taking advantage of shared needs between user groups while working with the vernacular building types of the San Fernando Valley.
Presentation of the thesis involved a plan of the several-thousand foot long proposed building (view in separate window here), a video and renderings.
Horse Stables
Project Aerial View
Chatsworth Creek Park
Adult Film Archive, Interior View
Cowboy Saloon, Chatsworth
Saddleback Church Interior
Porn Star Karaoke, North Hollywood
Chatworth Satellite View