Erick Dueñas

Character
Advisor: Russell Thomsen

This thesis explores ideas of adaptive reuse in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles by doubling the square footage of an existing building. We explore an idea of ‘character’ for a building that acts like a diptych. This idea of character emerges, and we can start thinking of character in two different ways. "Something is a character" – This treats "character" as a noun, like a person or identity. For example, the existing building is a character in the story—defined and established. While the other side is "Something has character" – This uses "character" more like a descriptor or even as if it's part of a verb-like function. While the two buildings may look like a mirror, they are different in structure, cladding, form, placement, organization, and layout. Despite the differences, they form a cohesive whole—like the Andy Warhol diptych, ‘Orange Car Crash’.

Axonometric

Orange Car Crash by Andy Warhol

Section

Building Interruptions