Inclined Integration
Third Year StudioSpecific parts of Los Angeles don't follow the standard American orthogonal grid because it had been designed by Spanish colonies. King Phillip II of Spain created the Council of the Indies to regulate its new territories. The Laws of the Indies dictated that the city's plaza—the social and political center of Spanish colonial settlements—be oriented 45 degrees off the cardinal directions. When Los Angeles became a part of the United States, the city adopted the lot-and-block system when developing west of the plaza.
This partner project focuses on urban designing a section of Downtown Los Angeles where both grids meet. My partner, Kate Burkhart and I wanted to preserve the historic, inclined, Spanish grid with approximately 250 by 275 foot blocks. Large pre-existing buildings in the site interrupt the new grid, which is resolved by turning these areas into large plazas. In order to minimize car dependency for the site, many of the side roads were turned into pedestrian and bike only streets. The orthogonal buildings that surround the permanent buildings consist of industrial and commerical developments, while the inclined buildings are mixed-use, residential areas. This provides a middle ground for transitioning from the American orthogonal grid to the Spanish inclined grid.
Residential Neighborhood Render
Continuation of the Historic Inclined Grid
Master Plan
Building Typology
Market Plaza Render
Main Street Render
Street Typology
Laser Cut Model