Alexia Hix Portfolio

alexia hix portfolio

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coLAB PAD

coworking space

RESPIRE

student housing

NEARNESS installation

AWA

high-rise tower

FUSION

food market

BILLOW

art gallery

SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 2020 LOCATION: LA RIVER, LOS ANGELES, CA

PROFESSOR: JOHN DUTTON TITLE: coLAB PAD- coworking offices

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This project seeks to connect the user to the surrounding infrastructure through access to the Los Angeles river basin from the street by way of the undulating plinth topography. The plinth draws the revitalized landscape of the riverbed onto the roof and up through the coworking space by means of a vertical farming tower that runs through the extents of the building. The coworking space located high above the plinth takes on light and vast open views of Elysian Park, the downtown skyline and the river.

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The green energy properties of the building include: The shell of the coworking tower which is cladded with a passive louvre system, made from terracotta. The highest density of louvres on the southern facade to reduce heat intake and decreasing density toward the northern facade to maximize northern light. The roof of the coworking space is lined with PV. Operable windows in the tower allow for cross ventilation of the space. The plinth functions as a green roof. The structural cores of the building are hollow and double as solar chimney to regulate temperature.

The building operates on a VRF ystem resulting in minimal energy loss.

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This space offers an an array of office typologies including hot seats, permanent or temporary single and group offices.

The building allows the users expansive views of the urban cityscape while allowing them to have a connection to nature through access of the large green roof that connects to the riverwalk.

SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 2019 LOCATION: USC CAMPUS, LOS ANGELES, CA

PROFESSOR: JOHN MUTLOW TITLE: RESPIRE, (VERB), CYCLE OF INTAKE AND EXHALING.

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This renovation of McCarthy Garage began with removing the two interior bays that contained the ramps. Followed by the removal of the northwest end of the garage to create a better connection to campus. Then the third floor of parking was removed. Approximately 40% of the existing parking structure remains. A super structure was put in place to sit atop the first two levels of existing garage. The residential massing was rotated ten degrees to optimize ventilation, and split into three parts to maximize natural daylighting in the units.

Three stories of prefabricated units rest upon the super structure. The prefab units have clip on balconies and circulation paths that attach to other units. The screens covering the residential facade ventilate through passive kinetics.

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SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 2020 LOCATION: BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES, CA

PROFESSOR: ERIN KASIMOW TITLE: NEARNESS, (NOUN), THE CONDITION OF BEING CLOSE TO SOMEONE OR SOMETHING.

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The project considers the themes of Isolation and Erasure that currently and historically have defined Boyle Heights. My previous research considered the on-going battle over gentrification in Boyle Heights and focused on how new businesses and residents have missed opportunities to connect to the community by tending to isolate themselves through a lack of regard for existing languages and practices.

My study of newly transplanted parties in Boyle Heights led to a further investigation of fences as barriers of interaction. Looking into old and new typologies, the chain link and wrought iron historically have been very predominant in the community. The more recent introduction of the G-fence or horizontal wooden fence, is a modern representation of erasure, similar to that of the freeway in the 60’s, where the history of erasure and isolation began in Boyle Heights. These fences cut apart the existing fabric in the neighborhood, creating walls impenetrable to sight, advancing further division in the community. Both physical and immaterial barriers currently exist in Boyle Heights and as a designer and an outsider to the community, it is important for me to be sensitive and aware when observing the community in order to foster inclusivity. NEARNESS is an installation on barriers as a provocation to potential gentrifiers in Boyle Heights.

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SCHOOL: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, 2018 LOCATION: SAPPORO, JAPAN PROFESSOR: KOICHIRO AITANI IN COLLABORITION WITH: MICHAEL VANDERMATE

TITLE: AWA, (NOUN), JAPANESE FOR BUBBLE, ELLIPSOID.

We designed a high-rise tower in the northern most island of Hokkaido.

A recreational center comprises the podium at the base. Above, there are two residential apartment towers and one hotel tower, where the three towers converge on the twenty-ninth level they become the office tower.

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The podium’s structural floor plates are two-way concrete slabs.The advantages are large two-directional spans, high load capacity, acoustic insulation. The podium envelope is the geodesic dome, which is not attached to the floor plates and functions as its own self-supporting system. The advantages are the ability to conform to desired geometry, reduced structural opacity.

The tower system is reinforced concrete cores with an exterior diagrid. This allows for longer floor span lengths, ability to conform to desired geometry.

The exterior garden terraces are a vierendeel system. The terraces are wedged between the three towers and function to laterally brace and stabilize the connection of the three towers.

The advantages are increased vision / inhabitation between structural members.

For lateral bracing within our structure we have the freeform diagrid, vierendeel systems, non-uniform column bays, and a two way shear wall.

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SCHOOL: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, 2018 LOCATION: KLYDE WARREN PARK, DALLAS, TEXAS

PROFESSOR: KOICHIRO AITANI, CHRIS HUNTER

IN COLLABORITION WITH: TIFFANY OROZCO

TITLE: FUSION, (NOUN), TO JOIN OR BLEND TO FORM A SINGLE ENTITY.

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We designed an artisanal grocer market in order to create a place of interaction that draws in crowds from both uptown and downtown Dallas, intermingling the diverse population of the city.

This project seeks to transform the urban fabric of Dallas into a creative market for the community to thrive in.

This market provides an environment for local artists, farmers, craftsmen, and vendors of any kind to pop up a stand and engage the community. It includes a butterfly garden full of plants and greenery native to the state of texas.

Our structure incorporates a new bridge that connects people from the Perot Museum to the rest of the Dallas Arts District by way of the market and Klyde Warren Park.

Vertical gardens and water collection tanks were incorporated which function to recycle air and grey-water throughout the facility.

The reinforced concrete cages that create the vertical garden support the entire structure. Around the neck of each cage rests a massive steel ring where all the floor beams are bolted to support the load of the box. Insulated glazing plates are attached to the cage structure on the exterior.

The base of the market stalls are made of oak and the fabric covers, which dually function as light oculi , are PTFE fabric which is fade and water resistent. The split box is low emissivity frosted glass.

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STUDY ABROAD: BARCELONA ARCHITECTURE CENTER, 2017

LOCATION: SANT ANTONI, BARCELONA, SPAIN

PROFESSOR: MIQUEL RODRIGUEZ, MARTA ORTE

IN COLLABORITION WITH:

MCKAYLA HERINK

TITLE: BILLOW, (NOUN), A GREAT WAVE OR SURGE OF THE SEA.

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_elevator

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_lobby

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_drawing studios

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_43.34 m^2

_65.7 2m^2

_painting studios _33.64^2

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_sculpture studios

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_storage

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_rooftop elevator

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_kiln area

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The name of the art gallery- Billow, draws on the sculptural element that embodies the atrium, roof, double envelope and structure, though it primarily functions as the circulation. This undulating form dissolves from opaque white glass, to printed ceramic, to transparent glass as it surges through the building form.

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_104.44 m^2

_38.69 m^2

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_21.82 m^2

_ceramic studios _27.76 m^2

_technology studios _34.78 m^2

_emergency stairs _6m^2

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S E C O N D

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F L O O R

P L A N

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_atruim stairs

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_lobby

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_temporary installation

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_temporary 2D exhibition

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_digital exhibition

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_outdoor bar

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_permanent exhibition

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_auditorium

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_temporary 3D exhibition

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_173.35m^2

_42.71m^2

_35.80m^2

_132.90m^2

_132.90m^2

_132.90m^2

_132.90m^2

_109.07m^2

_100.64m^2

_emergency stairs _6m^2

_elevator _6m^2

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Designing a traditional art gallery would not have reaped any major benefits in this area, as many art galleries already exist. This project focuses on bringing art into the streets of Barcelona’s Eixample, creating a hub for creative social interaction.

The building operates first as an art gallerly, but also provides bountiful studio space for the artistic community. The structure includes an auditorium, temporary and permanent exhibition spaces, studio spaces, a cafeteria, an urban garden, and an outdoor venue for concerts.

This elevation shows the structure from the three visable facades, and how the summer sun affects the heat within the building. To counteract the heat levels we played with multiple levels of transparency.

Ultimately we left the highest points of the building solid, increasing window count and size as the building merges into the ground. The glass is tinted from opaque to semi-transparent to translucent as the height descends.

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CONTACT alexiahix@gmail.com 214 683 5868