Blurring the Lines

Intense Urbanism:

BLURRING

THE

L I N E S image: Arlene Rutenberg

Kathleen Canta Adriana Casian Nicole Nguyen Julianne Pineda

College of Environmental Design Dept. of Landscape Architecture // Professor Rennie Tang LA 302 Lab Collaboration Studio with SWA Group Winter Quarter 2015

Table of Contents // Blurring the Lines Team // The Team pg. 1 Team Statement pg. 2 // West Hollywood //

West Hollywood Statement

pg. 5

// Site Inventory Mappings //

Background pg. 6

LA Art Culture pg. 7 WeHo Art Culture pg. 9

Sunset Blvd Art Culture pg. 11 // Intense Urbanism Argument //

Design Strategy & Approach pg. 17

WeHo Urban Context pg. 18

Open Spaces in WeHo pg. 19

Average Income in WeHo pg. 21 Programs pg. 26 Boutique Hotel pg. 27

Emerging Artist Spaces pg. 28 Satellite Museum pg. 29

// Urban Design Strategy & Architectural Approach //

Urban Design Strategy pg. 33

Building Components pg. 34 Building Framework pg. 36

Architectural Massing pg. 37 Building Massing pg. 38 Open Spaces pg. 41 Final Model pg. 43 // Renderings //

Aerial Mapping pg. 47 Sections pg. 49

Unraveling the Building pg. 53

Urban Design Mapping pg. 55

Perspective Renderings pg. 57 // Final Thoughts // Conclusion pg. 62 // Additional References // pg. 63 // Thank You // pg. 64

Blurring the Lines Team

Kathleen Canta

Adriana Casian

Nicole Nguyen

Julianne Pineda

3rd Year LA Undergrad

3rd Year LA Undergrad

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4th Year LA Undergrad

3rd Year LA Undergrad

Team Statement Urban design does not need to be about high density to target the public realm. The public realm through the existing art culture in West Hollywood, will not only provide open spaces, but also educate through art and provide an experience of viewing art in a different manner through the engagement of the landscape.

Introduction video of Blurring the Lines. https://vimeo.com/122609070 Video edited by Julianne Pineda

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image: Julianne Pineda

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// West Hollywood // West Hollywood Statement

// Site Inventory Mappings // Background LA Art Culture WeHo Art Culture Sunset Blvd Art Culture

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West Hollywood West Hollywood is a diverse city with not only the people that live here, but in its culture. Tucked below the Santa Monica Mountains, and adjacent to Beverly Hills and Hollywood, West Hollywood over time became the central hub for the visual and performing arts. A city known for its music scene, it is often time forgotten that many film production companies, recording studios, and even art galleries share the same culture that is apparent in West Hollywood. A city known for its billboards, this art culture can be said to have started with these billboards. Decades ago, the billboards were not the typical advertisement boards for companies and upcoming television shows, but they were a form of art. Billboards were painted by hand, making them unique and one-of-a-kind. But as with everything, as times goes by things started to change. Billboard ads are mass produced and the uniqueness of these billboards is at a lost. Now, to bring back the art that once grace the city in many forms, billboards are getting a bit of a face-lift, by becoming sculptural and artistic but still functioning as a place for advertisement.

For the art culture to thrive in West Hollywood, the key aspect is the public realm. A city that was meant to be explored by foot or by car, the mix of art and the public realm not only showcases the culture of West Hollywood, but brings a deeper engagement of the landscape for the users.

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Site Inventory Mappings

image: Visit West Hollywood

image: Snap Event Productions

image: Jacob Sikker Remin

image: Visit West Hollywood

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Los Angeles Art Culture By looking at three forms of art: art, music, and film, we looked at Los Angeles as a whole, and mapped out companies and institutions that cater to these three forms of art. Upon mapping out all these institutions and companies, it revealed that many of the much bigger companies and institutions were located closer to each other, creating a high density art culture in particular areas. What also revealed itself through this mapping is many of these places are located within West Hollywood, or around the city’s boundaries. This further supports that West Hollywood is a central hub for the different forms of art that can be found throughout Los Angeles. It also reveals that though there is segregation in the art cultures, it is apparent that all forms of art are mixed together.

Getty Museum

Universal Music Group

Art Music Film

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SANTA MONICA

Warner Bros. Studios

STUDIO CITY

Universal Studios Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD WEST HOLLYWOOD BEVERLY HILLS MGM Studios LACMA MOCA The Music Center Fox Studios

SOUTH LOS ANGELES

Original mapping by: Adriana Casian Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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West Hollywood Art Culture Looking at West Hollywood and mapping out the same three art forms, it also reveals how these are forms are located in clusters. Two major streets that cut through West Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard is where majority of the art culture are located. It is revealed that majority of these companies and galleries are centrally located along Sunset Boulevard. The Sunset Strip is diverse and unique, filled with venues, galleries, shops, bars, and restaurants. And with the density of these art forms along the Sunset Strip, it is apparent as to why many come to this particular stretch of West Hollywood.

Art Music Film

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PROJECT

B ET S N SU

LV D

SA

A NT

M

A IC N O

VD BL

SUNSET BLVD

WeHo Boundary Line

SANTA MONICA BLVD

T SITE

Original and finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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Sunset Blvd Art Culture - Surfaces One thing that many of the art forms have in common is the use of vertical surfaces. Along the Sunset Strip, surfaces are made up of billboards, building walls, and building with tall walls. Upon mapping out these different surfaces, it was apparent that there were a high mix of each along the Sunset Strip, and their locations are key. Tall walls were located by busy intersections where it can get the most exposure by pedestrians on the sidewalk, but also by those in their vehicles. Billboards are the main type of surfaces along the Sunset Strip, and easily viewed. From this, these surfaces, depending on the type, are meant for different experiences of viewing dependent on whether the viewers are in their vehicles or walking up and down the strip.

WeHo Boundary Line

Suns Project Site

Billboards Usable Art Surfaces Existing Art Surfaces Buildings with Tall Wall

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set Blvd.

Santa Monica Blvd.

Original mapping by: Julianne Pineda Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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Example of Surfaces along Sunset Our main goal is to bring this art into the public realm on Sunset Blvd.

image: Google Maps

Art Wall - Viper Room

Right : Usable Surfaces

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image: Google Maps

image: Google Maps

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image: Julianne Pineda

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// Intense Urbanism Argument //

Design Strategy & Approach WeHo Urban Context Open Spaces in WeHo Average Income in WeHo

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Intense Urbanism Argument After looking at the different art culture that exist in not only Los Angeles, but on the primary focus of West Hollywood, it was apparent that this art culture is the identity of West Hollywood. But how does this art culture affect the urban growth? Typically an urban design project calls for a high density development, but a site that is low density can still generate a large gathering of people and still be economically viable. By still understanding that the urban growth is inevitable, the site can still be built up to accommodate the ever growing urban society. What are important for the public realm are the open spaces. In the next few mappings, we show how there is a lack of these open spaces for the public realm in an area that is mainly privately owned but publicly accessible. These open spaces in the urban context help generate a variety of human experience, and taking it even further ground plane manipulation can generate an even different experience then just a flat surface.

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WeHo Urban Context Because West Hollywood is tucked inside LA, and adjacent to Beverly Hills, it is no wonder both the focus on arts in LA, and the expensive lifestyle from Beverly Hills were folded into the culture of West Hollywood. This is especially seen on the Sunset Strip where these cultures meet to create a whole new experience as you walk down.

Currently, Sunset is designed for indoor experiences and the only public space is the sidewalk. However, where the public space does cater to crowds, it is not enough from them to encourage engagement. This is where art steps in. Art ranges from public to private, and falls into many categories and subcategories such as decorative arts, performing arts, and our focus visual arts. In terms of visual arts, public art ranges from graffiti to street art to murals, while private art comes from public museums like LACMA or the Getty to privately own pieces. We want to blur the lines between these two forms and bring the art into the public realm.

Playing off the existing culture on Sunset Boulevard, we want to design a space that brings art to the public realm that will reflect the culture of West Hollywood and encourage people to engage the landscape they occupy.

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Open Spaces in WeHo With urban growth, there has become a lack of open spaces for the public realm. Though it is evident that there are areas with large open spaces, it is also shows that within West Hollywood itself, there are hardly any open spaces available. With a city that is predominately residential, providing more open space can encourage outdoor activity and engagement not only for the residence of West Hollywood but for the visitors and tourists as well.

PROJECT S

B SET N U S

LV D

SA

Open Space

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A NT

M

A IC N O

VD L B

SUNSET BLVD

WeHo Boundary Line

SANTA MONICA BLVD

SITE

Original mapping by: Adriana Casian Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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Average Income in WeHo In some areas in Los Angeles, household income can affect the different areas, but in West Hollywood, it is generally about the same average household income throughout the city. And it is obvious that with Beverly Hills being adjacent to West Hollywood, that the income value increases. With this information, it helps to understand the people that the project will target.

PROJECT SIT

SET SU N

$45,000 to $50,000 $50,000 to $70,000 $70,000 to $150,000 $150,000 to $250,000

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D BLV

SA

A NT

M

A IC N O

VD L B

SUNSET BLVD

WeHo Boundary Line

SANTA MONICA BLVD

TE

Original mapping by: Adriana Casian Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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image: Julianne Pineda

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// Programs //

Boutique Hotel Emerging Artist Spaces Satellite Museum

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Programs How do you create public space in a constantly growing urban environment?

By creating a space that targets the public realm through art, but still economically viable. To accomplish this we looked at these three programs:

Boutique Hotel

Emerging Artist Spaces

Satellite Museum

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Program - Boutique Hotel • Artist design “themed hotel rooms” • Unique and one-of-a-kind experience • Not a typical hotel development • Economically driven • Potential theme rooms:

James Turrell

Andy Goldsworthy Banksy

Shepard Fairey By creating a partnership with a hotel developer, a full scale hotel tower will not necessarily be needed, but if needed can be developed further in the future. The idea of the boutique hotel rooms is to give users a once and a lifetime experience to stay in these special rooms that were designed by a specific artists. A household hotel name and with famous artists, this can be economically viable for the site, while still maintaining a low density building footprint.

image: Isabel Eva Bohrer of BootsnAll

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image: Michelle Swift of Brit+Co

Program - Emerging Artist Spaces • Temporary spaces to live and work • Giving back to the museum by providing artwork, which in turn help support the emerging artists To support the emerging artist in West Hollywood or in LA in general, the studios provided are low-cost to the artists. In turn for living at a low-cost studio, these artists produce artworks of any medium for the museum and gallery spaces. This in turn will also help these emerging artists get their name out in the field by being displayed alongside works of famous artists from the past and those of the present.

image: Art Orbiter

image: Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

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m

8m ile

A partnership with an established museum will not only bring a well-known institution’s name to the site, but will become a greater connection to the main museum. This partnership will generate more programs for the public realm both for indoor and outdoor activities in West Hollywood.

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• An extension for an existing museum • Will provide connections to other museums across LA • Programming for indoor and outdoor activities • Extra gallery spaces for emerging artists • Adds precedence to project site

ile s

Program - Satellite Museum

Getty Museum

image: Art Observed

SANTA MONICA

image: Wikipedia

image: AXS Entertainment

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3m ile s

es

STUDIO CITY

WeHo

HOLLYWOOD

m

BEVERLY HILLS

LACMA MOCA

SOUTH LOS ANGELES

Original mapping by: Adriana Casian Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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image: Julianne Pineda

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// Urban Design Strategy & Architectural Approach // Urban Design Strategy Building Components Building Framework Architectural Massing Open Spaces Final Model

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Urban Design Strategy Los Angeles is known for its centralized culture around the different forms of visual and performing arts: film, music, and institutionalized art museums. These cultures over the years have made LA become one of the major tourists’ destinations. But it has also become a place for emerging artists to come and try to make it big and potentially become a household name whether through film, music, or art. All three cultures have spread and grew throughout LA, and in West Hollywood these industries have made its mark. Though West Hollywood encompasses all three art forms, the music scene has taken dominance in the city. The issue that rises from this is this segregation of the different art forms.

To address this issue, the building framework will be programmed through boutique hotel, a partnership as a satellite museum, and for the emerging artists. These three programs will not only blur the lines of street art and institutionalized art, but also create a space for the public realm on a low density level. Even as a low density site, the programs can generate a great amount of economic feedback for the site and for the city, while still addressing the public realm through art.

The building framework is parceled to three collections of spaces, which allows for a central open space, but also public space upon the building rooftops. Through the manipulation of the ground plane, the building itself can morphed into the ground plane, giving a different experience for the users. The building framework with its facet walls generates lots of surfaces that can be used for different mediums of art for both the interior and exterior walls. Art can allow for public engagement socially, but also for individual understanding. By strategically placing the building massing, art can be viewed from the car and from the sidewalk. Art for the public realm in West Hollywood, will redefine the art culture that is present in the city, and still allow for future growth and change.

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Building Components Three different wall components make up the framework of the building massing of the project site.

Vertical

Facet

Horizontal

Diagrams by: Julianne Pineda

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Building Components Implied By taking the building components, these are the potential spaces that can be formed to the overall building framework.

Rooftop Semi-enclosed Space Open Space Enclosed Space

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Diagram by: Julianne Pineda

Overhang

Building Framework Final building framework on the project site.

Diagrams by: Nicole Nguyen & Julianne Pineda

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Architectural Massing Diagrams Plan view of the overall building massing in context with the surrounding buildings along Sunset Boulevard.

The Roxy Theatre

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

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Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

HILLDALE AVE

HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

Building Massing along Sunset This set of building massing, the main museum galleries, is placed right along the sidewalk that will keep the same experience along the strip with that straight building facade. But at key spots, the building hangs above and over the sidewalk which exposes the building surfaces to be viewed from vehicles that are making their way along Sunset. It will also give a different experience for users on the sidewalk, forcing users to even look up above their heads to view the art pieces.

The Roxy Theatre

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

HILLDALE AVE

HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

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Building Massing on the Southwest Corner The second building massing which provides more gallery space is placed where the open space is. The topography here is manipulated which affects the way the museum is located and position. The gallery is positioned lower into the ground plane, which allows for access to the rooftop from the ground plane.

The Roxy Theatre

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

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Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

HILLDALE AVE

HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

Building Massing on the Southeast Corner The last and third building massing will primarily make up of the emerging artist spaces and boutique hotel rooms. A taller building massing allows for higher user density for the hotel rooms, and to accommodate for emerging artists. The building massing was placed in the southeast corner of the site to direct hotel traffic away from the busy Sunset strip, but to put similar building use closer together since south of the site is primarily residential.

The Roxy Theatre

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

HILLDALE AVE

HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

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Open Space on the Ground Plane Open spaces on the ground plane between the building massing brings user circulation to the central open space on the site, but also allows for a more free movement through open space and building massing.

The Roxy Theatre

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

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Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

HILLDALE AVE

HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

Open Space on the Rooftop Open spaces are also available on the building rooftops, which gives users a different experience off the ground. These rooftop spaces, depending on location, give direct access from ground plane to rooftop, but also opens up to access from the building massing overlooking either Sunset or the primary open space.

The Roxy Theatre

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

HILLDALE AVE

HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

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Final Model Topography made of 1/8 inch cardboard Building framework made of 3/32 inch chipboard

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Final model by: Kathleen Canta & Nicole Nguyen Images by: Julianne Pineda

Final model by: Kathleen Canta & Nicole Nguyen Images by: Julianne Pineda

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image: Julianne Pineda

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// Renderings // Aerial Mapping Sections Unraveling the Building Urban Design Mapping Perspective Renderings

// Final Thoughts // Conclusion

// Additional References & Thank You //

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Aerial of West Hollywood

The Roxy Theatre

Overall plan view of the building framework, and topography in association with the existing West Hollywood context.

A B

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HAMMOND ST

9000 Building

SUNSET BLVD

Hustler

HILLDALE AVE

A’ B’

Diagram by: Nicole Nguyen

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Sectional A-A’ Rendering

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Rendering by: Kathleen Canta

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Sectional B-B’ Rendering

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Rendering by: Kathleen Canta

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Unraveling the Building Upon unraveling the surfaces of the final building framework, and then laying them across the Sunset Strip, it revealed that from the project site itself, about half a mile of surfaces were created from a single site. It shows that the potential that all of these art surfaces can come from one site.

WeHo Boundary Line

Suns

Project Site

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set Blvd.

Santa Monica Blvd.

Original mapping by: Kathleen Canta Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen

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Urban Design Mapping After implementing the programs and form of the building for the project site, art for the public realm can begin to spread to billboards, potential art surfaces, and tall walls. Art can also spread to the ground plane of the sidewalks or even the street itself. The site becomes the art seed that can potentially spread across the Sunset Strip, but even to all of West Hollywood and Los Angeles. This can in turn create this continuous art piece, whether done by a single artist or by multiple artists, be in itself an art walk that can be experience from the sidewalk or by vehicle.

WeHo Boundary Line

Suns

Project Site

Billboards Usable Art Surfaces Existing Art Surfaces Buildings with Tall Wall

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set Blvd.

Santa Monica Blvd.

Original mapping by: Julianne Pineda Finalized mapping by: Nicole Nguyen Renderings by: Kathleen Canta

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Corner of the Hustler Building

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Rendering by: Kathleen Canta

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Corner of the 9000 Building

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Rendering by: Kathleen Canta

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Final Thoughts

image: Ivan Velรกzquez

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Over these past 10-weeks, the intense urbanism is about the urban context itself, but goes much deeper than that single layer. By looking at the public realm, and creating a space for these users by using the existing art culture to emphasize on the public realm, we created a space that allows the public realm to engage the landscape they occupy through the different mediums of art. The site did not need to be a high density development to support a growing urban society. The project does allow for the future growth of the urban society, but also still accommodating for the future of art whether it still needs physical surfaces to be showcased upon, or it becomes art that focuses more on the inner-being and thought experience.

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// Additional Sources // Official Guide to West Hollywood

http://www.visitwesthollywood.com/ City Data

http://www.city-data.com/nbmaps/neigh-West-Hollywood-California.html United States Census Bureau

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0684410.html

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// Thank You // We would like to take the time to thank the following that made this studio possible...

SWA Staff - Laguna Beach Office Rennie Tang Andrew Wilcox Megan McDanel - CPP Volunteer Coordinator Stephanie Reich - West Hollywood Urban Designer Jury Members during Mid-review and Final Reviews

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// Intense Urbanism: Blurring the Lines //