Portfolio

This project is funded by the Surdna Foundation

in support of transdisciplinary Designmatters

studio at the Art Center. Building upon a two-

term studio, the final phase of the Teen Art Park

will complie the feedback gathered from 150

teens from underserved areas in Pasadena

and Altadena, complemented by demographic

information, design guidelines and construction

documents in a report for the City of Pasadena

for implementation. The project is also supported

through the collaboration of community

organizations including Flintridge Center, Armonry

for the Arts and Learning Works Charter School.

For more information visit:

http://www.designmattersatartcenter.org/proj/

teen-art-park-a-place-for-artistic-expression-2/

Teen Art ParkAn art park designed for the creative expression of teens with direct input from youth of underserved areas in Pasadena and Altadena.

Fabrication

Transportation

AssemblyUse

Transportation

AssemblyRe-Use

“We like art and tagging because we want to be seen and heard.”

“[art] materials are expensive, we don’t have the money for it but it’s what we want to do most.”

“I want to build on my skillsso one day I can go to art school and have a successful career.”

“We want a space of our own, just for teens, but also a safe environment.”

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

$200,000$100,000

$90,000

$70,000

$50,000

$40,000

$30,000

Median Family Income

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

35%

All persons living under poverty income level

15%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

40%

Persons 25 and over with no high school diploma

20%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

8%

Unemployment (16 years and over)

4%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

11%

Percentage of high school enrollment (grades 9-12)

5%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

40%

All persons under 19 years

20%

10%

30%

67%

Percentage of high school enrollmentin NW Pasadena/W Altadena compared to greater Pasadena/Altadena

LOSANGELES COUNTY9,818,605 residents

24%

24%

8%

16%

Population under 18 years




PASADENAALTADENA 179,899 residents

20%

17%

7%

13%

NW PASADENA W ALTADENA80,006 residents

28%*

25%

6%

17%





Population under 19 years*




LOSANGELES COUNTY9,818,605 residents

24%

24%

8%

16%





PASADENAALTADENA 179,899 residents

20%

17%

7%

13%

NW PASADENA W ALTADENA80,006 residents

28%*

25%

6%

17%





Population under 19 years*




Pop-up scenario showing how system might work as a temporary installation

Census tract maps showing geographic distribution of high school enrollment and unemployment in the NW Pasadena/W Altadena area

Outreach and engagement with teens throughout design and research process

Los Angeles County demographics compared with NW Pasadena/W Altadena demographics

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

$200,000$100,000

$90,000

$70,000

$50,000

$40,000

$30,000

Median Family Income

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

35%


15%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

40%


20%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

8%


4%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

11%

Percentage of high school enrollment (grades 9-12)

5%

4602

4603.01

4603.02

4610

4609

4608 4617 4616 4620

4619

4621

4622

4615

4611

0%

40%

All persons under 19 years

20%

10%

30%

67%

Percentage of high school enrollmentin NW Pasadena/W Altadena compared to greater Pasadena/Altadena

Source: U.S. Census, 2005-2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Source: U.S. Census, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates

Shell Centre Dialogue is a process of

engagement with all those who have an interest

in the redevelopment of the Shell Centre site

on London’s South Bank. Proposals are being

drawn up for a mixed-use redevelopment of the

Shell Centre site, which is likely to include offices,

residential and retail elements. The consultation

process seeks to establish an open, dynamic and

ongoing conversation, to help shape the plans as

they emerge.

Engagement ranges from informal pop-ups, Walk

& Talks around the area with local residents,

businesses, cultural and tourist organisations,

exhibitions, workshops and strategic meetings

to enable public participation in the design

process, facilitating communication between

local stakeholders, developers, masterplanners,

architects and policy makers.


www.shellcentredialogue.com

Shell Centre DialoguePublic consultation for mixed-use residential, office and retail on London’s South Bank.

Hungerfordcarpark

Gabriel’s Wharf

UK’s largest station125 million visitors/annum

London Eye3.5-4 million guests per year

Old Vic Tunnels

WAC Library

Tour

ist r

oute

to E

ye

Westminster Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge

Waterloo Road

York

Roa

d

Blackfriars Road

Stamford Street

Westminster Bridge Road

Lambeth Road

Lambeth Palace

Roa

d

Westminster

Temple

SouthwarkWaterloo East

Waterloo

Lambeth North

Blackfriars

New campus

for King’s College

R

R

OasisCentre

St. John’sChurch

ExtendJubilee

Gardens

Educational

facility

King’sReachTower

BeethamTower

YorkHouse

RElizabeth

House

DoonStreet

FormerLying In Hospital

ARTS

ARTS

ARTS

Photo of Shell Centre Strategic mapping of stakeholder needs and wider context

Process of engagement with local stakeholders

The Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre is not

the most attractive, well-designed piece of urban

fabric, yet the lack of these qualities have in a way

enabled it to gain what is sometimes difficult to

achieve in built form: flexibility, adaptability and the

aptitude for its users to appropriate the space in

creative ways. It has been an unintended design

outcome that has created the space for immigrant

entrepreneurs to direct the forms and distributions

apparent at the Shopping Centre.

The fine-grained analysis of this case study reveals

that in the flexible conditions of the Shopping

Centre, spatial forms are essential ingredients

for independent proprietors to secure upward

mobility. These adaptive forms provide the

tools for entrepreneurs to respond to change

thus becoming resilient in the unpredictable

conditions inherent to self-employment. The

constraints of entrepreneurship are resolved

through the availability of these spatial platforms

combined with the ingenuity of proprietors.

The physical attributes of these spaces and

objects also enable frequently excluded groups,

such as women to partake in entrepreneurial

activities. It is a nuanced approach that exposes

how interior spaces, seating, easy assemblage

and storage combine to create an inclusive

environment for women at the Shopping Centre.

Similarly, independent proprietors respond to

fierce competition through the sophisticated

understanding of larger retailers clout, thus

arranging themselves accordingly to these forces.

Underinvested IngenuityA spatial analysis of immigrant entrepreneurship at the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre

Underground Station

Market at Shopping Centre

Shopping Centre

National Rail

Bus interchange

Typical Shop

Residual Space Shop

Stand

Kiosk

Kiosk Indoor stand

Residual space shop

Independent business Chain business

To LetEthnic-specific independent business

Female-led businesses at the Shopping Centre

Shopping Centre

39%

10%

Shopping Centre outdoor market

0%

Street level

Independent business typologiesAerial view of shopping centre Photo of Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre

Plan view of ground level businesses

Independent business

67%

Ethnic-specific businesses

30%

Female-led business Male-led business

Food Services

Food Retail

Business Services

Clothing

Gambling

Beauty Services

0 20 60 100 200 m

N

0

25

50

75

0

25

50

75 AMOUNT OF PEDESTRIANS

Thursday 8:00-9:00

Friday 13:00-14:00

Friday 21:00-22:00

Sunday 14:00-15:00

Monday 16:30-17:30

SPATIAL RHYTHM

What role does the high street play in a less-

affluent, rapidly changing part of London such

as Mile End? We see the urban high street

as a stepping stone for diverse and ethnic

communities, which facilitates economic and

social mobility through small and micro-scale

entrepreneurship. Fundamental to this role as

a stepping stone is an understanding that the

street’s economic life is deeply intertwined with its

social life. Networks, interactions and other forms

of social vitality provide newcomers to London

with a strong form of social capital that must be

valued.

To preserve the stepping stone role, we propose a

stewardship mechanism for guiding development

on the high street that makes the street more

economically viable while retaining its social vitality.

Key to this aim is encouraging a model of physical

growth that can incrementally adapt to changing

uses and users. This will be achieved through a

series of pilot projects in the interim period to the

Olympics 2012 to build confidence in the long-

term stewardship mechanism that will be guided

by the Stepping Stone Management Partnership

(SSMP).

For full “City Street” publication visit

(Mile End: Stepping Stone Street):

www2.lse.ac.uk/LSECities/citiesProgramme/

citiesStudioPublications.aspx

Mile End RoadThe high street as a stepping stone

Immigrant entreprenuers’ local and global networks

Social and spatial rhythm on the high street

Conversations with locals

Market share of independent businesses on Mile End Road

now..

Area = 3sqmArea = 30 -50sqm

Area >200sqm

Area = 50 - 100sqm

Area = 100 - 100sqm

catalyse and network

stewardship

Mile End RoadThe high street as a stepping stone

Introducing smaller-scaled businesses for easy entry

Cultural festivals promoting area as small business district

Chat Shop provinding business advice for locals

Activating underutilized spaces with a night time economy

Long-term stewardship model maintaining vitality on the street

Communities around the world aren’t waiting

for governments and businesses anymore. They

are creating more sustainable ways of living

and working for themselves. How can we find,

improve, and spread these good ideas? The

project aims to:

1. Find often-hidden examples of people who

have organized their own resources for more

sustainable city living.

2. Learn how to create successful alternatives

to the standard commercial and government

services.

3. Help those initiatives become easier and more

enjoyable through service design.

4. Show others how they could create similar

alternatives for themselves.

This exhibition aims to document urban activism

initiatives in New York City and to help those

initiatives become easier to implement and more

enjoyable through design.

For more information on Amplify! visit:

http://amplifyingcreativecommunities.net

Amplify!Amplifying creative communities on the Lower East Side

Materials for local particiaption on challenges in Lower East Side Interactive round table map to identify local sustainable practices

Scenarios showing hidden cases of creative communities i-touch wall showing international examples of sustainable practices Documentation of Lower East Side creative communities

Sonia has diligently been keeping notes, thoughts, questions and symptoms as the weeks passed.

After she enters her treatment room, she holds her journal proudly waiting for her nurse to ask about it. In these moments Sonia and her nurse, Harold, connect about her experiences.

Harold asks Sonia if there is anything he can do to make her comfortable before they begin. Sonia takes a deep breath, feels her body start to relax and responds, “Let’s get started. I want to get back to my journaling.”

A collaboration between Parsons’ School of

Design Strategies (SoDS) and Memorial Sloan-

Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) to explore the

potentialities of service design methods to envision

new modalities of engagement of cancer patients

and improve the quality of treatment and care.

The workshop focused on two major processes:

• Identification of service opportunities, where

participants were presented to two key

methodologies used by service designers:

Blueprinting, used to breakdown and map

chronologically a service; Persona Building,

fictitious characters designed in order to simulate

how ‘real’ people could interact within a service

environment.

• Design of new services scenarios, where

participants were asked to identify new service

areas that could be improved and brainstorm

possible solutions. By scenarios we mean the

description of a possible future or how a patient is

likely to engage with the new service.

Health Services Design workshop with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

‘The Journaler’ scenario

Blueprinting with MSK staff members Blueprinting Persona building Polarity maps

Excerpt of step by step health service

A toolkit designed for the launching of a peer

mentoring program at The College Initiative;

‘a non-profit reentry education program open

to all men and women in the New York City

metropolitan area who want to begin or continue

their higher education after release from prison

or jail.

The kit was designed through a 14-week

workshop series by current students of The

College Initiative, service design specialists,

and the director of the program.


www.collegeinitiative.org/ci2/services/mentoring

CI MentorsA peer-mentoring toolkit for previously incarcerated individuals going back to school

Co-design workshop with College Initiative students developing toolkit Components of mentor toolkit

Timeline from Mentor Guide of academic year

Troubleshooter from Mentor Guide

The client perspective (storyboard)

interested in taking advantage of Experience Fortune internships

find participating business through Fortune Society website

learn the tradeidentify shop with Experience Fortune logo

complete jobleave fortune society and travel to business by foot or by using fortune provided metro card

do the trademeet the managerintro contract and particip[ation agreement

Next_F and Urban Services: Reintegration are

focused on working through service design to

redesign existing services and propose new

ones through collaboration with staff, clients and

students at The Fortune Society, a distinguished

not for profit organization offering reintegration

services to formerly incarcerated people including

career development, health care, counseling and

family advice, education and housing.

The work generated through this partnership

between The Fortune Society and Parsons School

of Design can be seen in the publication Designing

w/ at: designingwith.parsons.edu

Designing w/ is about participatory design. Unlike

the problem-solving approach that focuses on

providing immediate answers to problems, our

approach is inquiry-driven and collaborative. At

SoDS we want to learn how to use participatory

design methods to build a shared understanding

of the complex challenges, identify new opportuni-

ties, and design multiple scenarios and solutions.

Next_FUrban services for reintegration

Blueprinting service proposals for Fortune Society Journey mapping with client

Wayfinding proposal for new clients

Mapping of ‘Buddy Up’ proposal

Desktop walkthrough for apprenticeship proposal

NORTHERNRIVERSIDE

CENTRAL

POVERTYFAMILIES

POVERTYFEMALE HOUSEHOLDER

ETHNICITYINCOME DISTRIBUTION

NO HS DIPLOMA UNEMPLOYMENT

CHILDRENUNDER 9

INCARCERATEDWOMEN WITH CHILDREN

NO HS DIPLOMAINCARCERATED

1. Up to 25,000 peopleare released from Riker’s Island Jail at this drop off point on a yearly basis.

2. Queensboro Correctional Facility, releases up to 400 incarcerated individuals per year into the Long Island City area.3. Queensboro Plaza is LIC’s largest transportation hub and commercial

center. It has transformed rapidly under 2001 re-zoning regulations, expanding luxury and commercial services.

4. The Fortune Society, a re-entry program, offering formerly incarcerated individuals services such as housing, employment, and life skills.

5. Hour Children, a women’s re-entry program, providing housing, daycare, and reunification services for recently released women & their children.

KEY

Industrial

Commercial

Public Space

Low-IncomeMiddle-Income

High-Income

Transportation Hub

Re-entry Programs

Drop-off Points

Scale

ANALYSIS MAP

6. Ravenswood Public Housing, surrounding neighborhood average income is $14,000.

7. Queensbridge Public Housing, home to 7,000 Long Island City residents.8. New luxury residence, heightening opportunities for interaction among diverse

groups at Riverside location.9. Vernon Blvd. streches down from the Riverside location to Jackson Ave. where

most luxury development is taking place. Development projected to expand across Vernon Blvd.

10. Main luxury residential development area. Gradual development of luxury commercial services and an expanding artistic community.

NORTHERNRIVERSIDE

CENTRAL

POVERTYFAMILIES

POVERTYFEMALE HOUSEHOLDER

ETHNICITYINCOME DISTRIBUTION

NO HS DIPLOMA UNEMPLOYMENT

CHILDRENUNDER 9

INCARCERATEDWOMEN WITH CHILDREN

NO HS DIPLOMAINCARCERATED

1. Up to 25,000 peopleare released from Riker’s Island Jail at this drop off point on a yearly basis.

2. Queensboro Correctional Facility, releases up to 400 incarcerated individuals per year into the Long Island City area.3. Queensboro Plaza is LIC’s largest transportation hub and commercial

center. It has transformed rapidly under 2001 re-zoning regulations, expanding luxury and commercial services.

4. The Fortune Society, a re-entry program, offering formerly incarcerated individuals services such as housing, employment, and life skills.

5. Hour Children, a women’s re-entry program, providing housing, daycare, and reunification services for recently released women & their children.

KEY

Industrial

Commercial

Public Space

Low-IncomeMiddle-Income

High-Income

Transportation Hub

Re-entry Programs

Drop-off Points

Scale

ANALYSIS MAP

6. Ravenswood Public Housing, surrounding neighborhood average income is $14,000.

7. Queensbridge Public Housing, home to 7,000 Long Island City residents.8. New luxury residence, heightening opportunities for interaction among diverse

groups at Riverside location.9. Vernon Blvd. streches down from the Riverside location to Jackson Ave. where

most luxury development is taking place. Development projected to expand across Vernon Blvd.

10. Main luxury residential development area. Gradual development of luxury commercial services and an expanding artistic community.

The western-most district of Queens, Long

Island City (LIC), serves as the drop-off point for

up to 25,000 recently released individuals from

Riker’s Island Jail and Queensboro Correctional

Facility. In addition, LIC is undergoing significant

urban transformation due to it’s proximity to

Manhattan and re-zoning regulations passed in

2001. Historically a highly industrial area, it is in

the process of being formed into a cultural and

commercial district. A wealthier demographic and

artistic community is growing among a primarily

low-income population. These dynamics make

the district prime ground for systems of integration

that bring together diverse groups. A network

of recreational and educational spaces utilize the

mix of specific services that respond and resonate

with both re-entry and local community needs to

facilitate casual interaction between diverse socio-

economic populations.

For video interviews visit:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi6cDwDlcRA

Social IntegrationThe formerly incarcerated and Long Island City Community

Service offering of proposed community centers Map of Long Island City and proposed locations for community centers

Still frames of interviews conducted with formerly incarcerated individuals

Documents

Portfolio