Student Workshop
Los Angeles faces a pressing housing shortage, with an estimated deficit of 240,000 beds. In response, the City’s Adaptive Reuse Ordinance has encouraged the conversion of existing building stock – 15 years and older – into public housing.
The Los Angeles County Hall of Records, co-designed by Richard Neutra and Robert Alexander, offers a compelling opportunity to preserve and extend its legacy as a steward of technological and architectural innovation.
Over the course of five days, students will work closely with academic advisors and industry professionals to address the challenge of transforming the civic building into a 200-unit market-rate housing development while maintaining its historic significance.
Students will consider . . .
Is such a transformation truly feasible, and at what cost – both materially and culturally?
What values are at stake in the adaptation of a building originally designed for a very different purpose?
How far can we go in modifying a historic structure before its identity is compromised?
More broadly, how can the evolution of a building toward a new function remain compatible with its architectural and historical essence – and to what extent?
To what degree do the environmental and climatic design solutions originally conceived for a public building prove to be not only relevant but essential for housing today?
The Student Workshop provides comprehensive knowledge of all the processes connected with conservation – the ability to observe, analyze, and synthesize cultural values; theoretical and technical knowledge; as well as design abilities – and adapts the conference theme as follows:
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Climate
Sustainability: building envelope performance
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Community
Housing and public space connection – challenges and tasks
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Creativity
Building surface as didactic public art
Venue
The Student Workshop will be hosted at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture in Watt Hall, just south of Downtown Los Angeles.
Schedule
Students will work closely with a group of academic advisors and industry professionals over the course of five days as they visit the Neutra office for orientation, conduct a site visit to the Los Angeles County Hall of Records, and participate in work sessions at USC.
The workshop culminates with presentations addressing the challenge of transforming the civic building into a 200-unit market-rate housing development while maintaining its historic significance.
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Workshop orientation at the Neutra office in Silverlake
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Workshop site visit to Hall of Records
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Workshop at USC – work session focused on building analysis
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Workshop at USC – work session focused on design proposals
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Workshop at USC – preparation for final presentations
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Student presentations at USC
Participation and Registration
Student teams will be created based on a mix of skills and background. To ensure well-balanced group composition, applicants are asked to provide:
A brief academic CV
Their knowledge of heritage/conservation-related topics
Any relevant prior experiences
And importantly, personal expectations and motivations for joining the workshop
Academic Requirements
Students who have completed at least two years of undergraduate or graduate studies are welcome to participate. PhD candidates may register as tutors or assistants.
Students enrolled in an architecture related program including historic preservation, planning and sustainability are encouraged to participate. If you are enrolled in another program such as architectural history, please feel free to register and explain your interest in participating.
* Professors who are interested in participating individually or as a group with students are also encouraged to register for the student workshop.
Students: $650 USD*
*Includes workshop registration, IDC registration, five (5) daily lunches, supplies, and shared accommodations for five (5) days.
Tutors: Complimentary*
*Includes five (5) daily lunches and supplies. IDC registration is additional.
About
Rooted in Docomomo’s core missions – DOcumentation, COnservation – Docomomo International Student Workshops address critical challenges in preserving modern cultural heritage through hands-on learning and reflective dialogue. They provide an inclusive space to interpret modern heritage in all its complexity, equipping participants with the tools to recognize its significance and maintain its authenticity. The workshops promote collaborative discussion on how best to safeguard its intrinsic values and historical integrity within a broader cultural context.