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For my architectural thesis, I have chosen to address the urgent and time-sensitive issue of homelessness in Los Angeles, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I was motivated to tackle this issue due to my personal connection to families affected by homelessness in the city.

To inform my design approach, I engaged with professionals from various fields, including non-profits, homeless organizations, clinical psychologists, social workers, and sociologists. During these conversations, I asked them to design a space for the homeless without constraints of space or budget, and I learned that allowing people to have a sense of authorship, ownership, and control over their space is crucial to building a sense of community and integration with others.

I also realized that our notion of public space is not completely public, as hostile architectural elements are often added to restrict people from staying. Therefore, for this project, I propose a public space that encourages individual and informal authorship while promoting community integration.

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