Westwood Performing Arts Center | Westwood, CA
Structural members are positioned based on a three-dimensional grid of points generated by hexagonal cells scaled from 30’-0” to 3’-9”. Slabs move along the lines of these cells and connect between points. The points of each cell shift to accept the slabs and create spatial divisions, thus deforming each cell. Through the process, the three-dimensional grid evolves as cells are packed around the edges of spaces, creating dense frames. These frames then split and peel apart to create a conceptual tension between frames and to provide structural density where needed. Interior partitions follow these lines and cross through less dense zones. As the frames flow toward the corners of the building, they push the cores out, remaining detached but still allowing the cores to take on a structural load. The enclosure splits off of the slab edges and shifts in and out in certain areas to help shape spaces in a formal language similar to the structural frames.