Design Approach
We drive hands-on innovation, exploring the intersection of design, materiality, craft, and technology to transform the built environment
Fostering a Design Focused Culture
We like to get our Hands Dirty
Harnessing the Power of Digital Innovation
Innovative Leaps in Design Process, Fabrication Technologies, and Environmental Performance
8501 Sunset, a sculptural billboard project, exemplifies our approach to reimagine the typology of media by dissolving the boundary between architecture and signage. At its core is a custom 3D-printed mesh, a lightweight, open lattice structure. Acting as a spatial mediator, the mesh seamlessly links the billboard display with the building façade, transforming signage into an architectural extension. More than a surface, it becomes a continuous experience where structure, media, and urban identity converge.
Set along the iconic Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, the installation breaks away from the visual monotony of conventional billboards with its porous, dynamic geometry. It captures light and shadow throughout the day, animating the site as a living landmark. Engineered from fiber-reinforced polymers, the mesh offers exceptional strength-to-weight performance reducing the amount of structural steel support needed, rapid off-site prefabrication, ease of installation, and near-zero construction waste to reduce its environmental impact. This supports both formal exploration and uniquely efficient project delivery within traditionally challenging dense urban environments.
Crafting a Dynamic Facade
We approached 727 Grand, a downtown Los Angeles data center, with the goal of crafting a visually impactful landmark. Given the building’s almost entirely windowless design, the dynamic façade became its defining feature. Pushing the boundaries of data center design, the team envisioned a building that embodies a sense of energy, visually transforming throughout the day and year.
Utilizing digital modeling in Rhino and Grasshopper, the team devised a system of angled panels that articulate the building’s skin. 3D printing was used extensively. Small-scale models studied the building’s context, mid-size models tested light and shadow, and a large-scale mock-up with 28 printed panels was assembled for thorough testing. To counter the high energy consumption of data centers, the façade was modeled to provide passive shading and cooling, reducing the reliance on artificial cooling for the servers. The result is a dynamic façade characterized by light, shadow, reflectivity, and form interplay.
Exploring Materiality and Impact
Emblematic of our hands-on approach is Heartburst. Imagined for Burning Man Animalia (2023), the art spectacular playfully harnesses the healing power of light and sound through a bamboo structure framing view of the vast desert landscape. The structure was envisioned working with a leader in socially conscious, sustainable bamboo applications from Malaysia. The project offered OU employees of all disciplines the chance to contribute, testing ideas of materiality, permanence and impact through the design, modelling, and construction stages, leveraging strong partnerships within the AEC industry.
Prior to build-week, the team constructed 70 components including 58 prefabricated panels in the OU parking lot over four days. The full structure was then erected over the entire build-week, where all who wanted were invited to join the camp for the build and festival. The structure was later reconfigured for a gallery exhibition which has led to further iterations for clients, and new material exploration.