This project was a finalist for the competition 'HEALING - Alternative Designs for a Quarantine City' for Non-Architecture magazine. The team consisted of four students from the USC School of Architecture: Adrianna Fransz, Chaila Johnson, Tatiana Romero, and Beatriz Suarez.
Urban Picnic for a Post-Pandemic World takes advantage of the unused urban infrastructure in Los Angeles. Sidewalks, streets, and parking lots are reactivated in order to capitalize on the lack of cars on the streets. This enhances the pedestrian experience of the urban fabric, transforming L.A. from an automobile city to a playful and lively streetscape. A system of modules are deployed along three selected sites in the heart of Downtown L.A. and the Arts’ District. Each of these locations offer a wide variety of restaurant options, and with continued widespread use of street modules, the identity of the L.A. streetscape will be transformed.
Currently and in the future, restaurants will struggle with a lack of seating space due to social distancing requirements. As a solution, this project proposes “street furniture” that moves the dining experience outside and into partially enclosed modules. The restaurant modules are customizable, offering dining and takeout modalities that follow safety guidelines, while the parklets have buffer spaces to keep users apart. This kit-of-parts model allows for the mass production of pieces in a more affordable way, making these modules best for small and large businesses alike. The flexibility of these dining and parklet modules allow them to be easily added to any part of the urban landscape. Urban Picnic is not only a solution but an opportunity to design an L.A. for the people.
YEAR: 2020
COMPETITION: HEALING
ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS FOR A QUARANTINE CITY
HOST: NON ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE
COLLABORATORS:
ADRIANNA FRANSZ
CHAILA JOHNSON
TATIANA ROMERO
BEATRIZ SUAREZ
