REFORMING REFUSE

HELLO HELL-A: WESTLAKE

Selected by faculty for The Blueprint 2023 - USC Master of Architecture Annual Exhibition  

Westlake is often described in many words that capture the dichotomies and contradictions of LA: opulent, grand, vibrant, faded, crime-infested, and undergoing revitalization. Focusing on the narrative of excess trash in the area, the project aims to reframe how waste could be dealt with through a grand spectacle of repurposing trash into useful material to rebuild aspects of the community, starting with the historical Westlake Theater. Through this elaborate exhibition of machinery processing in conjunction with efforts from people of the community, found items such as plastic bottles and paper litter will be brought to the theater-turned-repurposing center, sorted by their physical characteristics, translated, and reassembled into new items to replace deteriorating components within the theater, and perhaps eventually other parts of Westlake and the greater Los Angeles area. This system's call for community engagement looks to reform the relationship between place, people, and refuse. The film aims to capture the sorting, processing, and assembling system through programmatic adaptation and visual spectacle.