Alice in Legoland

Prototype for Los Angeles, CA

Thesis at University of Southern California

This project seeks to explore the idea of transformable architectural interiors and exteriors that respond to changing needs of inhabitants. The character Alice from Alice in Wonderland is the ideal client for these units because the story line imagines a built environment that is created through constantly negotiated interactions between the human body and space. Lego-like units are equipped with structural pieces attached to stretchable material to create different scales of enclosures. These units are then placed on a track so that they can be moved along a ten foot wide lot between existing single family homes in suburban neighborhoods. This radical proposal goes against current city regulations, which require setbacks on all four sides of a building. Different prototypes of these units allow for customization based on the inhabitant’s desires and specific site conditions. The City Car from MIT Media Lab is plugged in to the front of the house and the design takes inspiration from the robotic walls from MIT’s City Home project.

Shape Shift Flexible Facade

Elevated Prototype A

Plug-in Car Prototype B

Plug-in Car Prototype C

Internal configuration

Stretching Out Units

Appliance Flexibility Via Rotation / Furniture Flexibility

Facade Movement Upwards