la xtra

is a building-scale urban proposal located within Los Angeles International Airport, transforming Parking Structures 1 and 7 into a connected network of mixed-use buildings. Conceived as a village within the airport, the project shifts LAX from an infrastructure of movement to a place of occupation. Hotel rooms, retail, event and auditorium spaces, a brewery, and generous outdoor public areas are organized around a central train station, positioning transit as the social and spatial core of the development. Prioritizing pedestrians over vehicles, the proposal introduces a layered public realm that invites lingering, gathering, and everyday use—reframing the airport as a civic destination designed for people, not just passengers.

Partner(s): Gabriella Vitela

Advisor: Dwayne Oyler

The final step synthesizes the object-scale formal logic, site-driven push-and-pull operations, and programmatic demands into a coherent architectural proposal. Relationships developed through tight fit, axial alignment, and directional movement are translated into building-scale organization, guiding massing, circulation, and spatial hierarchy. The earlier wireframe and placement studies inform how elements connect, separate, and overlap, allowing form to emerge from relational systems rather than isolated gestures. At this stage, program and infrastructure are woven into the formal framework, grounding speculative explorations in use, movement, and occupation. The project resolves as an architecture shaped by accumulated forces—mechanical, spatial, and contextual—where form, function, and experience are fully integrated.

Software: Rhino, Keynote

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