Perceptions in Procession: Architectural Interventions on Freeway Infrastructure

Abstract

The evolution of the automobile has directly impacted the formation of many cities but has played a major role in the development of Los Angeles, and is the reason for its extending urban forms with suburban growth. Freeways were initially designed to connect the citizens to all amenities of city life - a utopian ideal that has lead to suburban separation - Households distanced from their neighbors, and communities from their centers. This thesis takes on congested freeway travel and proposes alternative solutions using as an example the I-10 freeway that connects the heart of downtown to the Santa Monica Coastline. It analyses and documents how commuters experience freeway transportation, and uses this analysis to construct a three-dimensional abstraction and visualization of a multi-functional experience for commuters and pedestrians.