LA Union Station
Where transportation meets community.
Project Details
fall 2024 // Colorado State University
800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- School project, fictional
- 81,000 square feet
- Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture and Design Capstone project
- Created in Revit, Enscape, Procreate and Photoshop
Design Approach
The project drivers address traffic related emissions, stigmas surrounding public transportation, and honoring the historical significance of the site. Los Angeles, California is notorious for its excess of traffic and urban sprawl which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and creates gaps in the accessibility of public transportation. A primary reason for these gaps is the stigma surrounding its use; as many deem citizens who rely on public transportation to be “second-class citizens” (Hazelton-Boyle and Wellman, 2022, p. 253). The renovation promotes public transportation, providing a socially equitable opportunity while reducing its related emissions.
Hazelton-Boyle, J., & Wellman, G. (2022). Transit Stigma: Transit Administrators’ Views of the Role of Policy Elites in Perpetuating Stigma. Public Works Management & Policy, 27(3), 252-264. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087724X2210888
Concept: Concatenate
(1). link together in a chain or series
(2). come together to form a greater whole
The historical significance of Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) and
it’s site is multifaceted. In 1980, LAUS was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places which means many of the historically
significant portions of the building must remain unchanged (Los
Angeles Union…, n.d.). In addition, LAUS is located on what was
once the Yaanga Village, one of the largest Tongva villages (Tongva
tribe…, 2024). According to Gabrielino/Tongva Nation, they are
“the aboriginal tribe of the Los Angeles Basin and four Southern
Channel Islands, the true First Angelenos” (Tongva tribe…, 2024).
The Tongva are considered the People of the Earth, changing
location based on the seasons, living a hunter/gatherer lifestyle
and thriving on deep-sea fishing (Goodyear, 2020). Given this site
is historically significant, the design was created to reflect these
details.
The concept of the design is concatenate, which means to link in a
chain, coming together, to form a greater whole (Merriam-Webster,
n.d.). The linkage within the design refers to the connection within
the city via public transportation, the relationship between the
historical site and its renovation, and the tie between the natural
world and built environment through sustainability. The concept
is inspired by the connection the Tongva Nation have between the
sea and land, illustrated by the topographic map depicting the way
the wind interacts with the sea and the topography of Los Angeles.
These patterns inspired the space planning and major circulation
paths throughout the redesign (LA Sea…, n.d.). The deep connection
between the natural and built environment incorporates a systems
thinking approach, allowing for sustainability to be implemented as
a complex web of pieces to create a larger whole.
Goodyear, M. (2020, November 11). Journey with the Tongva: People of the Earth. Jericho Road Pasadena. https://jrpasadena.org/2020/11/16/journey-with-the-tongva-people-of-the-earth/
LA Sea/Land Breeze. La Sea/Land Breeze. (n.d.). https://people.atmos.ucla.edu/fovell/ASother/mm5/LA_seabreeze.html
Los Angeles Union passenger terminal, tracks & Shed, 800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA. The Library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.loc.gov/item/ca1312/
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Concatenate definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concatenate
Tongva tribe history & timeline: Gabrielino/Tongva Nation. Gabrielino / Tongva Nation. (2024, April 18). https://gabrielinotongva.org/history/
Floor Plans
The Redesign
Los Angeles Union Station is famous for its historically significant waiting room and ticket concourse, which have undergone conservation projects in recent years. Given its designation on the National Register for Historic Places, these areas of the station cannot be changed. However, the east wing that currently houses Amtrak offices and retail, is not considered historically significant. Upon touring and speaking with station employees, it was found that this 80,000 square foot space is heavily under utilized, with a majority of its second and third floor being unoccupied. The redesign proposes the addition of a food hall and a boutique hotel within this area, which is directly connected to the existing waiting room and the tracks. Within the redesign, the food hall is located on the south side of the first floor, which provides seating, restrooms, and local food options. Transit related support spaces such as baggage claim, rental car offices, and customer service is conveniently located between the waiting room and tracks, where major circulation takes place. Additionally, support spaces and offices for employees are located on the north end of the first floor and south end of the second floor, respectively. Finally, the hotel is located on the north side of the first floor and continues on the second and third floors. In order to reduce transit related stigma and class segregation, the hotel uses a filtered approach. This means that circulation is free flowing between the community areas of the hotel and the rest of the station. The first floor lobby includes a reception desk that the user must pass to utilize the vertical circulation, which acts as the first filter. The second floor features a speakeasy which provides hotel guests with the sense of privileged treatment and acts as the second filter. Finally, the hotel rooms are located on the second and third floors which are designed with key card access hallways to provide hotel guests with security and safety.
Food Hall
In effort to connect users with the site and its location, the food hall design utilized place attachment theory. This theory highlights the connection between the physical environment and a persons emotional bond to it (Ilovan and Markuszeqska, 2022). In addition to only providing local food vendors, the food hall incorporates a human-landscape relationship, placing the Los Angeles topography on the floor. Additionally, an onyx ceiling and wall feature, highlighting the interconnection between the built environment and natural world, connects to custom sandstone tables, a stone found in Southern California. Within this area of Los Angeles there are many individuals experiencing homelessness and it has been found that “outreach is a more effective approach to addressing homelessness” rather than punitive measures (Ding, Loukaitou-Sideris, and Wasserman, 2022). Therefore, the food hall houses a company called Food Finders which provides free meals to people experiencing homelessness by using unused food from the other food vendors. This reduces food waste and provides an positive space to obtain support.
Ding, Hao, Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia, & Wasserman, Jacob. (2022). Homelessness on public transit: A review of problems and responses. Transport Reviews, 42(2), pp. 134-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2021.1923583
Ilovan, Oana-Ramona & Markuszewska, Iwona. (2022). Introduction: Place Attachment – Theory and Practice. 10.1007/978-3-031-09775-1_1
Hotel
The hotel lobby design is meant to bring connection with the history of the Tongva people. Arches, inspired by Tongva dome homes, act as a visual cue for users to move towards reception. Additionally, they divide the open, public and sea inspired lounge with the private, land inspired lobby; highlighting Tongva’s linkage between the land and sea. Additionally, the east wall features a map of the Tongva villages in Southern California before the Spanish settlers, educating users about the importance of the site. The hotel lobby features a variety of seating options and provides users with access to natural light and views. The lounge continues into the second floor, accessed by a large staircase and elevators located past the reception. The second floor provides access to an outdoor seating area and a library, featuring local art and a secret bookcase door leading to a speakeasy bar inspired by the art deco design of the historic Los Angeles Union Station.
Sustainability
Sustainability was at the forefront of every decision within the redesign. Influenced by a variety of LEED and Living Building Challenge credits, sustainability has been implemented environmentally, socially and economically. Focusing on materiality, all specified materials and furniture is manufactured within the United States, reducing their embodied carbon. In addition, the majority of the flooring specified is Coverings ETC Eco-Cem made from 80% recycled portland cement and 20% recycled wood pulp; with many other materials being made from recycled content and low to no VOCs. The outdoor area on the second floor features only local vegetation, which requires no irrigation, connects users with nature and reduces the heat island effect. Additionally, this area is a converted parking lot which is reducing the parking footprint of the site. In replacement, 271 solar panels, accounting for 6.22% of the entire stations energy, are installed on the roof and displayed in an outdoor seating area. The displayed solar panels contributes to visual environmentalism which creates person-place bonds and can incentivize sustainable behavior (Cole, Coleman, and Scannel, 2021). Finally, the implementation of target action cues, such as signage to turn the lights off, provide users with information of how they should act within the built environment (Mazar, 2020).
Cole, L., Coleman, S., and Scannell, L. (2021). Place attachment in green buildings: Making the connections. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101558
Mazar, A., Tomaino, G., Carmon, Z., and Wood, W. (n.d.). Sustainaning Sustainability: Lessons from the Psychology of Habits. https://scholar.archive.org/work/lh37rhdeqnd2noav2ghhh2cmrq/access/wayback/https://
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