London Dance Factory

My terminal studio at the University of Oregon, titled [per]Forming London, explored the integration of performance and production within post-industrial city life. What is the architectural form of production in the city, as the economy moves from centralized, large scale factory production to decentralized networks of bottom-up makers? The project brief called for a multi-stage theater building with in-house production and public elements connected to the adjacent public square. The site is in Dalston, Hackney and retrofits an existing factory building that has fallen into disuse. The building faces a shared plaza, Gillett Square, a vibrant neighborhood gathering and event space.

My architectural response to the program and context of hundreds of small shops, dwelling units, and public markets was to develop a community beacon that primarily serves the makers of dance: performers, choreographers, technical crew, set fabricators, costume designers, and managers. The building steps up from the porous elevation facing the square to a modest tower that supports dense urban infill while relating back to the fundamentally human scale of the context.

This project was completed in my architecture terminal studio at the University of Oregon with Professor Howard Davis.