Urban Fabrik is a community center focused on skill-building and climate resilience. It includes a bicycle assembly workshop where residents can learn welding and fabrication while promoting sustainable, carbon-neutral transportation. The building also acts as a central gathering point for the neighborhood, a place used in daily life and relied on during times of crisis. Post-tensioned steel cables support cantilevered classrooms that extrude from the main volume, maximizing usable space. Green space covers the entire footprint through sloped roofs, with apertures punched through to allow more natural light. Its design is heavily inspired by Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, embracing irregular forms, ornament, and bold expression as a direct rejection of Adolf Loos and his claim that “ornament is a crime.” Clad in ceramic tiles, the building features flamboyant patterns and richly textured surfaces that amplify its lurid color palette and playful character. Community-driven art-making strengthens social cohesion, ensuring the space continuously reflects the people it serves.
1/8” model constructed of plywood, plexiglass, paper mache, gouache paints and garnished with a freshly picked flower.
Conceptual sketch
Quick massing model
Notebook sketches
The pinup board I kept above my desk
Final model of laser cut 1/8 plywood being assembled and grass patches assembled
Paper mache is added to give texture and enhance its handmade qualities
Gouache paint is applied to each of the components and adhered to the structure.
Final review presentation
This project does not adhere to the aesthetic tastes of Adolf Loos
Porch with access to the neighboring viaduct
Cantilevered classrooms
Sloped green roof with punched aperatures
The lavatories...as you might have guessed
Backside of the model
Site Plan of Urban Fabrik
Plans