Woodbury School of Architecture alumna Alenoush Aghajanians (MArch ’16) was awarded a student citation by the AIA Pasadena/Foothill chapter for her thesis project entitled “Source.” Since completing her degree, Alenoush has joined the office of DLR Group in Los Angeles. She is also an AIA Associate Member and a LEED Green Associate.
The project was developed with faculty input from Professor Marc J Neveu (Chair, Architecture LA) and Associate Professor Jason Rebillot (Assistant Chair, Graduate Architecture LA). The award was presented to Alenoush at the group’s annual design awards event on January 21 in Pasadena. More information about the event can be found on the AIA Pasadena/Foothill chapter website.
Alenoush’s project “Source” is exploring the relationship of architecture and water as a natural element. In her project description, it says, “architecture maintained an ongoing dialogue with the environment and one of the basic and purest elements of nature is water. Water emphasizes the features of architecture in a very particular way. In our era where water is domesticated and less appreciated, this thesis seeks to invite people to explore the emotional, mystical and experiential aspects of the water.”
“Source will be a space to explore water and get inspiration from it. The project is located in Long Beach area, where LA River meets the ocean. The prime location and great views of the ocean and river will add to the excitement of the place. The atmosphere of the ocean and marine layer will play a part in the exhibits. The location of the site was critical, because it’s the meeting point of fresh water and salt water, and programs are taking advantage of having both waters in the context.”