Los Angeles Trade-Technical College/Architecture 1

The Eco-Lab sits in a neighborhood like a building from outer space but with a down-to-Earth mission: to bring community-based design to life. It gives local residents – whether skilled in building design or not – the tools they need to transform local, neglected spaces into regenerative places. Using state-of-the-art technology, the Eco-Lab is a design lab on wheels that offers community members flexible architecture, landscape, and planning tools geared for their use and is a hub of inspiration for sustainable living.

Eco-Lab houses a library of interactive design tools shaped by years of research and development, including earlier Pando Days projects (PD ’19/20, PD ’21, PD ’22, PD ’23). The building itself is a showcase of sustainable design, mimicking biological forms found in nature – think termite mounds and desert plants – that turn the building into a living classroom. Wind tunnel openings built into the structure facilitate airflow and passive cooling, demonstrating how good design can cool naturally even in temperatures up to 130 degrees. 

Custom versions of the Eco-Lab can easily be created, tailored to students’ own neighborhood microclimates, cultures, and characters. This allows each Lab to be a unique response to the place it inhabits. Eco-Lab empowers anyone to imagine the world they want to live in – and gives them the inspiration and tools needed to start designing.

Next steps include: 1) identifying priority intervention sites, 2) finalizing the design tools that will be offered to each Eco-Lab community, and 3) securing funding to build and test prototypes. We will also develop immersive digital twin models for each site where the Eco-Lab will be placed, begin local fabrication of components, and launch community design workshops to ensure inclusive participation and long-term stewardship.

Faculty Lead:
Jack Oliva-Rendler

Students:
Lumen Degale, Dru Fernham, Kelly Sanches,  Sean Godoy, Justin Cortes, Dru Harnman, Juan Jaime, Tisha Castillo, Eddie Cortez, Josue Sanches

Collaborating Partners:
South LA EcoLab, Slate Z, USGBC CA, ESRI, Autodesk, EPIC, Geodesign ESRI

Aligned LA County Sustainability Plan Goals:
Goal 1: Resilient and healthy community environments where residents thrive in place. Goal 2: Buildings and infrastructure that support human health and resilience. Goal 3: Equitable and sustainable land use and development without displacement. Goal 4: A prosperous LA County that provides opportunities for all residents and businesses and supports the transition to a green economy.

Premiere Segment

Pitch deck

Parametric description