Description
The course develops a perspective into the embodied carbon footprint of Los Angeles’ residential building types. Replacing carbon-heavy technical materials with renewable, carbon-absorbing resources has become a central strategy in reducing the carbon footprint of our built environment. By carefully analyzing how materials are made and buildings are constructed, LA Covers explores the often-overlooked carbon emissions embedded in building practices. It envisions a future where design is achieved through low-carbon construction methods. Working in groups, students study a number of iconic residential building types from the past in and around Los Angeles, reimagining their original designs as a Cover crafted with low-embodied carbon materials. The course is articulated around a series of exercises: A series of analytical drawings of exemplary constructions; a manual of locally available low-embodied carbon materials; and a constructed prototype of building elements crafted with low-embo