HOW
LATRAAC WAS BUILT USING DIGITAL FABRICATION
AND DIY. THIS ALLOWED A MODEST BUDGET AND
INDEPENDENT MINDSET, WHILE ALSO PRODUCING
A WORLD CLASS RESULT.
THE LATRAAC BOWL WAS MODELED IN 3D AND
GENERATED 609 CNC CUT PLYWOOD SECTIONS
WHICH WERE ASSEMBLED TO BUILD AN EXACT
PLYWOOD COPY OF THE DIGITAL FRAMEWORK.
BY CONTRAST THE MINIMAL GARDEN SHED CAFE
USED LOW COST MATERIALS, PLACING EMPHASIS
INSTEAD ON TREE PLANTING AND THE
CULTIVATION OF AN INNER CITY GARDEN.
REMAINING 19TH CENTURY MATERIALS FOUND
ON SITE SUCH AS MASONRY STONE WALLS ON
THE PERIMETER, HEAVY MARBLE FLOOR SLABS
AND CEMENT FLOOR TILES WERE MAINTAINED
AND INTEGRATED.
A ROW OF FLOOR TILES WAS USED TO LINE THE
TOP OF THE VERTICAL EXTENSION ADDING A
19TH CENTURY SECTION TO THE BOWL.
THIS CREATED A CONNECTION WITH THE AREA’S
HISTORY, BUT ALSO REFERENCES SWIMMING
POOL TILES AND THE CALIFORNIAN ORIGINS OF
TRANSITION SKATEBOARDING.