Ezalden Alleheibat, Isabella Molina-Sanchez, and Chaoying Zhao (all MArch ‘24) shine in ACLA 2x8 competition

UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's Ezalden Alleheibat, Isabella Molina-Sanchez, and Chaoying "Mavis" Zhao (all MArch ‘24) are among the seven awardees of this year's 2×8 competition, the annual student exhibition and scholarship program sponsored by AIA-LA and Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA). They were honored at a November 21 award ceremony at AIA-LA's Center for Communities, and their projects are part of the 2x8 exhibition on view this winter.

Alleheibat and Molina-Sanchez were awarded the Randal Stout, FAIA Memorial Scholarship for their AUD project "Las Colinas," which they completed for Heather Roberge and Lori Choi's 2023-2024 research studio "Climate Caravan." Zhao earned the Stephen Kanner, FAIA Memorial Scholarship for her AUD project "Scale Weave," produced for Julia Koerner's 2023-2024 research studio "Fit for the Future 2.0."

Roberge and Choi's "Climate Caravan" questioned the permanence of housing tied to private land and, in response, proposed prefabricated housing systems designed for mobility and adaptable community organization, especially as climate change, migration, and inequality intensify. With "Las Colinas," Alleheibat and Molina-Sanchez invert the typical short-front, deep-facade building layout, instead carving public and semi-public communal spaces between each unit.

This design forms slender, bar-shaped buildings that eliminate the need for traditional corridors; building cores not only serve as circulation points but also as social spaces where residents can gather and interact. See more of "Las Colinas" on the project's Student Gallery page.

For "Fit for the Future 2.0," Koerner encouraged students to research a natural species and draw design insights that might enable 3D printing a building facade, with sustainability front of mind. Zhao's "Scale Weave" evokes various types of fish scales and their adaptive mechanisms in natural environments, with the aim of applying these insights to the facade renovation of the Sparkle Factory in Downtown Los Angeles.

Zhao's research examines how the scale's shape, opening angle, size variation, density, and attachment to curved surfaces influence its protective properties, particularly in wind capture and radiation shielding, when used as a building facade. Additionally, the integration of advanced 3D printing technologies and materials ensures that the facade not only meets performance standards but also offers aesthetic delight. See more of Zhao's "Scale Wave" on the project's Student Gallery page.

This year's 2x8 theme, "COLAB," called for projects highlight collaboration across disciplines and communities. It was the program's 21st cycle, with jury including Barbara Bouza, Thom Mayne, and Trevor Abramson. The annual competition is open to students across California.