Divining LA

ALI's high-resolution geospatial model maps stormwater as potential groundwater augmentation supply in the San Fernando Valley. The model shows precisely—street by street, lot by lot—where 92,000 acre feet of water can be most advantageously captured, stored, treated, and/or infiltrated to offset... More
Divining LA is a collaborative, multi-year initiative designed to seek, reveal, and champion a water-smart future for Los Angeles, and to position LA as a leader in drylands design globally. Divining LA brings together teams of scientists, engineers, architects, landscape architects, artists,... More
"Divining LA." A short animation made by ALI for By the People: Design for a Better America, curated by Cynthia Smith, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, 2016-2017.More
In "Watershed Moment," Architect magazine's Reed Karaim profiles ALI and makes the case for Divining LA —the design of water-smart architecture and urban form in the face of growing populations and over-stressed water resources in the US West. Read the article on ALI and its next public initiative... More
Interested in the design of climate adaptation? Want to develop GIS skills? Collaborate with researchers and designers across the city? Help shape the future of LA? Sign up for these 2 opportunities: ARCH 691 ALI Studio Fall 2014: Divining LA Peter Arnold, instructor T, F 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m cross... More
Groundwork: Fundamentals of GIS ARCH 6744 Peter Arnold, instructor M-F, 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m Monday, August 11th through Friday, August 22nd Understanding place: using geospatial information for making informed decisions. This two-week bootcamp introduces students to the central concepts and... More
ALI Studio Fall 2014: Divining LA ARCH 691 Grad Studio 5a Peter Arnold, instructor T, F 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m cross-listed with ARCH 489 Design Studio 4B, ARCH 491 Design Studio 5A This Fall the Arid Lands Institute offers an intensive graduate research studio investigating the role urban fabric and... More
Vote for Divining LA Voting in the LA2050 challenge is now open, and Divining LA needs your support. Vote here . Divining LA is a collaborative, multi-year initiative designed to seek, reveal, and champion a water-smart future for Los Angeles. We urge the drylands design community to support... More
“A digital device with an ethical agenda” – Holcim Awards Jury With gratitude to the Holcim Foundation and pride in our students, partners, and collaborators, ALI co-directors accepted a 2014 Holcim Award for Divining LA on Thursday, September 18th in Toronto. The acknowledgement recognizes work... More
Join us on Thursday April 16th at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City as part of the Sink or Swim exhibition and lecture series. ALI co-directors Hadley and Peter Arnold will share landscape photography from ancient sites in the US west and experimental geospatial modeling tools in... More
AIA College of Fellows Awards 2015 Latrobe Prize to Woodbury University Arid Lands Institute for ‘Drylands Resilience Initiative’ $100,000 Award Will Fund Development and Testing of Proprietary Design Tool that Supports Water-Challenged Communities to Capture Stormwater Resources BURBANK, Calif. (... More
Frances Anderton of KCRW's Design and Architecture got us to open up---about zoning code, digital modeling tools, climate-resilient city design, and the origin of our passions. Mostly a look ahead, and a quick look back, from the perspective of ALI's co-director, Hadley Arnold. Read the article... More
Connect the Dots | Pacoima is a public design and environmental arts workshop bringing together citizens, students, and designers to envision Pacoima's culural and environmental future. Students from Pacoima Beautiful's Youth Environmentalists Summer Institute, families and neighbors of San... More
Connect the Dots | Van Nuys invites you to Reveal | Reimagine | Realize the future of Van Nuys Boulevard We believe Great Streets work for businesses, residents, rapid transit, pedestrians, businesses.... plus stormwater, bikes and KIDS! Bring your bikes and your families, rain or shine! Saturday... More
Monterey Design Conference (MDC) brings together leading architects and design thinkers for a weekend of exchange in an extraordinary setting: the landscapes of coastal California and the architecture of Julia Morgan. ALI is honored to be part of the 2015 line-up. Drylands Resilience Initiative: An... More
Connect the Dots | Van Nuys _ February 20, 2016: Photos from a day-long community design workshop and Great Street Celebration. All photos by Scott Arnold, SRA Photo, Denver, CO Read about the event here .More