To meet the heavy timber construction requirements, I opted for CLT wall panels to manage vertical loads. This choice stemmed from CLT's advantageous properties: it's a strong, durable, and lightweight material with excellent seismic performance, making it ideal for construction in earthquake-prone California. Furthermore, CLT wall, roof, and floor panels can be efficiently mass-produced in a factory setting and transported to the site, streamlining the construction process.

My design also addresses the site's current circulation issues. The existing car park creates an inefficient flow, forcing pedestrians to take a circuitous route instead of providing a direct path between Chinatown and Union Station. My design introduces a direct pathway across the site, elevated on a platform shaped as an equilateral triangle. This triangular form resonates with the work of I.M. Pei, the renowned Chinese-American architect, whose influence inspired this bold geometric choice.

The platform's triangular geometry naturally defines the building's organization. Utility and circulation cores are strategically positioned at opposing ends, creating a central atrium that fosters a sense of openness and connectivity. The building's massing, composed of rectangular volumes surrounding the triangular platform, generates opportunities for terraces, providing access to outdoor spaces and views.