Design and Architecture

It’s raining in Los Angeles. That’s news in a place that’s been dry for several months. And historically, when it rains in LA, the water whooshes out into the ocean as fast as possible. But local leaders are changing how they think about rain. Now they want to catch it, keep it and store it for future use on less rainy days, and do all this in a way that is attractive to the public and makes our flood control systems destinations in themselves.

The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has three shows in LA. His new work “Life Cycle” at Marciano Art Foundation explores the state of refugees. He talks to DnA about exile, his roots as an “architect” and why he enjoys visiting casinos. A sociologist argues that only “social infrastructure” will save us from environmental disaster and civic meltdown. And a real estate marketer explains why buzz matters as much as sales in the world of celebrity development.

A historic church in Lincoln Heights is asking for help. The Church of the Epiphany was built well over a century ago, and it played a role in LA’s Chicano movement. Now it’s competing to win preservation funding.

Two women, one aging at home, the other priced out of her home, come together through a “home share” program. A graphic designer celebrates Concorde. Could supersonic flight make a comeback? And a data artist turns the Walt Disney Concert Hall into a multi-screen spectacle.

DnA visits The One, a "gigamansion" under construction in Bel Air with a record- breaking price tag of $500 million. And we'll compare the opulent homes of the first Gilded Age with the sleek glass boxes of what may be a new Gilded Age.