

Contact
devinwu9@gmail.com
M 626 591-6541
Devin Wu © 2026
23.9mile
18+
0
San Diego Creek Trail, Irvine CA
Road-bridge crossings
destinations among them
Node 01 is located at the Campus Drive intersection.
The bridge with the highest traffic volume along the corridor, which UCI students cross twice a day.
The busiest intersection is where the system must first prove its effectiveness.
Transit · Above · Built
URBAN
P A U S E
NATURE
Rest · Below · Wild
The bridge is already the threshold. PAUSE makes it legible.
Pause
A 23.9-mile trail crosses more than 18 road bridges. None of them is a destination.
The bridges are already built. Cyclists, runners, and commuters are already there. Nothing connects them: the trail runs in full sun, with no shade, no shelter, and no reason to stop.
PAUSE is a deck system of platforms that attaches to existing bridges. No new land is needed. No demolition is required. The bridge is already a threshold between the road above and the stream below; PAUSE makes that threshold visible and gives it a purpose.
Each node offers shade, seating, water, a bike repair service, and vending machines, tailored to those who actually cross there. A cyclist passing by at 15 miles per hour perceives color before geometry, so the color palette is inspired by a sunset: bright enough to make you stop, calm enough to make you stay.
One node demonstrates this.
Eighteen intersections make it a network.
Veil is a surreal dining space where light, texture, and form blend to create an intimate, dreamlike experience.
Veil began from something very personal. I grew up surrounded by science — especially biology — and I’ve always loved cooking. When I started exploring molecular gastronomy, I realized both biology and cooking are really about the same thing: transforming elements we can’t see into experiences we can feel.
That idea stayed with me.
I want this restaurant to be a place where people reconnect — with themselves, with someone they love, or with memories they forgot they had.
Located at
Site

Veil is located at 8807 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Approx. 10,500 sqft lot size.


Key Words



Surreal
Enigmatic
Intimate
Concept

Surreal
Enigmatic
Intimate

Memory
Inside Veil, everything is crafted to activate the five senses.
Light moves gently across curved surfaces. Textures shift from soft to smooth.
Sound becomes warm and close.
The dining experiences — whether for couples, families, or friends — are shaped to feel intimate and emotionally charged.
Design Process

Cellular Origin
Programmatic Growth
Form Resolution
The design takes inspiration from the cell — the origin of life — not in a literal way, but in how it feels. Soft boundaries, layers of veils, gradients of light, and organic forms create a world that feels slightly surreal and unexpected. I wanted the space to feel like you’re stepping into something alive, something that holds stories.
Experience sequence

7. Exit
1. Encounter

2. Arrival

3. Entry

4. Intimate

5. Enigmatic

6. Surreal

Render Sequence

One node. Seven experiences.
Section detailed


Bike Repair
Vending Machines
Lookout
Pause + 1
Pause + 2
Pause + retail
Underpass
Lookback
Walking through
Deck Plan
Deck Sections

Encounter
The experience of Veil begins before entering the building.

Guests arrive through a calm valet drop-off, where the pace begins to slow.
An exterior veil filters light and movement from the street, creating a soft threshold between city and interior.
The space unfolds gradually.
Nothing is revealed all at once.

Entry
After valet, guests move through a layered entry sequence.
The check-in is partially concealed by veils and curved surfaces.
The space unfolds gradually — building anticipation instead
Intimate

For those seeking closeness, Intimate dining offers a protected setting.
Seating is tighter, materials are softer, and light is lower.
Sound is absorbed.
Conversations feel private.

Enigmatic
Enigmatic Dining shifts the condition.
Designed for friends, families, and shared moments, the space opens slightly while maintaining intimacy.
Light and shadow create depth.
Views are layered and partially concealed.
It feels more social —
yet still emotionally contained.
Exit


Surreal

Materials Mood

Physical Model


EAA8BC
Palette
The sunset palette. The colours of the end of the day, when everything actually slows down. A cyclist at 15 miles an hour registers colour before geometry.

TINTED CONCRETE

STAINED CORK FORM

THERMALLY
MODIFIED WOOD DECK

WOOD RAIL

9CC4DD
FFFBC3

NATIVE PLANTING

WOOD SITTING
F8F0A3
EBD08B

STAINED CORK+RUBBER
FLOORING

CERAMIC TILE
F0BA9B
Section perspectives


A day at the deck
Contact
devinwu9@gmail.com
M 626 591-6541















