2022 Working Portfolio

Portfolio of Selected Works Brian Helfer, Jr., Assoc. AIA, NOMA Morgan State University, 20’ BSAED Washington University in St. Louis M.Arch Candidate, 2022 Brian.Helfer.Jr@gmail.com 443.475.8567

“You can fail at what you don't love, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you do love.”

-Jim Carrey

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Cumulative Work

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Academic Design Projects

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International Housing - Flexable Living in San Juan Children's Branch of the New York Public Library The Land on Which We Stand, The Stand on Which We Land Top Shelf Brewing Campus in Historic Pigtown, Baltimore The Factory/The Center - A Grassroots Effort in Old Goucher Cap Rock Visitor Center (CRVC) @ Joshua Tree National Park Sustainable Homebrewing Through Opensource Design 410 East Central - An Urban Hybrid Housing Solution

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Academic Research Projects

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Two weeks on Gujarati Street - Kozhikode, India Connecting The Modernist Utopia - Brasilia, Brazil

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Exploratory Projects

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Denison Park Pavilion Schematic Study Image Relationships Study

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Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Full Project

International Housing - Flexable Living in Historic San Juan, Puerto Rico 419 Core Sequence Studio - Washington University in St Louis, M.Arch2 Program - Fall 2020

Based in the historic district of San Juan this project asked us to design for passive thermal comfort strategies such as cross ventilation and sun shading through operable elements all while balancing a sense of privacy and security in a culture accustomed to barred entires and windows.

Here I found my first design challenge - find a way to reunite fellow Puerto Ricans with each other and heal the wounds of the 1980's crime wave. This was tackled through the use of limit-able interaction spaces and thresholds allowing the user(s), through

Dwelling to City - Core to Balcony

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operable elements, to control how much of the outside world they let into their private realm.

The project began with the two images below studying the smallest denomination of a dwelling, a threshold that moderates two realms of inhabitation. By starting with small details while designing collective housing we are able to focus on the minuscule aspects of communal living, and only then can move onto unit design and finally aggregation design.

Here I found my second design challenge in the unit develop-

ment step - find a way to design and layout a unit that can accommodate as many user groups and living situations as possible.

Coined scenario living each unit was designed in a way that many different living scenarios could be facilitated without any major changes to the core structure of the unit. Each of the three unit sizes builds from a core communal space for larger gatherings (common in Puerto Rican culture), and an opportunity to grow or shrink their unit through the "exterior" loggia space.

Below - Initial Threshold Studies Right - Typical Unit Senarios

Dwelling to Communal - Kitchen to Circulation

Design Project

Satellite Room

Medium Unit

Large Unit (1650 sf) 5 Closable Space(s) 2 Outdoor Space(s)

Conventional Use

Medium Unit (1250 sf) 3 Closable Space(s) 2 Outdoor Space(s)

Scenario II

Scenario III

Circulation

Scenario I

Large Unit - 1650sf 5 Closable Space(s) 2 Outdoor Space(s)

Large Unit

Scenario I

Circulation Large Unit

Scenario II

Large Unit

Small Unit

Large Unit

Satellite Unit

Small Unit (815sf) 2 Closable Space(s) 1 Outdoor Space(s)

Circulation

Circulation

Conventional Use

Scenario III

Medium Unit - 1250sf 3 Closable Space(s) 2 Outdoor Space(s)

Main Entrance Loggia Connection Conventional Use

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N

Satalite Space

Small Unit

Medium Unit

Large Unit

Roof Deck 55’ - 0”

Level 5 45’ - 0”

Level 4 35’ - 0”

Level 3 25’ - 0”

Level 2 15’ - 0”

Adult Learning Center 0’ - 0”

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Full Project

Children's Branch of the New York Public Library

611 Comprehensive Design Studio - Washington University in St Louis, M.Arch2 Program - Fall 2021

This proposal for a children's branch of the New York Public library is a speculative project designed adjacent to an unbuilt playground designed in collaboration by Isamu Noguchi and Louis Kahn, two legendary designers.

The site is situated at 104th street in Riverside Park, New York City with views down to the Hudson River and overlooks what would have been one of the best playgrounds in the country.

The studio was a comprehensive study with all building systems designed. The design utilizes heavy timber post and beam structure with nested modular CLT floor plates that engage wandering gazes and encourage interaction with the layered geometry.

For thermal comfort the design utilizes radiant heating/cooling flooring to encourage browsing and resting in the stack area and forced air along the perimeter skin to moderate humidity in the space. Each floor/neighborhood has a core bookstack space towards the darker/heavier side of the plan and a reading space towards the lighter/airer side of the plan with additional satilite spaces along the occupiable skin.

Right - Entry Level collage with Louis Kahn site plan Below - Age Group Overlaps Bottom - Site Section from River-

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

The project itself focused on designing from within and at the

scale of a child starting with the procession of browsing and ending with seeking light to read.

Each floor is thought to be a neighborhood with overlapping spaces to engage each age group, ages 1-3, ages 4-7, and ages 7-10.

Oldest Age Group Satilite Space - LVL 4

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Design Project

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Level 2 - Youngest Age (1-3)

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Site Section Through Louis Kahn Drawing

Level 3 - Middle Age (4-7)

Modular CLT floor plates

Heavy timber post and beam

Level 4 - Oldest Age (7-10) Reading nook along perimeter

Double pane low-e glass

Radiant heating & cooling floors

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511 Options Exploratory Urban Issues Studio - Washington University in St Louis, M.Arch2 Program - Spring 2021

This option studio was a varied and diverse study of broad urban design principals using the framework of the green new deal and next generation infrastructure criteria. The semester consistent of three projects, two located in St Louis and one in Los Angeles.

Each project focused on what it means to build where you stand and what is means to insert yourself into a deep history. This study was focused through the lens of spaces of protest and democracy and what is means to design for social justice in the light of global social uprising for equity.

The first project consisted of understanding the individual power of everyday public infrastructure and the potential to create a piece for advocacy and engagement, shown below.

The second project consisted of learning the process of researching a site in St Louis and uncovering contestations in history. The objective was to then acknowledge, inform and repair the found contestation. The study of the Mill Creek Valley urban renewal project is documented online.

The final project moved to Los Angeles to perform a similar process but with an emphasis on spaces designed to facilitate protest and encourage participation in democracy. The final project proposed a peoples promenade along a disconnect axis from the historic origin of El Pueblo to the center of Los Angeles Civic Center. The promenade proposed a center for social justice, a demonstration space in the view of democracy and varied-market housing, shown more online.

Below - Initial Billboard Study Right - Final Project Framework

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Full Project

The Land on Which We Stand - Spaces of Protest and Democracy

Introduction to Social Advocacy Infrastructure - Proposal for For Freedoms Billboard Campaign, 2020

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Design Project

Project framework For the people Be seen and heard

Democratic?

What does it mean to be a part of a collective society

sustainability

justice and equity

Access knowledge infrastructure

greenhouse gases

green new deal

Visually...

Exercise personal power The equal and equitable right and ability to...

employment

Verbally...

Physically...

Maintain borrowed power

next generation infrastructure

Metaphysically...

multifunctional

socially productive

Collaborative

visable

public

local and adaptable

Access resources

Protester?

What does it mean to monitor and refine a collective society

Participate reparative

By the People

Final project theory framework

BRIAN HELFER, JR. // WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS // PROFESSOR LINDA SAMUELS // THE LAND ON WHICH WE STAND // THE PEOPLES PROMENADE

Section perspective through the proposed Peoples Promenade & Yaanga Peoples Community Center BE SEEN AND HEARD CANVAS SPACE

solar energy potential 5 million kw/h

socially productive programming 450,000 sqft

BE SEEN AND HEARD PROMENADE

mixed rate housing 2,300,000 sqft

permeable rooftop/grow space 200, 000 sqft

ACCESS TO INFORMATION banner ticker

The peoples promenade - Programming

ACCESS TO POWER CITY HALL EAST ACCESS TO INFORMATION screen projection

101 FREEWA

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BRIAN HELFER, JR. // WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS // PROFESSOR LINDA SAMUELS // THE LAND ON WHICH WE STAND // THE PEOPLES PROMENADE

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Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Full Project

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Top Shelf Brewing Campus in Historic Pigtown, Baltimore Inaugural COVID-19 Project - Circa Spring 2020

This project was a group effort at the beginning of the global pandemic. All work shown was designed together and rendered individually.

The project was afforded a vacant lot within walking distance of the Raven's NFL stadium, nestled in a historically industrial/production landscape with warehouse building typology stock.

The resulting design presents a tie between the historic context of an industrial typology, an emerging desire for local brewing, and a need for an outside en-

tertainment venue aside from the stadium. As a group we coined it as polished industrialism.

The site provides live/work space on one side of the site and on the other a new brewing/entertainment hub that wraps the interior courtyard on the street.

The site has a capacity to grow several tons of food using vertical farming methodologies in 4 silos distributed amound the housing blocks.

Below - Vertical Grow Space Right - Axis and Courtyard Space

Design Project

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Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Full Project

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The Factory/The Center - A Grassroots Effort in Old Goucher After studying the history of the the Old Goucher neighborhood in Baltimore it was clear to see what had always fueled progress, the sensabilities of the reseidents and their love for their slice of Baltimore.

The parti is formed around the idea of the intersection of two very different influences present on the unqiue site, one being an art influence (The Center) and the other a history of industry (The Factory).

This project allows young chefs an opportunity to showcase their skills in the kitchen without risking it all with their own restaurant venture. Funded in part by community organizations and revenue generated inhouse, chefs have a safe place to perfect their craft while having the backing of the community.

Program uses were then divided between the two spaces allowing The Factory to function continously and The Center to operate for various uses, such as community meeting and revenue generating events.

Below - Interior render @ Corner Right - Intersection Detail Model

Design Project

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Cap Rock Visitor Center (CRVC) @ Joshua Tree National Park 2nd Place - CCCAP National Design Competition - Spring 2018

After conducting a thorough site analysis, the conclusion was drawn that anything other than a sustainable design in Joshua Tree National Park would be negligent.

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

The project site is located an hour within the park and has no existing infrastructure and an untouched, unique and natural landscape. Resultantly, CRVC was designed to be a completely self-sustaining building, tied to no grid or main lines.

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CRVC collects its own water, produces its own energy and stores

its own waste. CRVC is also designed in a way to be the least destructive to the fragile ecosystem that is Joshua tree National Park. Materials are limited to rammed earth walls, red cedar heavy timber framing and glass facades for views out to the surrounding valley.

This project was awarded 2nd place out of over 60 entries to the 2018 CCCAP National Design Competition for its sustainability features and initiatives.

Below - Interior render Right - Site plan and elevation

Design Project

1 - Park Ranger's Office 2 - Park Ranger's Lavatory 3 - Observation/Learning Space 4 - Utility/Storage Area 5 - Refreshment Area 6 - Visitor Restroom/Showers

3 1 2

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4 5

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Solar Panels Butterfly Roof System Purlin Support Members Batten Support Members Heavy Timber Rafters Heavy Timber Columns Rammed Earth Walls Concrete Slab Foundation

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To power the lights and eliminate the need for polluting generators.

To collect the water during downpours and store it underground for use in the compost restrooms.

Red Cedar produced in California to reduce the carbon footprint of the structure and eliminate the need for steel or other pollutants.

Built from the disturbed earth around the building's footprint.

The 2' thick walls will have high thermal mass to absorb heat in the day and release heat at night.

Minimally invasive foundation type that also absorbs heat and reduces the need for floor maintenance.

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An Opensource Solution to Sustainable Home Brewing This small but well thought out project focused on addressing the ever growing culture of home brewing and the mass attraction to micro-brews.

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

After researching the various challenges to home growing and the current climate of the market the solution of an open-source design was obvious. Open-source meaning obtainable through the internet allows consumers to obtain the drawings for the structure and take it to any local fabricator to easily and economically manufacture.

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The precedent set by the Better Block Organization was used to

generate a structure that could be constructed with minimal fasteners or power tools, as well as be assembled by someone with minimal hands on training using only cnc'd pieces of nominal plywood.

The presented structure allows anyone who is interested to grow hops (one of the main flavor agents in beer) at home in their own mircoclimate and produce a beer that is all their own with minimal investment.

Below - Structure plan Right - Growing Module in action

Surface roots diameter spaced at 3' on center

Design Project

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Main Vertical Supports

Intermediate Horizontal Supports

Main Floor Plate w/ Interlocking Support

Single cnc'd piece that interlocks the horizontal supports and anchors in the floor plate. Metal gauge wire is hung and hops (vine like) grow vertically.

Dependent on the user, these spaces could be left open or house various brewing equiment and/or store a past seasons brew.

The base of the structure is designed to anchor to a gravel foundation to allow free drainage.

All interlocking parts are cnc'd or lasercut.

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410 East Central - An Urban Hybrid Housing Solution

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

This project was a group effort of design approach and deliverables. Anything I did not create or own entirely is noted with an [#].

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The project was set on a hypothetical site between a library and school. Our design strategy was to create a mass that could allow an additional route of circulation through the site and connect the adjacent ones. Creating a safe route for school children to go to the library after-school. We accomplish this by forming our program around a central atrium and pushing our facade inward to receive circulation.

The program is a hybrid of apartment and private row-home living encouraging density and diversity in a low-rise development scenario.

Below - Exterior collage render Top - Massing development Bottom-Overall site plan [#]

Design Project

Overall allowable building envelope according to the hypothetical site.

Facade impression to receive circulation from either direction of the site.

RH

Adjustment made of asymmetrical site views and favorable sun shading.

Impressions made on corners to ease height and create semiprivate space.

3 BED

2 BED

2 BED

2 BED

Program formed around central circulation path and amenity space.

RH

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Three Bedroom

Unit Type A 3 bedroom 2 bath Private Balcony

Two Bedroom Private Row-home Circulation Atrium

Unit Type B 2 bedroom 1 bath Private Balcony

Unit Type C 2 bedroom 1 bath Private Balcony

[#]

Library

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[#]

School

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RP

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Full Project

Gujarati Street - Study Abroad in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India IVSA - "Space and Belonging" Panelist Presenter - Summer 2019

This project was conducted as a group effort with an international team composed of students from the USA and students from India apart of an international study abroad collaboration.

Gujarati Street is located in Southern India in an area that is experiencing unprecedented development trends. The street was once home to Kerala's only Gujarati community and was strictly a private community. As residents began to leave due to the Indian spice trade declining, structures became vacant and soon dilapidated.

Those lost spaces are now susceptible to multiple influences and can be considered a littoral space (a space that can receive

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influence from both the sea and the hinterlands). The foreign influence from the sea being [1] the European influence of artistic revitalization of dilapidated spaces and [2] the influence of the hinterlands being ancient Indian values and traditional real estate development trends.

The remaining families in the community are now experiencing this meshing of influences and are now suffering the consequences of gentrification. This study looked at evaluating the severity of the influences.

Below - Map of Gujarati Street Top - Timeline of dilapidation and gentrification Bottom - Matrix of trends in new development

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Research Project

Occupied Space

Abandoned Space

Dilapidated Space

Susceptible Space

15th Century

21st Century Foreign Use

Foreign Style

Traditional Style

Traditional Use

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RP

Full Project

Connecting The Modernist Utopia - Research in Brasilia, Brazil Baltimore Architecture Foundation/AIA Baltimore International Research Scholarship - Summer 2019

This was a fully funded independent research project in Brasilia, Brazil. The project was conducted over the course of two weeks and then presented to the Baltimore architecture community.

Below - Icons of non-presented studies Right - Complete site study of Claudio Santoro National Theater

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

The project studied Oscar Niemeyer's modernist masterpieces on the monumental axis in capital of Brazil. Each project study focused on the connection of the building to the site and the relationship of the exterior to the interior.

The research from this grant is currently being currated for presentation to multiple research conferences both nationaly and internationaly (delayed for COVID)

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Research Project

Top-Exterior view with Roberto Burle Marx landscape Middle-Interior west lobby showing extent of exterior garden inside Bottom-Connection point to the landscape and map of all points on the site

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EP

Denison Park Pavilion - 2D to 3D Abstraction Morgan State University - Best in Second Year Studio - Spring 2018

This project was a schematic level study of possible 3-Dimensional forms from 2-Dimensional media found around the Edgewood neighborhood that would then inspire possible neighborhood pavilion designs.

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Below - Photos and extractions Right - Abstract frame and plane models

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Exploratory Project

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EP

Image Relationships Study

The project was a quick study of analyzing images for their inherent relationships and then simplifying those relationships in drawings. These select drawings Full Series Here are apart of a 200 drawing set.

This method of analysis was then applied to an urban analysis study of Baltimore City.

“The Silence of the Lambs" 1991

IMAGE 15

“Hairspray" 1988

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Top - Original Image Below - Concept drawings 1 - Enclosure 2 - Edge 3 - Elements 4 - Sequence

1 - Disclose 2 - Sequence 3 - Superimposed 4 - Edge

1 - Projection 2 - Superimposed 3 - Entropy 4 - Resolution

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Exploratory Project

IMAGE 7

12 Monkeys, 2015

IMAGE 1

“And the Pharaoh's Army Got Drowned" by Ruth Starr Rose, 1943

IMAGE 14

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Brian Helfer, Jr., Assoc. AIA, NOMA Morgan State University, 20’ BSAED Washington University in St. Louis, M.Arch Candidate 2022

- Brian.Helfer.Jr@gmail.com - 443 - 475 - 8567 - Facebook.com/Brianhelferjr - Linkedin.com/in/Brianhelferjr - Brianhelferjr.com - Issuu.com/brianhelferjr