Selected Work | Briyana Rainer by Briyana Rainer

Briyana rainer

selected work

Briyana Rainer P: 901– 834 – 6131 E: briyana.rainer@gmail.com

About me I am a designer concerned with questions of aesthetics, race, and equity within the field of design. I am currently based in Brooklyn, NY.

s el ec t ed wo rk

reRoot NYC f 20 // Branding + Experience Design

Jambalaya f 20 // Branding + Experience Design

Aesthetic authentication

s19//Self -Directed Studio

The new opera house of Chicago f 18 // Super Boolean Block Studio w. Mason Bolen _ Maged Guerguis

transparencies

f 17// Architecture at Zero Studio w. Sydney Flannery_ Kevin Stevens

adaptive sensory detector

sp 17 // CultureLab Studio _ Brian Ambroziak + David Matthews

Dynamic morphological facade sp 17 // CultureLab Studio w. Agata Pawlik, James Halliwell, + Rachel Mingle _ Brian Ambroizak + David Matthews

REROOT NYC fa 20 // Experiential Branding + Experience _ Michele Washington_Robin Drake

reRoot is project developed by as a part of a team of three. We collaboratively came up with the concept and strategy after extensive research and each chose to develop specific areas of the project. Through research, site visits and social media questions to members of the Marble Hill Community, we identified three areas where design solutions could be implemented to support residents. In each instance, we evaluated if redirecting an existing resource could aid our design solutions. Through this process, we decided to address flooding and support greening; harness the power of community to increase wifi access; and use noise pollution to power public art and conversation. reRoot NYC will connect the members of New York City neighborhoods to each other and place. This city-wide initiative will address historical and institutional neglect in communities by engaging neighborhoods and designing and measuring possible paths forward. At its core, reRoot is about redirecting, renewing and reconnecting communities. reRoot Marble Hill will be focused on generating conversations and providing paths towards possible solutions to areas of neglect in the Marble Hill Community. Most of Marble Hill’s 9,481 residents (as of the 2010 census) live in the Marble Hill Houses, a NYCHA housing community. Our intervention will also serve residents of Kingsbridge, the community just north of Marble Hill on the Broadway corridor.

about reRoot Marble Hill The main site for this project is based in Marble Hill, Manhattan. This highly contested area lies at the border of Manhattan and the Bronx making it vulnerable to neglect and pollution. At the start of the project, we began with heavily researching and interviewing residents via Instagram in order to get a grasp of the area. This area was heavily impacted by COVID-19 due to it begin home to many essential workers. It had many other issues of concern voiced by residents ranging from issue of safety to lack of resources.

Borrowing from the Blackpace Manefesto for working with communities and combining these tactics principles of biophilia, we devised a plan to green Broadway, their main corridor, and the NYCHA housing complex.

scihpargomed

White Alone 9%

Other 1%

Community Research

“Free Wi-Fi would be huge as well as I know a lot of people that don’t have access to mobile data” - Hector

Black Alone 16%

“I feel my community would benefit from free Wifi...and a place to go when [people] don’t want to be home all day” - Kassandra “I think more seating so the elderly can sit in green areas could be a good idea” - Brenda Hispanic 74%

$31,549

9.2 11,035

is the median household income average household size

population

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Patterns of Biophilic Design

“Fix flooding at Marble Hill, for older or disabled tenants who use wheelchairs or walkers and Tenants who live on the first floor and whose apartments have flooded on rainy days” -Contributor to Marble Hill Participatory Budgeting Map “The streets of Marble Hill, a small neighborhood attached to the Bronx along the Hudson River with a Manhattan ZIP code ranked first, with about 143 complaints per square mile.” (www.nbcnewyork.com) “Even as air has grown cleaner in The Bronx, a highway through its heart belches pollution researchers say may be linked to risk of death from the coronavirus.” (www.thecity.nyc)

The BlackSpace Manifesto Choose Critical Connections Over Critical Mass

Visual Connection with Nature. Non-Visual Connection with Nature. Presence of Water. Connection with Natural Systems Biomorphic Forms & Patterns Mystery

https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/

Quality over Quantity. Focus on creating critical and authentic relationships to support mutual adaptation and evolution over time. Foster Personal and Communal Evolution

Make opportunities to expand leadership and capacity Manifest the Future

Black people, Black culture and Black spaces exist in the future! Imagine and design the future into existence now, working inside and outside of social and political systems.

https://www.blackspace.org/manifesto

LEGEND High Flood Zone

Site for Rain Garden

High Pedestrian Area + Transit Stops

Area for Wifi Bench

High Sound Pollution

Site for Interactive Public Art

Small Local Businesses

Greening Zone

Mapping Marble Hill

In 2018, Marble Hill had the highest number of street flooding comlaints in all of the five boroughs.

Rain gardens will mitigate the area’s flooding and the collected stormwater can be used as a resourceto create a series of restorative gardens.

70% of Marble Hill residents suffer from lack of or unstable wifi connection

Through partnerships, seating areas and a resource-led landing page we will harness the power of community to provide free wifi in Marble Hill.

Marble Hill is the second loudest neighborhood in Manhattan by noise complaints.

Playful public art installations will connect residents to nature visuals which are activated by transportation sounds and noise pollution

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Logo Design

gnidnarb

Typeface & Color Palette

7473C

Logo & Titles 5463C

Subtitles

438C

1655C

Body Text 376C

design solutions Approximately 70% of Marble Hill residents suffer from lack of or unstable wifi connection. There is a lack of access to WiFi within Marble Hill and there is a strong desire within the community to change this. reRoot aims to provide accessible wifi at both the private + public level. By increasing wifi connectivity in major transit areas and residential areas, residents are able to connect more frequently and easily especially now that more and more we depend on technology in our daily lives. We hope to address this issue through partnering with MeshNYC and LinkNYC in order to bring cost effective connectivity to the area.

Residents and local businesses can host sponsored routers in partnership with NYC Mesh in order to bring free, accessible wifi to the entire neighborhood. Routers can be found at each NYCHA housing building and would establish a stable network for the community to use. By harnessing the power of the community, opportunities to expand NYC Mesh would extend well beyond the NYCHA Marble Hill complex.

reConnect

wifi bench prototype

The bench design for NYCHA housing focuses on adding elements that are needed on the complex. Through our field research, we discovered that residents desired more sitting areas that were accessible and had access to wifi hotspots. They also mentioned how they wanted more lit spaces in the central courtyard. reConnect also aims to expand WiFi access to the public level and expand internet usage to pedestrians through partnering with LinkNYC.

In contrast to the typical LinkNYC design, our design is meant to reconsider commuter and public spaces for engagement and leisure. Rather than standing to use LinkNYC at the typical kiosk, new bench seating will be installed to offer residents flexibility in case the area is needed for long term use. Situated on the sidewalks surrounding the NYCHA Marble Hill Projects, these modules combine WiFi connectivity and the desire to escape outside renewing current or absent seating arranging for locals to use at their discretion. These Wifi parklets can be found either adjacent to the rain gardens and public art installations as well as at popular bus stops serving the Bx 9,7, and 20 buses.

project documentation

For this project, we produced to a zine to articulate our research and design ideas. The front of the zine focuses on our approach: reconnect, refresh, and replay. Each section addresses an environmental issue and provides a possible solution.

The back of the zine locates each of the sites of concern within the neighborhood context as well as our possible partners.

Through addressing practical technological concerns made by locals, we hope to fully promote innovation, engagement, and curiosity in our addition.

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Stickers

scihparg

Signage

reRoot NYC will connect the members of New York City neighborhoods to each other and place. This city-wide initiative will address historical and institutional neglect in communities by engaging neighborhoods and designing and measuring possible paths forward. At its core, reRoot is about redirecting, renewing and reconnecting communities.

Jambalaya

fa 20// Branding Experience Design_ Michele Washington_ Robin Drake

Jambalaya is a Cajun and Creole dish born in Louisiana out of adaptation and necessity. Ingredients include but are not limited to protein (seafood, anduille sausage, + other regional meats), the holy trinity (bell pepper, onion, + celery), tomato or meat stock depending on the region, and of course long grain rice. This project will reflect on the mixing and mashing of cultures and versatility the dish through a series of writing, projections and audio. It also allows engagement and participation by creating the space for the participant to contribute and imagine what they would have added to their own jambalaya recipe.

The goal of Jambalaya is to create an experience for the audience to learn and observe various cultural habits specific to New Orleans led to the creation of jambalaya. Easing through brief profiles on Treme, Jazz, and the Mardi Gras Indians, I aimed create an exhibition that would connect New Yorkers to the story of New Orleanians and the true meaning and impact of jambalaya. Upon thinking about what makes jambalaya special, its a combination of the culture, origins, taste, and visually. We each have our story to tell through food so what would you add?

site + design The visitor’s experience will begin by entering the Madison Square Park and seeing the curved structure wrapping the green space. The structure begins at ground level, introducing the visitor to the context of the cultural environment. In order to get the full experience, visitors will access the full exhibtion through the Gesso App where there will be audio content relevant to the visuals.

26TH ST

MADISON AVE

5TH AVE

ENTRY

GATHER

END

23RD ST SUBWAY

FLATIRON DISTRICT

23RD ST

5ʼ

3ʼ

15ʼ

130ʼ

18ʼ

30ʼ

15ʼ

PLACE Their first introduction to PLACE starts with the melodic sounds of Treme’ and the music that orignated from place. They will walk gradually along the path intaking recollections of New Orleans. The poetic, soulful, and authentic qualities come to the forefront. As the initial introduction comes to a conclusion, the exhibit expands in height and size creating a projection wall that showcases stories exemplifying the bolder, confident qualities of jambalaya. The ATTITUDE takes the main stage to share the existence of the Mardi Gras Indians. The easiness, the bold flavor, and adaptiveness are reflected in the key qualities of the comfort food.

The FLAVOR experience explores the visual richness of the dish. Examining the depth in texture and hearing the sounds of what would be a kitchen in preparation. The exprience then descends into a “dining table” where visitors can then gather, reflect, and engage in an interactive ACTIVITY; a call for visitors to select their own ingredients and stories based on their own culture and heritage through the Gesso app. Visitors can then explore the app and view previous contributions.

ATTITUDE FLAVOR

P 40-8 U

P 4-7 U

PRIMARY

P 48-8 U

P 49-8 U COLOR STUDY

P 118-4 U

abcdefghĳklmnopqrstuv wxyz ABCDEFGHĲKLMNOPQR STUVWYZ0123456789!? FUTURA BOLD

5 IN SCALE

1 IN SCALE

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWYZ 0123456789!? FUTURA CONDENSED MEDIUM

SECONDARY

P 93-16 U

environmental graphics As you enter the park, visitors will be met with sidewalk graphics leading them to the start of the exhibit. The yellow lines are meant to communicate the flow and ease of the culture explore in this exhibit. I drew inspiration from scent symbols and jazz notes and the fluidity of the shapes. The colors chosen in the color story reflect the vibrance of place and stems from the traditions of Mardi Gras.

THIS WAY OPT 1: LOGO APPLIED DIRECTLY TO PATHWAY

+ D G UIRE SOC CIN EQ IA L DIS TA N S R SK MA

OPT 2: PHOTO INTEGRATED WAYFINDING

LOCATION FOR LOGO GRAPHIC

1 Map of Wayfinding 2 COVID signage iterations 3 Signage on-site

EXTENT FOR YELLOW GUIDELINE

giveaways

1 Recipe Card and Seasoning Mix with biographies of famous New Orleans Chefs

GIVEAWAYS: TOTE 2 Tote Bags with orignal designs relating to the exhibit

preserving

s in

ma re

00 SITE BOUNDARIES

altering

e in

dl re extending

shifting

AESTHETIC AUTHENTICATION

sp 19 // Self - Directed Studio _ Advisors _Prof. Jennifer Akerman , Marshall Prado, Julie Beckman In this project, I explored the relationship between the existence and experience of under-served groups (and their formation by the external, social, and built environment). The core of this interest was how their state of content / discontent is manifested or materialized back into their environment through visual and formal agency. There are two interrelated frames of my research that deal with the identity of the person within the community and the role of the community within the architecture. This discussion is important because the current conversations of how communities and infrastructures should be improved is often devoid of the opinions or influences of the people that activate these spaces. The absence of black voices and speculation within the architectural discourse has left much of the cultural urban fabric under-discussed and undervalued in terms of architecture’s political and psychological impact. Therefore building upon the work of Mario Gooden, Mitchell Squire, Walter Hood, and others, my work interjects into the conversation of how architectural neglect can be used to shape a speculative approach to how we shape interactions and what we perceive as “aesthetically pleasing” and functional through architecture.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIP TO SITE i have been collecting and synthesizing various human - spatial theories that verbalize the fundamental concepts of space. the purpose of these portion of my research is to clarify and simplify how human - space interactions happen

1. “space comprises the social arena in which individuals reproduce or challenge their experimental boundaries of action and interaction” therefore the ‘alloted’ space around you takes on an atmospheric quality. the space around you can either become a vacuum or a barrier: absorbing or blocking energy

Site Surveillance There were three sites I choose to explore, a range of neighborhoods throughout Knoxville and the South. Through researching their formation, I learned that most of these neighborhoods were formed through ‘redlining,’ a practice used to de-value homes and communities were mostly minorities lived. Mapping the existing city fabric, the amenities available, and the red lined boundary that constrained growth. Surveying allows for the hidden qualities of latency to be exposed and identified. Finding these hidden areas and their frequency makes for a variety of methods and areas to work within

This project challenges the current conception of living spaces in overlooked communities. The topics of spatial politics, latent spaces, and architecture’s capacity to destruct our traditional notion of environments as a way of protest are at the heart of the project. Spatial politics can be defined as social indicators of space such as: power, agency, authenticity, memory, appropriation, preservation, and aesthetics. The core of this interest is how their state of content / discontent is manifested or materialized back into their environment through visual and formal agency. Latent space emerges on the site as underused and leftover space such as front yards, side yards, alleyways, etc.

territory_01

A re-conception of territory and spatial usage can shift and alter our communal identity. I have chosen to approach this concept through exploring a series strategic moves acting on the urban scale, shifting how our cities delegate space, use of private AND public space (how we relate to our neighbors), and how people access space. Rights to territory and programming are at the center of questioning. Through narrative and testing possibilities, the goal of this to start a conversation addressing the question of: what if collective zones of inhabitants came together and created an adjusted way of living that provides necessary programming, but also rebels against current policy and codes? What could that look like?

territory_02

territory_03

Interpreted Site: a collection of site strategies

Programmatic agents presented on site include infrastructure, “the church”, informal areas of congregation, and areas of cultural significance begin to reveal unspoken qualities of place; however, “the home” and the land surrounding it is where most of these conditions can become most apparent.

ASSISTANCE

LIBRARY

CHURCH

PARK ANNEX

PRESERVED HOME

COMMUNITY CENTER

*The site is collection of averages drawn from my own memories and experiences as well as research and survey done across the south. The repetitive nature of the urban neighborhood allows for multiple spatial opportunities.

Planting Grounds_

on leftover side yard land

Installation Structure_ for spontaneous behaviors

FENCING SCAFFOLDING FIRE ESCAPE PLAYGROUND This addition to the site reflects the actions portrayed in numerous urban situations; the ability to reach new vantages. The installation gives a structure to capture natural needs and occurrences across the site. It has no particular program as its program therefore allowing for these actions across to have a place.

Growing Grounds_ on ruin grounds

installation

Introduced program areas to be determined . . .

THE PORCH THE ADDITION EXTRA ROOM GABLE AIR RIGHTS

Intersecting Roof Structure_ connecting the existing structures

Traditional Interior Configuration_

Additional Interior Configuration_

Exterior Cladding _

FACADE

collective covering

The collective covering reflects the traditional presence of the home; a gabled roof form but also a transformative visual device. Adding this construction over the top of an existing structure allows for the preservation of current construction but also refreshes the presence from the exterior. The unified covering extends beyond the extents of its past confines of the property line both on ground and in the air. It can hover, cover, surpass, and morph into itself as well as another home.

With the changing approach of the community and the changing aesthetic desires of perception, a new facade will come into the play. The western side of the block, the edge of the place, desires to present a united front. A decoy for what lies behind.

Modified Roof Structure_

extending and cutting the traditional roof form allowing for light and congregational space

Congregational Space_ central space for gathering and connecting the inhabiting

Porch Room_ united front

Remnants of

With the closure of the arterial road running through the community, new breath was given to the home experience. The road’s infrastructure became an opportunity for a shared space. Instead of the backyard being the only direct connector for cross experience, the front yard adavances a key activator space. With this change, presents the opportunity to alter the way that we look at the transparency of entry + exit. The design of how we enter, receive, approach our homes is destined to change as we evaluate the way we see ourselves...

installation

STREETSCAPE

Editing the connection to the exterior

The new opera house of chicago

f 18 // Super Boolean Block Studio w. Mason Bolen _ Prof. Maged Guerguis The premise of the Super Boolean Block Studio was to explore the promise of the boolean functions, which are a set of commands that can union, difference, or intersect two or more geometries. After exploring the limitations and uses of these functions, we looked and explored the applications of boolean logic in the built environment and then developed a strategy of our own. The New Opera House of Chicago™ is a responsive adaptation to the ever changing landscape within the urban context of the historic Midwest city. An architectural expression of the novel effects derived from geometric boolean operations, the building is defined by the nature of its intended purpose. Seeking the marriage of form and function, the opera house activates the site and surrounding context providing access to the public and private realm through multiplicities of program.

The site is a 500,000 square foot area located on an empty parking lot, 225 parking currently on E. North Water St. It has access to the existing river walk and the underground drive. Important and notable buildings nearby includes the NBC Tower and the Michigan Ave. Apple Store. Our approach to the site was based around site circulation. We wanted the flow through the opera house to connect pedestrians from the street down to river walk allowing the building’s atrium to become a 24 hour enclosed breezeway. These site lines became the basis for how we constructed our boolean forms.

PROJECT COMPOSITION

The New Opera House of Chicago™ E NORTH WATER ST

01 N COLUMBUS DR

SITE 06

Key 1

Outdoor Plaza

Amphitheater

Restaurant

Roof Garden

Public Lookout

Chicago River

THE SUPER BOOLEAN BLOCK STUDIO FW18

OPAQUE PANEL FACADE

PLAZA STAIRWALL

SEAMLESS STRUCTURAL GLASS

CENTRAL CIRCULATION

walkable surface area

ELEVATION SOUTH

transparencies

f 17// Architecture at Zero Studio w. Sydney Flannery_ Kevin Stevens

Transparencies was a design for the international Architecture at Zero competition. The prompt given was to create a net-zero research center that can be used to educate the public on the local aquatic life. The site of the project is the Romberg Tiburon Center Campus in Tiburon, California. The current center is a small handful of buildings scattered around the site; the current pull to the site isn’t necessarily the current infrastructure, but the many events hosted on site. Our part in this narrative was provide a space for the such activity to happen. Our design placed first out of all entries.

context When first analyzing the site, the best strategy was to take advantage of the mild weather and continuous sunlight and to create a form of transparency within the project. Thus, allowing the occupants to feel a connection to the exterior world. The necessity to create connections to the environment was also very important because this unique site is characterized by elevation and terrain changes that are celebrated within the site plan. The building layout was configured based on existing and proposed relationships on site implied through both of the ground floor plans.

Total Monthly End Use Consumption

The rooftop hosts a series of photo-voltaic panels set at an angle of 37.90 degrees for maximum sunlight exposure. Little cloud cover and constant sunshine makes the area a prime candidate for solar energy panels. According to the PV Watt Calculator, maintaining the recommended panel angles will generate an estimated 6,310 kWh/year of clean, usable energy serving as the main source of the buildings onsite energy production. The building was constructed with energy efficiency in mind with the goal of utilizing majority passive strategies. Integrated into the center are several light wells that are used as the primary light source in certain areas. The roof cantilever allows for maximum shading that prevent the interior walls of the building from max heat absorption as well as providing shade over pedestrian walkways.

01 wooden media cubes poly carbonate weather barrier 04

The system can track the orientation and rotation of the objects in order to relay particular commands. Gyroscopic sensors detect movement with a high level of accuracy. The signal is then sent via radio technology the same way a wireless mouse works. The cubes are charged with contact-less induction technology, so there is no need for a power input. If integrated into the main wood stud structural system, the cubes could be used to track and record movements throughout the home.

02 3D veneers Lightweight wood veneers made flexible from scoring the wood and adhering the strips onto weft yarns. The material allows conventional wood veneers to be treated in such a way that they can be curved, folded in one direction, or creased to form 3-dimensional objects.

02 Secondary sensor

03 Flexible wood paneling Similarly to the 3D veneers, the wood paneling acts as a stable member of the of the wall system.

Encoding and responsive mesh 02

03 Rigid Framework 01 / 02

04 polycarbonate sheets This material serves as a clear barrier between the interior and exterior environment.

Pressurized Sensor

Adaptive sensory detector

sp 17 // CultureLab Studio _ Brian Ambroziak + David Matthews

The suburban home, acting as the shell, should be able to adapt and react to the internal and external factors that influence the atmosphere of a home. Internal factors, being the way that people inhabit the space on a daily basis, their rhythms, patterns, and movements throughout the home, paired with the external factors, being climate and circulation of people to place, provide a data base for the house to process and adapt to. The static suburban condition allows for an exploration on how the average daily habits can be used to alter the interior-exterior relationship between the user and the space. From studying the geometry of the human face to the patterning of the fingerprint, there was a realization that identity can be read both internal and externally in relation to the facade. The facade one wears can create an identity in itself, or contrastingly create a shell in which identity is concealed. The time-based shifting of the system expresses the amount of reaction or interaction within the home. It is able to determine whether of not the energy source, mood, tension etc. is coming from internal sources (self ) or from external sources (your environment). It’s ability to read and deduct sensory and psychological information allows its physical form (02) to adjust accordingly for max comfort.

Dynamic morphological facade

sp 17 // CultureLab Studio w. Agata Pawlik, James Halliwell, + Rachel Mingle_ Brian Ambroizak + David Matthews

Morphology / Camouflage / Patterning / Juxtaposition Identity can be defined in many terms, but the challenge of this piece is to represent and celebrate the ambiguity of the word identity and the meaning behind it. First, from studying the essential geometry of the human face to the individual patterning of the fingerprint, there was a realization that this may not be that of identity at all. Identity has been misconstrued as merely a reading of the facade. The facade one wears can create an identity in itself, or contrastingly create a shell in which an identity is concealed. We then asked what could a dynamic morphological facade look like when its manifested into a physical form based on data in regards to both a wearable fashion and in the built environment. The dynamic facade consumes and processes the identity. The system takes into account every visitor and processes their data [age, amount of time visited, body temperature, speed of circulation, points of interest, etc.] The facade will then adjust accordingly.

artwork

untitled Oil on Canvas 4’x 5’ 2016

Process Design Ink on Paper; collage; intaglio 6” x 9” each 2017 Scanned by CamScanner