CASSIDY BROWN
Master of Architecture
Urban Design Certificate
University of Virginia 2023
Bachelor of Design in Architecture
Sustainability in the Built Environment
University of Florida 2019
THE VENTILATOR
Housing for Medical Personnel
A Prototype of Life-Supporting Architecture
Location: Rockefeller Institute, NYC
ARC 7010: Grad 01
Critic: Esther Lorenz
This proposal undertakes creating dwellings for health care workers on Rockefeller’s Medical Research Campus off FDR highway. The primary driver of the project focuses on air quality improvement for the residents and fostering social engagement.
Mappings describing the energy pollution in New York. In collaboration with Amrita Khosla.
The demographic in focus was targeted at smaller family units, specifically creating micro units, one and two-bedroom lofts, and four-bedroom lofts. Studies show that over 60% of medical personnel in New York City are single, caretakers of a child or an elderly parents.
Each floor has a communal shared space for various programing including a communal kitchens, meditative spaces, offices, laundry, and exercise space to enable residents to find community within the building. The units connect to each other through a shared interior porch, and private exterior balconies that allow each resident to have privacy but also opportunities to engage throughout their dwelling with others.
Vegetation microclimates and the building skin are designed to reduce the pollution effects from the site conditions.
Microunit (loft), 400 sf
Microunit, 250 sf
One bedroom (loft), 500 sf
Two bedroom, 600 sf
Plantings as air cleansers
Interior concept models
EXTENDING THE PLAZA
Carlos Almaraz Chicano Art Center on Mariachi Plaza
Location: Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
ARC 7020: Grad 02
Critic: Ines Martin Robles
The Boyle Heights Neighborhood “barrio” is a vibrant area in East Los Angeles that is 93% Hispanic. Mariachi plaza is a public space with various locally owned and operated businesses, restaurants, apothecaries, and stores engaging with the site. The plaza is also known for a gathering space for political protests and cultural events that represent the Hispanic, Latinx and Chicano-community that make up the demographic of Boyle Heights.
The primary drivers for this project included: providing shading relief for the Mariachi bands, cultural extension of the Boyle Heights community, through scale, flexible space, indoor and outdoor spaces, and activation from both sides of the street.
model in group site model
In the urban condition, this center will also provide relief from the sun for the Mariachi bands, more seating for onlookers of the performances, and the flexibility programs that happen on the site. The structure is made on a simple grid allowing for adaptability. The various open spaces allow for collaboration, and the double height studio spaces and north-facing skylights create an inviting space for artists to work. Programming includes studios for printmaking, mural painting, and ceramic making, gallery and various flex space.
Sectional model
Detail of concrete roof
Detail of rotating art panel wall
NAHRUG! (nourishment)
Landwehrkanal: Alternative Mobility through Production
Location: Kruezburg, Berlin Germany
LAR 8010: Landscape Graduate Studio
Critic: Bradley Cantrell, Michael Lee
The Landweherkanal in the Kreuzburg district of Berlin offers an ecological corridor within the city, as well as providing recreational activities for its inhabitants. Kreuzburg represents a unique population of residents including college students, young families, artists, people working in the newly formed tech scene, first to third generation of skilled laborers during the Postwar city, and asylum seekers. The district has been faced with gentrification, which leaves the most vulnerable with questions of food and shelter access and need for collective action and support.
The project aims to propose an alternative food production network alongside the water’s edge to allow residents to take agency of their public space and allow for cultural connections. This includes various designs of watercraft that provide temporal networks throughout the district that allow for residents to re-engage with the water’s edge.
Districts with over 50% immigrants, 1950. Districts with over 50% immigrants, 1970’s GDRDistricts with over 50% immigrants, now
URBAN PLAYGROUND
Theatre for Acrobatic Performers
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Design 6: Third Year Undergrad studio
Critic: Stephen Belton
Verticality as a Signal
Inherent to developing Charleston as a dynamic cultural beacon in the late 1700s is the construction of churches in the crux of city life. The most prominent urban blocks in Charleston are defined with the spires of the church steeple as the tallest element, signifying it as the single-most important aspect of life.
In 1837, a huge fire succumbed the city and damaged over one-fourth of Charleston’s infrastructure. Fire towers were constructed as a cautionary architectural component, which challenged the spires as the tallest forms in the city.
An important aspect to the project is the verticality of spatial elements in relation to the fire bell towers and the church spires.
The dance center will be developed as a one-of-a-kind initiative that allows the students to push the boundaries of dance within the context of Charleston’s architectural significance. Extreme height defying aerial silks, trapeze, and other modern circus types will be taught, practiced, and performed for public engagement within the context of the park- within the structure itself- and out.
This institution necessitates a strong height to allow for the modern dance styles to be executed, which allows it to compete with the skyline developed in the city. The institution’s height will signal to the community that Charleston values and promotes local unique art forms
Double skin facade, embracement of the local iron tradition.
Model Photos.
THE ROTATING IDENTITIES
The Frick Collection Expansion
Location: Upper East Side, New York City
Design 7: Fourth Year Undergrad studio
Critic: Donna Cohen
In Collaboration with Jaylin Darling
New York is known as the fashion capital of the world; however, the industry is constantly changing, and the infrastructure in the city needs to adjust to varying factors. This project experimented with movement - how can we adapt forms, while keeping spaces static?
New Yorker’s are constantly on the move, so why can’t our spaces adapt with them? This project is located at the Frick Museum in Upper East Side, which is alongside the most famous museums in the world. The core of the new structure rotates, slides, and adjusts to keep up with the needs of the city, and to juxtapose to the traditional art and architecture of the Frick Collection.
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY
Role: Designer (Visual graphics)
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Firm: Quinn Evans Architects
Partner in Charge: Charles Piper
Visualizations and storytelling by author. Owned by Quinn Evans Architects.
The DC Public Library system is renovating the Southeast Library and my responsibilities included working in design development and construction document phases to develop an interactive interior play wall. The concept relies on sensory play and allowing the younger children to interact with books and feel like they’re growing with their environment, like a seed in soil.
SEED POD WALL
DC Southeast Public Library
Role: Designer (Design development to Construction documents)
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Firm: Quinn Evans Architects
Partner in Charge: Chuck Wray
FLOATING SUITE
SUITE
Ro Role e : Pr Proojjec e t Ma M nageer (Schhemmatic i to o closse e out)
Role: Project Manager (Schematic to close
Lo Location: Richhmond, Virgginnia
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Completion o : Jaan. n 20021
Completion: Jan. 2021
(9 months total)
(9 months s totaal) l
Addition shown completed, photo by author.
Residency Upgrade
Richmond, VA was re-built after the civil war in the early 1900’s in mostly colonial-revival style and shaped the vernacular for years to come. It was important to this family to keep the original architecture integrity of the home, while adding 1700 square feet.
The main design constraint was to create an addition/renovation that did not disturb the existing structure/spaces, while adding a new primary suite and screened porch. To keep the architectural integrity, we needed to create usable space within the dormer windows, establish a dynamic entry portal into the primary bedroom from the existing home, and keep the bay window that intrudes into the area of the addition.
3d scan with addition, modeled by author.
Floor plans, renovation concept. Drawings by author, owned by Eagle Construction of Va.
3d scan-existing, modeled by author.
Addition shown under roof framing, floating in the trees.
Framing stage of construction, showing porch structure.
Screened-in porch.
Threshold from second floor to addition.Primary suite’s architectural elements.