JUSTIN BRAZIER
M. ARCH APPLICANT 2020
selected works and a series of quesࢼons addressing the built environment
JUSTIN BRAZIER Address: 777 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA T: 781-789-8266 E: Jrbrazier@gmail.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/justin-brazier
"Architects have the skillset and the posi on in our society to be more impac ul in some of these entrenched social problems that we see, whether it's housing or equity issues in terms of resources, energy conserva on, sustainability... yet some mes we're just more focused on giving awards for pre y buildings that are designed for people that can aord the very most expensive materials and sites." Phil Freelon
Q1
SLOPE HOUSE _Massachuse
s College Of Art & Design.......................................Page 6
DISRUPTIVE DESIGN _Leupold Brown Goldbach Architects..........................Page 10
Q2
NORWELL WILDCAT LANE _Leupold Brown Goldbach Architects...........Page 14 STREETS FOR PEOPLE _Mayor's Office Of New Urban Mechanics...............Page 20 NCAAA MUSEUM _Massachuse
s College Of Art & Design.............................Page 22
REIMAGING MATTAPAN SQ _Massachuse
Q3 Q4
THE INTERLOCK _Massachuse
s College Of Art & Design...Page 26
s College Of Art & Design................................Page 30
COMMUNITY PROJECTS _Assorted Projects Throughout Ma UPLIFT TABLE _Massachuse
apan, MA...Page 36
s College Of Art & Design.......................................Page 40
BANJO PROJECT _Handshouse Studio............................................................Page 42
QUESTION 1:
How can we adjust exisࢼng housing typologies to accommodate new living situaࢼons and create new building languages?
DIAGRAMS
Slope House STUDIO:
SITE
Pa ern Language & Morphology - MassArt
INSTRUCTOR: Patricia Seitz TYPOLOGY:
Row House
LOCATION:
Boston, MA
SIZE:
3,800 SQFT
STATUS:
Academic - Spring 2016
SET BACKS
The Slope house aims to blur its interior and exterior environments by nestling itself into the landscape and cu ng away wherever possible to provide light into a row house typology that typically has a difficulty with daylight penetraon.
ENTRANCE
As the users move through the house each level becomes more private mimicking the separa on the hill provides from the busy street. Each level also has a breakout space in which its users have access to the outdoors, the main break coming at floor 3 where residents can walk out into the backyard.
TERRACES
LIGHT DEPTH
FRONT YARD
6
1ST
GROUND
1. GARAGE 2. LAUNDRY 3. GYM 4. SAUNA
1
2
1 3
1. BALCONY 2. LIVING ROOM 3. DINING AREA 4. KITCHEN 5. BATHROOM 6. CLOSET
2 4
6 3
4
5
3RD
2ND
1
2
1. DECK 2. BEDROOM 3. BATHROOM
1. BALCONY 2. BEDROOM 3. DECK
1 2
2
3
3
PLANS
BACK YARD
7
ITE MASTER SU
BEDROOMS
G
IVIN KITCHEN/ L
CLOSET
ENTRANCE
SECTION
GARAGE
LAUNDRY
SAUNA
WC GYM
8
9
Disruptive Design Challenge 2019 OFFICE:
Leupold Brown Goldbach Architects
ROLE:
Design Lead
TEAM:
Jus n Brazier + Wyly Brown + Sco Paye e
TYPOLOGY:
Mul -Genera onal Housing
LOCATION:
Chicago, IL
SIZE:
2,065 SQFT
STATUS
Compe
on
THE CHALLENGE - The desire for affordable housing is present in both the gentrifying and under-served Chicago neighborhoods. In gentrifying areas, land values rise with desirability; in under-served areas, depreciated property and land values produce an appraisal gap that prohibits new development. As the cost of construc on and labor increases and incomes do not grow apace, the affordability gap grows between what young professionals, small families, or first- me home buyers can afford. Subsidies, while helpful, cannot be the only long-term solu on to this issue.
Solar Electricity
MODULE 02
Super Insulated Building Envelope
THE DISRUPTION - Develop a flexible residen al structure that can accommodate various lot sizes and densi es, as well as entrepreneurship and aging in place. Architects must innovate for affordability, u lizing new construc on materials and methods, and providing single-family homes that offer opportuni es for live-work situa ons, growing families, accessibility, and a new focus on the “gig” economy.
Shower 1.5 gal/min
Lavatory Sink 0.5 gal/min
Rain Barrel for irrigation
All RGB LED lighting
Energy recovery ventilation
Mini Split Heat Pump
MODULE 01
h ps://www.disrup vedesign-chi.org/ Kitchen Sink 1.5 gal/min
Energy star appliances
Toilet 1.28 gal/flush
Battery for power storage
Internet connected smart building controls
ENERGY SECTION
Heat pump water heater
CAST IN PLACE FOUNDATION
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MODULAR DELIVERY
1ST FLOOR
GROUND FLOOR
NON-TRADITIONAL HOUSEHOLD
NUCLEAR FAMILY
BOOMERANG FAMILY
EXTENDED FAMILY
first time home buyer with roomates
young family with start up business + rental unit
mid-life family with home workshop + boomerang child with start up business
mature family + rental to local business + second generation with home workshop
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FLEX UNIT - 515ft2
ROOF TERRACE
ALLEY
SITE SECTION
CHARGING STATION + PARKING
GARDEN
ACCESSIBLE FLEX UNIT - 400ft2 12
MAIN HOUSE - 1150ft2 + BASEMENT
BALCONY
GARDEN TERRACE
FRONT YARD
STREET
13
Norwell Wildcat Lane OFFICE:
Leupold Brown Goldbach Architects
ROLE:
Design Lead
TEAM:
Wyly Brown + Jus n Brazier
TYPOLOGY:
Affordable Housing
LOCATION:
Norwell, MA
SIZE:
32,600 SQFT
STATUS
On Going
Norwell Wildcat Lane is an affordable housing development aimed at providing more realis c living op ons to a popula on that has found it hard to afford housing amongst rural and suburban wealth. Norwell is in a par cularly tough situa on where young adults returning from college cannot afford to live or buy homes where they have grown up, first responders must live one or two towns away, making it hard for them to get to emergencies and the elderly community is o en le with "empty nests" with area upwards of 5,000 sq . Using Norwell's typical housing typology as precedent, Wildcat Lane aims to wipe the s gma connected to affordable housing from the aesthe c perspec ve that tradi onal neighbors may be weary of, all while providing healthy community-like housing to ease its inhabitants' assimila on into the suburban fabric.
APPROACH
14
LARGE SINGLE FAMILY NORWELL HOME
UN
DIVISION INTO 8+ UNITS
IT D
IST RI B U TIO
N
SITE PLAN
REPEAT FOR 26 UNITS
SITE SECTION
15
COURTYARD 16
BY THE NUMBERS BUILT : 53,560 SQFT
SITE AREA : 6 ACRES
FAR : 0.2
,5 SQFT COMMONN SPACES : 77,500
PARKING SPACES ING : 54 SPA
26 UNITS : 25,130 SQFT
UNIT BREAKDOWN
S
6 UNITS: 670 SQFT 1BED + 1BATH
M
12 UNITS: 850-950 SQFT 2BED + 2BATH
L
8 UNITS: 1,200+ SQFT 3BED + 2BATH
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QUESTION 2:
Can we aim to reshape our environments to achieve more socio-spaࢼal connecࢼvity through the implementaࢼon of dynamic public spaces and public architecture?
MPSQ
Streets for People Pop-Up Series OFFICE:
MATTAPAN SQUARE
Mayor’s OďŹƒce Of New Urban Mechanics Summer Fellowship | Sponsored by: The Lawrence & Lillian Solomon Founda on
TEAM:
Fellows: Jus n Brazier + Guadalupe Garcia
TYPOLOGY:
Pop-Up Plaza
LOCATION:
Mul ple
SIZE:
Varies
STATUS:
Complete
Over half of the real estate owned by the City of Boston consist of streets and sidewalks. The vast majority of this is dedicated to automobiles for either vehicular movement or storage, even though only 61% of Boston residents own cars. In September 2018, the City of Boston launched the Tac cal Public Realm Guidelines as a component of its commitment in GoBoston2030 to achieve more people-oriented streets. In order to quickly, nimbly and cheaply implement some of the objec ves spelled out in this plan, we need to develop new tools to begin carving out addi onal public spaces.
LIBERTY SQUARE
THOMPSON SQUARE
Applying these guidelines within a condensed me frame, we created one-day temporary pop-ups which provided neighborhoods with insight as to what these overlooked spaces could provide; an area to gather, meet, converse and have fun. Completed with the Solomon Founda on, whose mission is to provide support and funding for outdoor public spaces.
DAY SQUARE
20
OUR PARTNERS
KIT OF PARTS
st. I N T S AU
QUARE DAY S
y sq . t r Libe
. APan SQ T A T M
Pl az a
Plaza
Pl az a
Pl aza
Po p- Up July 17
Charlestown Austin Austin Str Street eet @ @ Thompson Thompson Squar Square e
Pop-Up July 19 19 July
East Boston
THOMPSON SQUARE
DAY SQUARE
Po p- Up July 22
Po p-U p July 28
1638 Blue Hill Ave
12 12 pm pm - 66 pm pm
10am - 3pm
LIBERTY SQUARE
b
/
bl
l
MATTAPAN SQUARE
21
NCAAA Museum Addition STUDIO:
Design II - MassArt
INSTRUCTOR: Jay Weber TYPOLOGY:
Museum Addi on
LOCATION:
Roxbury, MA
SIZE:
6,400 SQFT
STATUS
Academic - Fall 2017
DESIGN ITERATIONS
Located in the Roxbury Neighborhood of Boston, The Na onal Center of Afro-American Ar sts is an ins tu on commi ed to the preserva on of the cultural heritage of black people around the globe. The museum has been in an old stone building since 1980 but has outgrown its current structure and is looking to expand. This addi on adds a mul purpose space, gallery spaces, a cafe area, administra ve offices and storage. By ac va ng the site’s extensive landscape, this addi on supports further community involvement by crea ng accessible space where neighbors can interact with the building as a backdrop. The screening system draws inspira on from the work of the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. It also expands on tones from David Adjaye, Phil Freelon and Max Bond's NMAAHC in Washington D.C. with gold, copper, silver, and bronze hues.
ENTRANCE FROM PARKING
22
ER L EV EL LOW
GRO
UND FLOOR
S EC
OND FLOOR
7 PUBLIC PARK
1
2 1
2
4 3
1. COAT CHECK 2. STORAGE / MECH 3. RESTROOMS
1 6
3
2
5
1. GREETERS 2. CAFE 3. OUTDOOR SEATING 4. LOBBY 5. OFFICES 6. RESTROOMS 7. GARDEN CONNECTION
1. GALLERIES 2. MULTIPURPOSE
EXISTING MUSEUM
SITE PLAN
FRONT ENTRANCE
23
MULTIPURPOSE SPACE
OUTDOOR SEATING
BUILDING SECTION
CAFE
GALLERY SPACE
NCAAA MUSEUM
EXISTING M
GARDEN CO
24
1
2 3
4
5 7
8
6 9
MUSEUM
10
11 12 13
ONNECTION
14
15
16
17 18
19 23 20
22
DETAIL SECTION
21
1. SKYLIGHT GLAZING 2. FLASHING KIT 3. INSULATED 2X4 STUD WALL 4. ROOF MEMBRANE 5. RIGID INSULATION 6. CEILING FINISH 7. METAL CAP FLASHING 8. MECHANICAL FASTENER 9. GUSSET PLATE 10. PIPE CONNECTION 11. BRICK TIE + BASE PLATE 12. AIR CAVITY 13. BRICK VENEER 14. RIGID INSULATION 15. METAL STUD WALL + BATTS INSULATION 16. EXT. GYPSUM WALL BOARD 17. INT. GYPSUM WALL BOARD 18. WALL FINISH 19. FACADE SCREEN 20. REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOOR 21. STEEL LINTEL 22. WEATHER BARRIER 23. FLASHING + PRIMER
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MPSQ
Reimagining Mattapan SQ
STUDIO:
Degree Project I & II - MassArt
INSTRUCTOR: Tamara Metz TYPOLOGY:
Mixed Use
LOCATION:
Ma apan, MA
SIZE:
43,800 SQFT
STATUS
Academic - Spring 2018
“We avoid the Square as much as possible because we don’t think it’s safe,” Vivien Morris
As designers, we have the ability to work at diverse scales to shape our communi es and help them to con nue to grow. This defined my approach to Ma apan, a neighborhood of Boston with unlimited poten al but that is o en associated with poverty and violence. At the heart of Ma apan is the Square, which has the power to ac vate the area by becoming a place where people can come together and connect with their neighbors. With a proper urban design focus the square can encourage safer walking and slower traffic so that people are encouraged to take ownership of their environment and invest in the community’s development. Re-imagining the streets as more accommoda ng to pedestrians and encouraging small retail development will also contribute immensely to the community’s value and boost the local economy. This design proposes an anchor or landmark to provide iden ty to Ma apan Square, as well as invi ng public spaces that bring residents together from adjacent neighborhoods.
“I’d like to see more spaces where we can come together across neighborhood boundaries,” -David Lee
"Stand in Ma apan Square amid the traffic, the stores, the people, and the dreams, and it’s easy to feel how much poten al there is to make Ma apan a model of urban well-being." -Alyssa Haywoode
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1
EDUCATION BUILDING 2ND FLOOR
3
1. MULTIPURPOSE/ EVENT SPACE 2. OUTDOOR DECK 3. RESTROOMS 4. LEARNING KITCHEN 5. GREENHOUSE KEEPERS OFFICE 6. GREENHOUSE
4 2
MARKET 2ND FLR 1. ADMIN. OFFICE 2. KITCHEN 3. CONFERENCE ROOM 4. TEAM ROOM 5. ROOF DECK 4
5
6
5
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
1 2
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
3
1.35 ACRES EXISTING CITY + PRIVATELY OWNED PARKING
SECOND FLOOR
PUBLIC TRANSIT STOPS
GROUND FLOOR
6 8 5
9 7
9
9
2
1. FRESH FOOD MARKET 2. MARKET CAFE 3. ADMIN. OFFICE ENTRANCE RANCCE 4. OUTDOOR FARMERS MAR MARKET RKET AR AREA REA 5. COMMUNITY LAWN AREA A 6. PERFORMANCE SPACE CE 7. LOUNGE 8. TEAM ROOM 9. CLASSROOMS 10. RESTAURANT + BAR R 11. RETAIL/ COMMERCIAL IAL SSPACE PA ACE
4 10
1
3
GROUND FLOOR
11
11
10
11
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play relax
SITE SECTION
interact learn
collaborate
28
eat e
shop
parঞcipate enjoy teach work meet EXISTING 3-LANE TRAFFIC MAINTAINED
WIDER PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALKS EXPAND DISTANCE FROM MOTOR VEHICLES, INCREASING FOOT TRAFFIC FOR LOCAL BUSINESS AND PROMOTES STOREFRONT VISIBILITY & UPKEEP
PARKING ANGLE CHANGE FROM 60 DEGREE TO PARALLEL CREATES SPACE FOR DEDICATED BIKE LANE
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The Interlock STUDIO:
Design III - MassArt
INSTRUCTOR: Lawrence Cheng TYPOLOGY:
Mixed Use - Density Study
LOCATION:
Boston, MA
SIZE:
1,400,000 SQFT
STATUS:
Academic - Spring 2017
When looking at nega ve and posi ve space together we can plot our built edges to exploit the voids that result. Done correctly we are le with dynamic interior and exterior spaces that increase the opportunity to provide mul ple experiences that work to program themselves. The Interlock is a high-density urban housing project in the South End neighborhood of Boston. The site is bounded on the north by a playing field, the overhead freeways of I-93 on the east, small commercial buildings on the south, and the SOWA Power Plant on the west. It is at the edge of a fast-growing sec on of South End, with future planned developments across the highway to the east in South Boston and south towards BU Medical Center. During this studio, we explored various measurements of density – FAR, units/acre and popula on/acre, and studied the numerous massing outcomes based on a set of prescribed density measurements. We inves gated the interplay between massing and open space when one must fit 1.4 million square feet of development into the site. The objec ves were to address urban design considera ons, site constraints and opportuni es, building scale and massing, landscape forms and place making.
CENTER GARDENS
30
ND
PA R K
K
T
PL
N
GA
R D E N S + PA R
K
+
ID
EN
TI A L A M E N
I IT
ES
BA
A
SK
ET
RE
BA
A
R
ES
SITE PLAN
PI C IN G +
AY
CE ER
U
P/
O
U
PP I N G
GR
SH O
N CE
DR
TE
R IC
ER
BL
UND
P
U
O P O FF
DESIGN ITERATIONS
LL C
O U RT +
O PO
L
PUBLIC SHOPPING PATH
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SITE SECTION
EXPAND THE CITY GRID
MASSING DIAGRAMS
INSERT GREEN SPACE
REINFORCE PUBLIC PATHWAY
DISTRIBUTE OPEN SPACE
INCREASE DENSITY
EXPAND VIEWS 32
BY THE NUMBERS BUILT : 11.44 MILLIO MILLION SQFT
SITE AREA : 5 ACRES C
FAR : 6.5
PACE : 54 44 SQFT GREEN SPACE 54,440
ROOF TOPSS : (5) 28 28,850 SQFT
TALLEST POINT : 31 FLRS
18.5% OFFICE
2.9%
AMENITIES
1.9% COMMERCIAL
3.5%
OTHER
73.2% RESIDENTIAL
SQFT DISTRIBUTION 33
QUESTION 3:
In what ways can we work with and within our own communiࢼes to implement these concepts in order to reinforce exisࢼng urban idenࢼࢼes already established by residents?
Community Projects
4 Housing Studies combining for a potential of 50+ units altogether, this provides much needed affordable housing as well increased equity with land owning residents using Boston's ADU initiative as well as anticipated zoning changes to combat new displacement.
As architects and designers, we are outfi ed with the tools to implement great change and influence on the people and places around us. I believe we have a responsibility to connect with the people around us and design in ways to maximize benefits for all. As a person of color, I o en share stories with those people that have been systema cally underrepresented, underes mated and underserved. With the tools that I have been equipped with through my educa on I have been able to empower the people around me to take ownership of their surroundings both small and large. In return have learned from them the true meaning for socially driven architecture.
Community gardens in urban areas have been a huge source of increased community engagement, as well as combating urban blight. With the help of Massachusetts College of Art & Design, YouthBuild and Farmer's Collaborative we've created a greenhouse and have 2 more in the works.
COMMUNITY GARDEN
HOUSING STUDY
These projects aim to address a range of issues, including intergenera onal wealth, spa al connec vity, urban agriculture, urban nodes, community engagement and affordable housing.
Café Juice Up is a new locally owned organic juice bar providing healthy, great tasting options for an area in need and business is growing. Collaborating with their owners we are working to create a new community outdoor space adjacent to the shop.
HOUSING STUDY COMMUNITY GARDEN
CAFÉ JUICE UP
HOUSING STUDY
HOUSING STUDY
PARKLET STUDY
In an effort to create more open space and areas for people to sit throughout a bustling Mattapan Square we teamed up with local shops for parklet ideas. Bringing those ideas to the Community Preservation Act's annual funding, we weren't initially successful but we are looking at more ways they can be implemented.
MATTAPAN LOVE
MATTAPAN
To engage the community on Mattapan's outdoor potential I had the privilege to help local community members create an outdoor summer series aimed at getting neighbors outside to enjoy local vendors, food and fun!
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BONUS - QUESTION 4:
Can we use the building & making process as a vehicle for exploring history?
Uplift Table The upli table aims to analyze materiality and style through the lens of a common coee table. Drawing cues from Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School the tabletop is an extenuated horizontal line extending beyond its legs that allude to human arms performing a rou ne overhead li . The mor se and tenon joint connec ons protrude through the tabletop to exaggerate the solidity of wood construc on without the use of fasteners.
40
WALNUT - VENEER TOP
YELLOW POPLAR - TABLE TOP
BLACK CHERRY - LEGS & CROSS SKIRT
41
Handshouse Studio Banjo Project
At Boston's Children's museum CreatedBy Festival we got a chance to teach young museum goers history through materials in the making process and fun through the playing process.
The gourd banjo is an object that is deeply embedded in the history of the Americas. Although described as tradi onally American, the banjo is the product of cultures colliding and is a hybrid form. The Handshouse Studio Banjo Project seeks to illuminate history through hands-on classroom study, exhibi ons, workshops and demonstra ons of these early “American” gourd banjos. We were inspired by John Rose’s pain ng, The Old Plantaࢼon, depic ng African Americans playing musical instruments in an undetermined ceremony. Combining a studio-based research and art history class, students and teachers wrestled with the unknowns of this instrument and its music and sought to recuperate the instrument in rela on to histories of labor, race, class, gender, performance, and technology. Over the past few years of The Banjo Project, our students have reproduced several historic gourd banjo replicas based on archival pain ngs, etchings, two exis ng early gourd banjos from the 18th century, and contemporary gourd banjos. By making these gourd banjos as close to the original as possible, we learn a li le more about who made them, what the banjo may have sounded like, and the complex layered narra ve of the banjo in America.
42
In a workshop in Norwell Massachusetts with local high school students we had a chance to share with them tools and making methods of a time period they had only interacted with through literature.
At Philadelphia's new Museum Of the American Revolution we helped to contribute a new way of historical interaction with museum goers by showing them objects not just encased in an exhibit but disassembled and explored through the lens of craftsmanship
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