PORTFOLIO

Brynn Adner

selected work 2016-2021

 CONTENTS

01 CENTER STREET RESIDENCE.................... 4 02 HERITAGE PARK VISITOR CENTER......... 10 03 SCHOOL FOR THE DIGITAL ARTS............ 12

04 THE HONEYCOMB.......................................18 05 COMPUTATIONAL SPATIAL DESIGN....... 20

2 3
01 CENTER STREET RESIDENCE
Blacksburg, VA
This project aims to turn a low density residential neighborhood into a car-free,
lively student community. Given the increasing pressure for student housing and
parking in the Virginia Tech area, this neighborhood presents an opportunity to
introduce a new way of thinking about student living, focusing on walking, biking,
public transport, and a higher density, mixed-use scheme. The location of the
site within the town of Blacksburg (shown right) is optimal due to its link to the
Huckleberry Trail and its proximity to campus, the cultural downtown, and up
and coming urban developments. The area is also popular for tailgating, so it was
important to retain that culture (below).
Existing

Hu
ck
le
be
rr
y
Tr
ai
l

keep with minor renovations
keep until later phases
Site Neighborhood
Cultural District
Urban Development
remove Virginia Tech N
popular tailgating areas Apartment Complex

Ground Floor Plan

two floors res. cafe ‘main street’

bar/restaurant res facilities path to campus

The proposed master plan (right) is catered towards

increasing the neighborhood’s density and promoting a
more urban feel, while still allowing for quieter, residential
activities. The chosen building site is at the interection of
what is meant to be the ‘downtown main street’ and the
primary path to campus from the neighborhood (above).
The programming reflects this duality with residential
access and bike storage located along the campus path,
while a bar/restaurant and cafe occupy the spaces along chosen site
main street. The building also opens up to a plaza which N
mixed, high density low density
houses additional seating for the restaurant, a volleyball
court, and open space for activities. high density res existing Proposed Master Plan

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It was important to include a variety of unit types
in order to accomodate the diversity of rooming
arrangements amongst college students. The units
are also modest in size to promote smaller, more
sustainable living and construction. The building metal cap
was set to a certain height, number of stories, and rubber roof membrane
square footage to assure Type VB construction for a
significantly cheaper and more sustainable option.
coping wedge
scupper
rigid insulation
membrane strip air barrier

ceiling joists with batt

Roof Detail

1” wood cladding

.75” air space, 1x3 wood

3” rigid insulation,

vapor-permeable sheathing membrane

plywood sheathing

2x6 wood framing with batt insulation

gypsum with paint

Typical Wall

1” rigid insulation

typical floor construction

2x16 joists 16” deep wood I-Beams,
12” o.c.
3” rigid insulation

typical wall construction

Cantilever Detail

Four Bedroom Unit Layout Second and Third Floor Plan

four bedroom three bedroom
vapor permeable membrane
two bedroom studio

wood trim

honeycomb insulation

drip flashing
Sublime Windows - Geneo Passive
triple pane
two low -e coatings
tilt/turn
Section A
Window Header Detail R 8.3

Sublime Windows - Geneo Passive

vapor permeable membrane triple pane
two low -e coatings
tilt/turn
R 8.3

flashing honeycomb insulation

wood trim

Window Sill Detail

Section A

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Scattered fenestration is implemented to add interest and blur the lines between residential floors. The first
floor restaurant and cafe embody the more open and inviting commercial typology, while also being energy
efficientby minimizing glass where possible. The building is clad in vertical wood panels to break up the
mass of the building, a natural warm tone on the residential floors, and stained/painted a dark charcoal on
the ground floor in order to protect it from everyday damage. The scattered fenestration was also designed in
accordance with the placement of structural members (shown right).

A series of ‘rules’ were developed for the computational generation of fenestration that meets the needs of the
different programming in the building (below).

FENESTRATION RULES

Bedrooms Residential Lobby/Facilities

- at least one window - scattered like above
- minimize on south facade - primarily 3ft above floor
- two-floor spandrel allowed
Restaurant/Bar “Public” Facades
Bathrooms - inviting, open glass
- at most one window - minimize glass on south
- minimize on south facade facade while still allowing
- at least 3 ft above floor views to outdoor area

Living Rooms Cafe

- sliding glass door with juliet - open up small space with glass
balcony - hide service area
North Elevation

Wood panel

Painted/stained
wood panel

Mural along main

street to serve as an
“instagrammable” backdrop
and embed the project in
the Center Street culture

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02 HERITAGE PARK VISITOR CENTER
Blacksburg, VA
This project was entered for a week long competition for the design of a vistor Ramped roof with gardens leading to
center at Heritage Park. The design intention is to introduce people to the up to a meeting room/ classroom
park and all that it offers, providing opportunities for viewing, learning, and
engagement. An exterior ramp that follows the perimeter of the building
gives visitors the experience of multiple views and elevations as they
ascend, particularly highlighting the view of the barn ruins to the north. The
programming provides a space for meetings and learning opportunities as well
as a gallery to present artwork that stems from the beauty of the park. The
forest that runs along the north face of the building bleeds through the glass of
the gallery in the form of moveable art stands to display the work. Clerestory -
type window formations above the gallery and stairs provide indirect lighting
for viewing. The building also takes advantage of the site’s slope, nestling Lobby
partway underground for a unique view of the forest floor. Section A

Restroom

Gallery
barn ruins

Storage

Outdoor Seating

Section B

Site Section

Section A

N Section B

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03 SCHOOL FOR THE DIGITAL ARTS
Charlottesville, VA
Situated at the end of a highly active pedestrian walkway/mall, the design for
Residential
this project aims to actively engage with the urban fabric and life of downtown
Charlottesville, while simultaneously providing for the dense programmatic
needs of a school for the digital arts. Due to the site’s location at the end of the
mall (right), where the built environment lowers in density, the design of the
school strives to maintain a level of void and open terrain through the act of
lowering much of the program below grade and integrating a central courtyard.
The design also reacts to the shifting of the downtown urban grid by engaging
the multiple strong axes that run through it.
The form was extended below ground To allow in light and promote
The school is programmatically designed to engage three realms of space: to accomodate a large program for a circulation, conditioned space moved to
space for public engagement with the school, the school facilities/classrooms, smaller site. outer edges of site.
and the multi-family residences situated above the school, as per the local
vernacular. Programmatic elements of the school rotate about the research
black box, as it is the heart of the digital arts, while public engagement is
encouraged through an inviting exhibition/lobby space along the mall.
An additional exhibition space and performance black box are located
N
underground (uniquely possible and desired due to the nature of digital Residential Core
exhibitions), accessed through an exciting suspended staircase from the
School Offices
lobby. A central courtyard diffuses light into the classroom and studio spaces,
while also providing for casual interactions. Lobby

Class/Conference

Cafe/Lounge

The black box space, essential to the The black box space was rotated to
school, was placed in central location. reflect the shift in urban axis and
School Restrooms
create light wells.
Computer Labs

Research Black Box

Art Studio

Performance

Exhibition

Elevator
Based on the sun’s path, the black box Based on the sun’s path, residential
space adjusted to allow for an inner units were added to minimize light Study Lounge
courtyard. blockage to courtyard. Storage

Public Restrooms

School Core

SCHOOL - SEMIPUBLIC RESIDENTIAL - PRIVATE

research studio
residential
black box

offices
roof
gardens
class/ computer
conference labs
street

courtyard
study
lounge lobby

cafe/
lounge

exhibition
space
performance
space

PUBLIC

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 studio

2-bed
unit RESIDENT
RESIDENT
CLASS
Public Vertical Circulation egress stairs

LOBBY
central public stair 3-bed,two
story unit

2-bed

LAB
unit

roof deck

P E R FO R M A N C E
office lobby
EXHIBITION
Equipment Access and Elevator
class Section A

Section B
cafe

lab

research
black box RES
Public mall
12’ - 0” lab
RES
RES
OFFICE CLASS
io
Waterstreet

ud
0’ - 0”

School Vertical Circulation st

ELEVATOR
Section A
performance
black box
N
COMPUTER LAB
PERFORMANCE
exhibition/lobby

EXHIBITION
ge

space
un
lo
t
en
ud
st

Residential Vertical Circulation Section B

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 Due to the sectional density of the project, vertical circulation is a key component in the design
of the building. A major programmatic element that presents a challenge for vertical circulation
is the placement of the public exhibition and performance space below ground. In order to make
the public movement from the street to below more inviting, a suspended stair following the
edge of the central courtyard is introduced. This not only allows for an engaging experience
of moving below-ground, but also allows light into the exhibition space below. The detailed
section below highlights the construction of the suspended stair.

Computer Lab/Learning Space

Studio
Research Black Box`
Courtyard

Restroom

Detail Section Cut - Greenroof,

Suspended Stair

Elements 14. Stud

1. Steel Pan 15. Concrete Floor Slab
2. Wood Tread 16. Site Cast Concrete
3. Steel Lag Bolt 17. Rigid Insulation
4. 1/4" Steel Cable 18. Insulated Glass Unit
5. Steel Cable Clamp 19. concrete Roof Deck
6. Spelter Socket 20. Waterproof Membrane
7. Welded Angle Bracket 21. Root Barrier
8. Glulam Mullion 22. Rigid Insulation
9. Wood Sheathing 23. Filter Fabric
10. Stud 24. Gravel
11. Floor Joist 25.Growth Medium
12. Gypsum Board 26. Erosion Control
13. Anchor Bolt 27. Plants

North Elevation
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04 THE HONEYCOMB
The images below are taken from the
conceptual process development of
the project. Through the production
Blacksburg, VA of drawings, models, and rhino
iterations, the project arrived at
This pavilion was developed for a design-build project/competition initated by a desire for a variety of spatial
Virginia Tech. The aim of the initiative was for students to produce an iconic, conditions based on a hexagonal
easily constructed piece of architecture that encompasses the school’s push grid of modules. It became a process
towards student research. of developing the relationship
between the grid that creates the
This proposal, developed by author and partner Adam Urbina, aims to take roof and the grid that determines
advantage of the modular quality of a sustainable and interesting building the places in which the pavilion
material: CLT. The design consists of one modular piece with intentions being touches the ground. Later in the
that these pieces could be set up all over campus in a variety of ways to create project, the strictness of the grid
different spatial experiences. To make the project both more sustainable and began to inhibit playful possibilites,
economically efficient, careful consideration was put into the size/geometry so an arrangement of canopy-like
of the cut CLT for minimal waste, and easy transportation. Simple, locally built structures arose, each on a different
metal hardware is used for ease of construction, and assembled to allow for the grid that responded and reacted to
rain drainage, and the allowance for expansion and contraction of the wood. the others, as well as the site.

The Honeycomb was selected as a finalist for the physical construction of the
project.

Large covered space Pockets formed by tight

arrangment of modules
Coverage area of one
module Significant sight lines

Module Assembly

East Elevation
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05 COMPUTATIONAL SPATIAL DESIGN
Rotterdam, NL
Computational design continues to be an untapped field in architecture,
specifically architectural education. This project uses code, mathematics, and
optimization to realize an optimal mixed use building.
A general overview of the process behind the project is as follows: first, a
design idea is developed according to the program and the site (in this case
the major idea is to increase public circulation throughout the site); second,
the building’s form is determined through site analysis and the integration of
the main design goal through code; third, the programmatic element ‘seeds’
are placed according to a set of rules (i.e. the residents should have good sun);
fourth, the seeds are grown the the full area of the program.
In the end, a network of nodes and scripts is developed that can be altered for
future use with different sites and programs.
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To begin the formation of the overall building shape, the
site is filled with 3x3m ‘voxels’.
N
Starter Housing Each programmatic element is assigned certain desired values for sun,
A code is used to determine how far each voxel can ‘see’ noise, closeness to public street, and closeness to the ground floor.
Assisted Housing
to meet design goal of increased visibility and circulation.
The voxel that can ‘see’ the furthest is chosen as the central Student Housing Each voxel is analyzed for these qualities through a variety of different
courtyard, paths to it are from the 5 longest vectors. calculations. ach voxel is analyzed for these qualities through a variety
Arcade
of different calculations.
Community Center
Using the weighted product method, the voxel attributes (i.e. are they
Pub
located well for sun?) are combined for all qualities (sun, noise, etc.)
Movie Theater and then compared to the values given to each programmatic element.
Grocery
Based on this calculation, a ‘seed’ for each element is placed in its
Tools optimal location. For example, the starter housing is located at the
voxel with optimal sun and noise for living.
Restaurant
Gym To refine this even more, a graph relaxation calculation based on
Parking springs and weights is used to move programmatic elements that want
to be near each other closer together.
Workshops
The voxels within a certain radius of and above the center Coworking
point are deleted to create the courtyard. The voxels within
a certain radius of the longest vectors and up to a height of Library
10 m are deleted to create ‘tunnels’ or paths. Offices
The next step is to perform a solar and sky view factor
analysis on the remaining voxels. A ray is shot from each
voxel towards both the sun at different times of the year as
well as each sky point (represented by a dome of points). If
the continuation of the ray from the voxel through the sun
or sky point hits the context, that voxel is blocking the sun
and sky from its neighbors. Those voxels are shown in red.
After each seed is placed, a ‘growing’ algorithm is implemented so that each seed grows to a
determined area.
The script looks to each neighbor of the initially placed seed and finds which one has the next most
optimal value for the programmatic element.
The voxels shown in red above are removed according
to a certain threshold of allowance, leaving the final This process repeats until the element reaches its predetermined maximum area. To refine the
voxel cloud/building form. results, a ‘squareness’ factor can be implemented to make the resulting areas more functional.
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THANK YOU
badner@vt.edu
315.297.1089