Undergraduate Portfolio

Undergraduate Portfolio of Work Brian Helfer, Jr., Assoc. AIA, AIAS 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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Academic Design Projects

DP

Cap Rock Visitor Center @ Joshua Tree National Park Park Heights Intervention and Urban Design Proposal 410 East Central - An Urban Hybrid Housing Solution

Pg. 04 Pg. 14 Pg. 20

Academic Research Projects

RP

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

Pg. 08 Pg. 10

Exploratory Projects

EP

Imaginary Building Solid/Void Study Denison Park Pavilion Schematic Study Image Relationships Study

Pg. 12 Pg. 18 Pg. 24

Photography

Pg. 26

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DP

Cap Rock Visitor Center (CRVC) @ Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California 2nd Place - Community College Coalition of Architecture Programs Annual 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

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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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RP

Two Weeks on Gujarati Street - Study Abroad in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India International Visual Sociology Association Research Conference - "Space and Belonging" Panelist Presenter - Summer 2019

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

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 are 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

Connecting The Modernist Utopia - Research Exhibition 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.

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.

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

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

Imaginary Buildings - Solid vs Void Study Morgan State University - Best in First Year Studio - Fall 2016

This project was a study of space created by the subtraction of solids from a whole. The result was the formation of an imaginary building.

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

Below - Void only drawing Right - Solid only model

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Exploratory Project

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DP

Park Heights Community Engaged Intervention and Urban Design Proposal This was a multiphase service learning group project conducted with the neighborhood organization Park Heights Renaissance and carried out and completed over the course of an entire semester.

Anything I did not create or own entirely is noted with an [#].

Brian Helfer, Jr. - Portfolio of Work

The project began by engaging long term residents of the neighborhood and identifying wants and needs. Then reflecting on the rich history of the now vacant and crime ridden district.

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Proposals were then made for the community that outlined

problem ares according to data and field observations and potential intervention strategies.

The final intervention proposal my group designed focused on creating a new international food promenade that could attract residents from all around Baltimore City. Using this new found interest in Park Heights development would begin to boom and crime would be pushed out of the area.

Below - Initial image collage created to spark conversation with longtime current residents.[#] Right - Resident generated data and summaries. [#]

Design Project

5 1 Character/Charm/Attractiveness Proximity to shopping/amenities

Safety and security

Parks & Recreational opportunities

Walkability Proximity to work

Favorable cost of living

Educational opportunities

Diversity of neighbors Cleanliness & health

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P2

P3

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Sense of community Walkability Public transit system options Access to hospitals Access to religious establishments Access to quality schools Access to community center Access to senior living centers Infrastructure Preakness at pimlico venue Druid hill park Cylburn in community vicinity

Housing vacancies Lack of community upkeep Unsafe public transportation Lack of youth engagement

Park heights avenue Pimlico racetrack venue Public transportation Community upkeep Adaptive reuse/preservation work Empty lots=blank canvas Commercial area Ample storefronts

Persons loitering producing crime Trash Presence of drugs on the streets Lead paint present Crime throughout neighborhood Elderly homeowners Looming loss of the Preakness

Strengths

Opportunities

Aspirations

Results

Preakness

Preakness

Preakness

Preakness

By using the space throughout the year it would bring more people to Park Heights thus bringing growth

As it has not happened yet we do not know but potentially the revival of Park Heights and surrounding areas

Park Heights Avenue

Park Heights Avenue

"The tradition of the Preakness is not The venue space is a large enough something that will soon be forgotten and unoccupied enough to hold other whether it stays or leaves the neighevents there throughout the year borhood" Park Heights Avenue The avenue runs through the entire neighborhood and acts as a spine, connecting nearly every crossroad.

Park Heights Avenue

Historically the avenue was a park- By revitalizing the largest eyesore we Potentially this could encourage new way that was home to one of the first would hope the smaller visual development and new residents to streetcars blemishes would fall into place populate the area

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AND PROME NA ODL O DE W

Service street Ground floor retail Pedestrian sidewalk Vehicle right of way Permeable planting space Pedestrian sidewalk Park space

Bio Pond Green Space Mixed Use Residential High Density Residential Low Density Residential Retail or Office Space 16

RI O LAR P RITY ST U RE IC E EH

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Ground floor food vendor Storefront glazing corner entrance Sidewalk planter Pedestrian walkway Permeable planting space Bike lanes

RK PA

HEIGHTS PARK WA Y

Median tree planting space Vehicle right of way Permanent parking Protected bike lane Storefront and awning entrance Sidewalk planter Pedestrian sidewalk Permeable planting space

ERCIAL DISTR MM ICT O C Commercial space Pedestrian sidewalk Bike lane Paved crosswalk Vehicle right of way Permeable planting space Pedestrian sidewalk

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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 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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DP

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.

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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.

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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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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 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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The Capital, District of Columbia

Brihadeeshwara Temple, Tamil Nadu

Berlin Wall, Germany

Outer Brasilia, Brazil

Prague, Czech Republic

-Dalai Lama

Baltimore, Maryland

Saratoga Springs, New York “Once a [month], go somewhere you've never been before"

Madurai, Southern India

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

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Santa Monica, California

Chennai Mansions, Southern India

Falling Water, Pennsylvania

Budapest, Hungary

Brasilia, Brazil

New York City, New York

Brian Helfer, Jr., Assoc. AIA, AIAS Morgan State University, 20’ BSAED Brian.Helfer.Jr@gmail.com 443 - 475 - 8567 - Facebook.com/Brianhelferjr - Linkedin.com/in/Brianhelferjr