Britney Yan Architecture Portfolio | B. Arch Year 4

britney yan

research

britney yan

selected works design

storytelling

britney yan

selected works

education

Carleton University (2017-2021) B.A.S. in Design - graduated with distinction Parsons School of Design Course: Healthier Materials & Sustainable Buildings

hello

past experience

Architectural Intern at Campos Studio

(May 2019-Aug.2019, May

2020-Sept.2020)

communicated ideas through hand sketching + building scrap models to present to architects, built 3d models in Sketchup, 2d drafting of floorplans + elevations + sections using Vectorworks .

Creative Director for KOSMIC Optic

(Sept. 2019 - Mar. 2020)

collaboration within a small team in the planning + execution of a creative event, in charge of branding, design of logos, and merchandise, created AR face filters for use on Instagram.

publications!

Essay ‘A Home for Holobionts’published in issue 04 of GALT, a student run publication. (2021) A research essay examining the impact of urban environments on human health at the microbial scale, suggesting a multidisciplinary approach to architectural design for a healthier future.

Studio project ‘A Public Home’ featured in edition 19 of Bldg 22, a student run publication (2019)

Hi, my name is Britney Yan. I am passionate about human and ecological health, and believe that a collaborative design process has the ability to create positive change. My work begins at the human scale focusing on how people feel. My goal as a designer is to create a softer world for all to live in.

about

interests

toolbox

research

Adobe Creative Suite

Rhinoceros & V-Ray

illustration

AutoCAD

photography

Vectorworks

Hand drafting, drawing & sketching (pencil, ink, watercolor

backpacking

Sketchup 3D

Physical model building

resume

2018

2020

2021

britney yan

selected works

A Home for Holobionts A design-research project that aims to bridge the gap between architectural design and microbiology in order to create spaces that support the mental and physical wellbeing of humans- or, holobionts.

Courtyard Rowhomes A typology of high density homes for low-middle class residents that prioritizes access to the ground level as a means of fostering connections with others.

Together Pavilion A semi enclosed pavilion with minimal forms and materials that facilitates togetherness and creating a sense of warmth via the unexpected gathering of individuals around a hearth.

+ hand drawings contents

britney yan

selected works

More than light and shade, form and function, architecture and the built environment plays a critical role in shaping the health and wellbeing of those who inhabit these designed spaces.

01: A Home for Holobionts Introduction ... 2 Thought process ... 3 Site... 5 Elevation ... 7 Spaces ... 9-11 Concluding thoughts ... 12

A Home for Holobionts is collective living, to the fullest extent Thus,

of the word; it centres on learning to

coexist with life, both human, and non-human, the macro & micro.

Such a home welcomes the various life forms that we live with- and which live within us- through design that is connected to its environment and with materials conducive to

1

A Home for Holobionts

microbial life.

introduction

2

britney yan

selected works

→ Just as a diet rich in probiotic bacteria can benefit our microbiome by increasing anti-inflammatory bacteria, the same effects can be gener-

How do we design for microbial diversity in urban contexts?

→ Balance is achieved through diversity.

→ The gut microbiome is the densest site of microbial activity in the human body.

→ A healthy and balanced microbiome is related to decreased stress, anxiety, and depression, whereby dysbiosis (imbalance), in the gut yields the opposite effects.

3

A Home for Holobionts

→ The greatest contributor to microbial diversity is rooted in rich & healthy soil.

Thus, the microbial diversity of a home depends greatly on the occupants contact with nature + its microbes, specifically from that of soil.

thought process

4

britney yan

selected works

LeBreton Flats, Ottawa, ON. Canada The main premise of this project is to reimagine the relationship between soil and building occupants, seeking to re-establish balance with the land, and, subsequently, the microbial connection between us and the soil.

Map versus ground; By viewing land at the human scale, we can become more conscious to the effects of the built environment on the natural

① Harmony with soil

5

② Disruption begins

③ A fire destroys all & contaminants leak into soil

A Home for Holobionts

④ Concrete pavement is invented

⑤ Soil becomes dead

⑥ Pavement is removed

site

Timeline illustrating the history & future of the site, focusing on soil and our relationship with it.

6

britney yan

selected works

→ What might a Home for Holobionts look like then?

7

A Home for Holobionts

elevation

8

britney yan

selected works

Imagine: Opening up the slab on grade via floor paneling systems for composting activities. It’s kind of like going to the lobby to pick up mail, right? But here, you’re picking up microbes.

Imagine: Walking through the garden egress stairs, picking up soil and plant microbes onto your body.

9

A Home for Holobionts

spaces

10

britney yan

selected works

Viewing humans as holobionts urges us to consider the built environment at all scales. It reveals that we cannot build our way out of living, breathing relationships, because

we can never be separate from them. Like the dynamics of a forest and its mycelial partnerships formed over millenia,

balance and symbiosis

with the built environment will Imagine: Carrying a diverse range of plant and soil microbes on your body which are brought back into your home.

11

A Home for Holobionts

take time to form, but with time, will become more resilient. spaces

12

britney yan

selected works

With the majority of the existing population being made up of

immigrants

and young families, I wondered how to redevelop the land gently.

02: Courtyard Rowhomes Introduction ... 14 Site ... 15-18 Plans ... 20 Elevations ... 22 Section Elevation ... 24 Views ... 26

Back-to-back courtyard rowhomes create a low rise, high density community with

ease of access to the

ground level, encouraging being outdoors and connecting with others in the community.

13

Courtyard Rowhomes

introduction

14

britney yan

selected works

Site: Parkwood Hills neighborhood in Ottawa, ON. Canada Site statistics • Significant number of immigrants and non-permanent residents • 1 in 2 residents are a visible minority • Median household income in neighborhood 34% lower than city average • 54.4% of population spend more than 30% of income on housing

Fieldnotes • Little girl and father learning to ride a bicycle in the parking lot • Many women with strollers enjoying the sun • Over half of the site is asphalt pavement for parking Ashpalt parking lots surround the freestanding dwellings and have become spaces where children play and adults stroll. Though cost effective, the vastness of on-grade parking lots create a desolate environment.

15

Courtyard Rowhomes

• Not enough gathering points, besides 1 playground • Many beautiful old age deciduous trees colour the site

site

16

britney yan

selected works

New site plan creates more defined public spaces. On-grade parking is kept with green fingers running through to create a more defined connection to the park.

N

17

Courtyard Rowhomes

site plan

18

britney yan

selected works Upstairs floor plan

① Harmony with soil

Ground floor plan

N GL plan 19

Courtyard Rowhomes

plans

20

britney yan

selected works Roof plan & Elevations showing materiality; brick & patterned vertical wood paneling.

Axonometric sketch 21

Courtyard Rowhomes

elevations & roof plan

22

britney yan

selected works

With the kitchen facing the pedestrian street, the ground level becomes a space where the sights, sounds, and smells of the community can interact.

23

Courtyard Rowhomes

section perspective

24

britney yan

selected works

View looking North

25

View looking East

Courtyard Rowhomes

views

26

britney yan

selected works

Together Pavilion is a seasonal pavilion along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. Popular for skating in the winter and boating in the summer, the structure opens

03: Together Pavilion Introduction ... 28 Plans & Sections ... 30 Axonometric ... 31 Model ... 32

itself up to the elements with only a few orthogonal planes that fend off wind and sometimes rain. Centered around 3 hearths, it is meant to be gathered around intimately in the winter, where

warmth is produced

through a sense of community and togetherness.

27

Together Pavilion

introduction

28

britney yan

selected works

plan showing walkway

Upper level plan

process 16

section

Section

plan beneath walkway

Can you imagine skating by this structure in the winter and gathering around a hearth with strangers seated beside and above you?

Ground level plan

section

Section

29

Together Pavilion

plans & sections

30

britney yan

selected works

“warmth is produced through a sense of community and togetherness.”

Axonometric drawing of people gathered around a hearth 31

Together Pavilion

Model constructed of balsa wood, rice paper & string axonometric drawing & model

32

britney yan

selected works

Hand Drawing

33

Hand Drawing

34

britney yan

selected works

Life by a River Inspired by the stories of my mothers childhood hometown in northern China.

35

Hand Drawing

Life by a River

36

britney yan

selected works

Under the Trees, in Spring A scene of children playing in nature during Spring, when the leaves are still light green.

37

Hand Drawing

Under the Trees, in Spring

38

britney yan

selected works

What life feels like while reading under a tree in the spring time (on a good day).

Reading Under the Tree, in Spring

39

Hand Drawing

sketches

40

britney yan

contact

research

design

+1(604)-358-9899

storytelling

britney.eh@gmail.com