Portfolio

First, Concept. Then, Design.

Brendlee Rivera

Architectural Designer

is the

Brendlee was born and raised in Puerto Rico. In 2015 she obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. A year after graduation, in 2016, she moved to Manhattan, New York where she began her professional practice in an architectural firm. During this time, she worked with various project types, such as Healthcare, Mixed Use, Museums, Institutional, Commercial, Multi-family and Single-family residential including new construction, alterations, and redevelopments with a diverse client base. During this time, Ms. Rivera completed her AXP hours and is on the path to obtain architectural license.

Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, near the end of 2020, Ms. Rivera moved back to Puerto Rico where she started freelancing. Begginning of 2021, she was offered the opportunity to work for a local engineering company. Since, Ms. Rivera has been acquiring Project Management, and Inspection experience on diverse government and federal projects. During this year, she obtained a Master degree in Engineering Management specialized in Construction Management.

Over the years she has learned and acquired experience on both of her education degrees in an architectural and engineering setting. Her experience of almost seven years includes working not only on traditional delivery projects but also on designbuild projects. Moreover, her expertise in these different projects includes drawing and detailing with tenacious attention to quality, writing technical specifications, proposal writing and aiding in the construction management phase. In addition, her design approach and knowledge include working with innovative technology tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Master in Engineering Management

Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

Bachelor of Architecture

Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

Architecture

thoughtful making of space. Every building must have its own... soul. - Louis Kahn

Painting by Brendlee Rivera, Manhattan, New York, 2020

Section One

This section showcases selected residential, institutional and commercial projects that convey professional experience over the past recent years.

Residential 01

Description

Residential selected projects include singlefamily homes, townhouses and multi-family projects such as apartment buildings located in Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey.

Concept

Construction of a new three (3) story singlefamily dwelling with a garage and a driveway. The site for this new shingled house is surrounded by water on 3 sides—marsh bog north and east, canal waterway to the south.The design solution was developed by honoring those water and wetland views, with the goal of causing minimal disturbance to natural setting and ecosystem, and achieving net-zero energy consumption.

high ceilings, soft wood, and natural warm tones

North, east and south opening views are oriented towards the water and wetlands, creating an abundance of natural light, and the illusion of more interior space.

A beautiful contemporary kitchen with sleek light-stained cabinets, white stone countertops, built-in lights and a glazed wall with wetland views. Open concept kitchen with tall ceiling and huge openings creates a fluid living space between the kitchen, living room and dining area.

harmonious colours that blend with the surrounding

Wood and soft natural warm tones used in harmony with the environment.

Glazed Façade North Side

Glazed wall seamless look blurs the boundary between the interior and exterior creating a feel of being outside and making the scenery part of the kitchen look.

Wood shingles tone make the house blend in with its surroundings and not disrupting the natural setting.

As a bridge between indoors and outdoors, floor-to-ceiling windows introduce light, views, and a contemporary touch to the home. To make the most of the sun for warmth, natural light, and views the home’s main living areas are oriented North.

Concept

The Church of Saint Simon-by-the-Sea was constructed in 1889 on property donated by the Downer family. Three identical houses were erected south of the Church and named Faith, Hope, and Charity. Sarah Downer, Frederick Downer’s widow, donated Charity, southernmost of the three, to Saint Simon in 1906 for use as the Rectory. The Trustees of the Church have directed that a new Rectory be constructed on the existing Rectory property, with the existing Rectory remaining in place as residence for visiting clergy through the summer.

Saint Simon by the Sea

A new hurricane resistant Rectory of approximately 2,100 square feet was designed with an architectural expression inspired by the unique historic architecture of the Church and Rectory, renewing their sense of dignity, appropriateness, simplicity, and calm. The exterior appearance of the new Rectory, with appropriate scale and materials, will express an awareness of its place in historic Mantoloking, as well as in post-Sandy Mantoloking.

Barnegout Lane

Mantoloking, New Jersey

Concept

Three story shingled house was catastrophically damaged by Hurricane Sandy flooding which undermined its pier foundations and caused its partial collapse and extreme interior inundation. New hurricane resistant house of approximately 2,400 square feet will be constructed and situated on an engineered piling foundation in conformance with all applicable regulatory and statutory requirements. Concept of open, flowing space with generous fenestration. Minimalist, tectonic and consistent detailing of interior and exterior construction. A sense of elegance, appropriateness, simplicity, and calm. The exterior appearance of such a new house, with appropriate scale and materials, will express a heightened awareness of its place in historic Mantoloking as well as in postSandy Mantoloking.

Concept

Design and construction of new affordable and supportive housing 8-story building with a cellar and south facing roof terrace for Housing Works community based non-profit organization.

The proposed project re-interprets the local vernacular surroundings on a larger scale, as mandated by NYC zoning, and is designed to blend in with the commercial and residential buildings that surround it.

Multi-family Supportive Housing Building 8-story with a Cellar Type Studios Apartments 36 studios

There are six studio apartments per floor on floors 2-6, and three studio apartments per floor on floors 7-8.

The over-sized double and triple double hung windows in each apartment anchor the great room design of each studio apartment.

The great room environment for cooking, eating, sitting, and sleeping is designed to be functional, restful, and attractive.

Brownstone Townhouse

Brooklyn, New York

Concept

Renovation of an Italianate brick and brownstone townhouse retaining as many original details and charm.

Building a two-story addition into the back yard at the parlor floor and garden accomodating a gym, wine cellar, office, living and family room, bathrooms, kitchen and library.

Archimuse 184A Bergen Street February 16, 2022

Institutional 02

Description

Westside Community Health Center

Healthcare Healthcare Renovation

East New York Healthcare Clinic

New Construction

Institutional Selected Projects include the design of museums, as well as galleries and healthcare clinics, located in Manhattan, Yonkers, and Brooklyn, New York.

Museum and Gallery

Hudson River Museum

Hudson River Museum

Concept

Crafted a phased Master Plan for this important regional museum and a new West Wing Addition which provides Change Exhibitions Gallery, Art Storage, and other technical space, freeing space in the existing galleries for increased display of the Museum’s permanent collection.

Hudson River Museum

Renovation and New Construction

West Wing Addition, the fifth phase of the Master Plan, is in the planning stages. It is coordinated with the Yonkers Amphitheater on the south side of the Hudson River Museum.

It adds a 6,000 square foot Changing Exhibitions Gallery to the Museum, with associated art storage and exhibition preparation spaces, and new museum offices.

The West Wing Addition

The West Wing Addition also creates a new special events entrance to the Museum facing the Hudson River, and share a public riverfront plaza with the Yonkers Amphitheater.

Westside Community Health Center

Concept

Renovation of Westside Community Health Center involves extensive renovation of the existing 4-story building.

The base building renovation involves extensive structural renovation, a new interior ADA ramp, a new elevator, a new code compliant stair, a new fire sprinkler system, new windows, as well as complete renovation of interior partitions and HVAC system.

Cross Section

The Cellar houses mechanical and elevator machine rooms, as well as janitor closet and staff toilet room required for the clinic.

The Ground Floor houses the primary care portion of the clinic, comprising a reception and security desk, staff workstations, eight exam rooms, medical lab, soiled linen closet, clean linen closet, patient toilet, as well as a separate pharmacy.

The First Floor is the behavioral health portion of the clinic, and incorporates a reception desk, large patient lounge/waiting room, patient bathroom with shower, six behavioral health consultation rooms, a large group conference room, and a smaller group conference room.

The Second Floor is an open office suite for Health Home and Community Partnership case workers, with two private meeting rooms, a director’s office and a bathroom.

The Third Floor is a staff lounge, with a bathroom, pantry, and locker room.

Renovation of existing 4-story building

Concept

Improvements to the Housing Works’ second capital projecthousing and health care facility features units for single adults living with HIV/ AIDS, as well as a cafeteria, garden, pool room, roof terrace, and clinic providing a wide range of primary care and behavioral health services.

Design included a dedicated focal wall space for changing displays of local art to help reinforce its East New York neighborhood context.

Lower Level renovation

Interior Spaces

The Lower Level is renovated with three large exam rooms for specialty medical care, accessible from the Ground Floor Entrance Lobby via the windowed convenience stair and central passenger elevator.

sustainable finish materials and low-energy, high-output, LED lighting with optimal CRI

Description

Commercial selected projects range from retail stores such as thrift stores, bookstores, in Manhattan, New York to the design of a well known New Jersey Radio Station.

Concept

WFMU is the leading independent, freeform, radio station in the world, and the longest-running freeform radio station in the United States.

WFMU was named “Best Radio Station in the Country” by Rolling Stone magazine for four consecutive years (1991–1994) and has also been dubbed the best radio station in either New York or the United States by The Village Voice, New York Press, and CMJ.

WWFMU, broadcasting live music from its studios for decades is now creating a live performance space on the ground floor of its five story building in Jersey City. Called the WFMU Radio Theater, it is conceived for the facilitation of the widest range of freeform music in front of a live audience, simultaneously broadcasting audio and video to a local and a worldwide audience. Innovative and progressive programming pioneered by WFMU since 1958 will be complemented by regular live theater experiences accessible locally and globally.

Concept

The three Housing Works

20

COMMERCIAL BOOKSTORE

Manhattan, New York

Bookstore Cafe

Manhattan, New York

Concept

The Housing Works Used Book Cafe in the Soho district of Manhattan was designed to have a spiritual aura that inspires generosity and an almost eerie quietude.

WFMU has pioneered the use of good contextual design in creating a successful entrepreneurial venture for a pioneering not-for-profit.

Thrift Shops designed have re-defined the thrift shop as a uniquely compelling retail venue, and a major profit center for Housing Works while raising its public profile. An immaculate 3,000-squarefoot store, with track lighting and towering ceilings, resembling a minimalist Soho.

Thrift

Shops

Manhattan, New York

Adaptive Re-use Thrift Shop

Manhattan, New York

Concept

Adaptive reuse.

A new Housing Works thrift shop was constructed and designed in an existing ground floor retail tenant space at the northeast corner of a building, formerly occupied by a pet supply store. This retail tenant space, approximately 1,800 usable square feet,is part of an apartment building built in 1963. Store space and millwork was customed designed for this project.

This section showcases selected projects that convey academic experience throughout the undergraduate program. Projects range from residential, institutional, commercial, to urbanism.

Section Two

5th year: Capstone Design, Emergency Shelter Shelter Pod

AARP Headquarters

4th year: Advanced Design, Retail, Housing & Office Building

Pit Stop

4th year: Urbanism, Interactive Installation

Urban Slicing ACSA Steel Competition

3rd year: Intermediate Design, Culinary Art School

3rd year: Intermediate Design, As-built with building pathology Conservation

Site Planning

3rd year: Intermediate Design

architectural scale models

VISTA HACIA LAS OFICINAS

Concept

Capstone Design

Could waste be designed as an investment in architecture?. According to the properties of plastic we could create architecture from what is no longer considered useful.

One of the most crucial issues for the immediate management of disaster events is the time in which the temporary housing for the victims is handled, assembled and arranged. Taking into consideration a rapid response, the shelter was designed as a 4-piece lightweight easily to transport and fast assembly during the emergency.

The connecting shelter pod is primary made of local PET plastic waste, eco-friendly and recycable materials and is designed to be self sustainable. The bold design allows you to interlock various pods onto one another in order to create long flowing structures that provide a little more space and privacy.

use to increase social activities and interaction by connectng all three adjacent streets. The permeable One tower is occupied with apartment housing for the elderly and the other tower for AARP offices. 2.56

VISTA HACIA LA CAFETERIA

Pit Stop

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Concept

As part of the urbanism class, this project was part of a proposal to increase pedestrian connectivity in Condado, San Juan. The concept was to create an inclusive skateboard park and an “interactive installation” near the beach a piece of furniture which, by virtue of its functionality, can support spontaneous and self-organized sports. These concrete L-shapes provide an opportunity to do strength exercises, stretch or simply sit for a while to enjoy nature or watch people passing by.

The elements can be put together at all joints and edges, and the possible formations can thus range from compact to long or free compositions.

Slicing

such, faciliator products reveals and fast many as a architeccutting velocity of exterior can be languages tabula where scale,

COMPETITION

Urban Slicing

Culinary Arts School

Concept

Culinary Art School.

Contemporary urban life has transformed itself into one where speed predominates. Surveys reveal that this fast driven life style encourages unhealthy eating habits. As a consequence, our urban context has shifted into a mass produced, compact and homogeneous chain of “Fast Foods” and “Fast Buildings”. It’s construction is identical, with a universal flavor, monotone, with a fast and pre-designated movement. Speed, by itself, is not bad. However, it has come a routinely way of life.

Images influence unavoidable demands on society and, as such this site has the potential of becoming a faciliator to society. The demands for standarized products and the “uniformity” of fast food retails reveals a paradoxical relationaship between slow and fast “food movement”. Now, food and architecture are similar in many ways.

ACSA Steel Competition Urban Slicing

Contemporary urban life has transformed itself into one where speed predominates.

The process of eating is one of the most natural things we do in our daily lives; yet, the value of this process has been transformed into an unnatural domesticated action. Fast food has proven to be a revolutionary force in this action.

Surveys reveal that this fast driven life style encourages unhealthy eating habits. As a consequence, our urban context has shifted into a mass produced, compact and homogeneous chain of “Fast Foods” and “Fast Buildings”. It’s construction is identical, with a universal avor, monotone, with a fast and pre-designated movement. Speed, by itself, is not bad. However, it has become a routinely way of life.

Metaphorically, we see the architect as a chef, the plate as an empty plate, the architectural plans as the recipes, the site as the cutting board, the knife;s movement as the velocity of the place and the kitchen’s activity as the exterior noises, In the end, cooking and designing can be seen as the expression of translatable languages and signifying processes. Conceived as a tabula rasa, the site is treated as a cutting board, where the constant slicing of the knife defines, scale, form and proportion.

Culinary Arts School

Structure

The process of eating is one of the most natural things that we do in our daily lives; yet, the value of this process has been transformed into an unnatural domesticated action. Fast food has proven to be a revolutionary force in this action. Images in uence

unavoidable demands on society and, as such, this site has the potential of becoming a faciliator to society. The demands for standarized products and the “uniformity” of fast food retails reveals a paradoxical relationship between slow and fast “ food movement”.

Now, food and architecture are similar in many ways. Metaphorically, we see the architect as a chef, the plate as an empty plate, the architectural plans as the recipes, the site as the cutting board, the knife’s movement as the velocity of the place adn the kitchen’s activity as the exterior noises. In the end, cooking and designing can be seen as the expression of translatable languages and signifying processes. Conceived as a tabula rasa, the site is treated as a curring board, where the constant slicing of the knife de nes scale, form and proportion.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Concept

This

Concept

The goal was to give each project a unique identity by finding the optimum balance between man-made and natural elements, and between aesthetics and economy. Developed spaces that are both appealing and functional. Besides all aspects of design from analysis and concept formation, the site planning for these spaces included imaginative detailing for paving, lighting, signage, furniture, retaining walls, berms, shrubbery, trees, and small plants.

Berms were implemented on both projects to manage storm water so that individual structures are not overwhelmed by the incoming flow. This also created more usable “green spaces” between the structures.

Renovacion de Estacionamiento Area Sur del Parque La Merced [Esquina: Calle Juan B. Rodriguez y Cabo Eddie Garica Sanchez] ARQPOLI ARTE 3010 Site Planning Profesor: Manuel Alfonso de Lemos

Metodología El estacionamiento del Parque Merced ha sido rediseñado para ser visto como una extensión del parque. Se eliminó un 30% de los estacionamientos para crear dicha Extensión. Mediante el uso de bermas creamos separaciones espaciales visuales, áreas de estar áreas de descanso (cesped). Aprovechando uso de las bermas, se crea un bioswale que maneja las escorrentias del proyecto.

ARQPOLI: EJERCICIO IV: Ampliación de Museo de Arte ARTE 3010: Site Planning Brendlee Rivera Rivera Prof. Manuel Alfonso de Lemos

SITE PLAN ESCALA: 1/16”=1’0”

Site Planning

San Juan, Puerto Rico

arbolesexistentes

entrada parque Hormigonbicapa vibroprensado

bermas

Design of landscaping, exterior furniture, use of recycled permeable pavement, and storm water control.

esped estanque

session included first, a preliminary exercise of an as-built to identify the existing conditions of the site. As built drawings show the building pathology to study and understand, in particular, the building defects and associate a remedial action.

I combine my interest in traveling, people, culture, psychology, and intention to change my surroundings for better in my approach to design architecture. My main drive to do architecture is that believe architecture has a life-changing impact on people and communities.

First thing taught in architecture school was to design for the user and in my opinion, architecture is about the user. believe it is essential for the building to be well designed through all the means but what is making it truly beautiful is making people happy to use it. Commited