PORTFOLIO architecture
Selected work 2022-2025
Brandon Chau
Name
PROFESSIONAL SUMARY
Architecture student with experience in mentoring, sustainable design, and team leadership. LEED Green Associate with strong design skills and a collaborative mindset. Curious and eager to learn, driven by a passion for innovation, problem-solving, and environmental impact. Always looking for new challenges to grow and contribute meaningful design solutions
EDUCATION CONTACT
Houston, Texas 832-245-1387 brandonvinhchau@ gmail.com
SKILLS
/Revit
/Rhino
/Adobe Illustrator
/Adobe Photoshop
/Adope Premier Pro
/Twin Motion
/AutoCad
/3DS Max
Bachelor in Architecture
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
Minor: Construction Management GPA: 3.7
WORK HISTORY
Pool Manager
MD ANDERSON FAMILY YMCA
May 2024 - August 2024
- Oversaw scheduling, payroll, and documentation of 15+ staff members to ensure smooth daily operations and compliance with organizational policies
-Coordinated lifeguard teams, pool maintenance, and safety protocols once a month during in services to uphold high standards of service and safety
-Trained and mentored 15+ staff, improving efficiency and fostering a collaborative work environment
CERTFICATIONS
LEED Green Associate 2025
LINKEDIN Revit 2025: Essential Training for Architecture
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IRONMAN Texas Finisher 2024
George Foundation Award Recipient 2021
Eagle Scout Award 2019
Interstitial Spaces
Waco, Texas
Interstitial Spaces is a community facility that uses modularity to provide the local community with a variety of amenities. The project explores how modular design can optimize the use of space, light, and height to create flexible and dynamic environments. For example, a café would require more open space, while a gym would need more enclosed areas. The use of wooden screens and adaptable modules allows for the creation of unique spaces that respond to the specific needs of each amenity, fostering interaction and providing a range of functional areas
The use of modularity in design also introduces a layered spatial experience, where each module serves as a unique environment tailored to its function. The variations in height create opportunities for terraces, mezzanines, and overlooks, offering a mix of open and intimate spaces whether or not they are enclosed or opened. Natural light filters through the wooden screens, casting intricate patterns that shift throughout the day, adding a dynamic quality to the interiors. These features encourage movement and exploration, with the stairs serving as both a practical connector and a visual anchor, guiding visitors through the diverse amenities. By combining these elements, the project cultivates a sense of discovery and redefines how communal spaces can function as interconnected yet distinct realms.
FairCyle
Houston, Texas
“Fair Cycle” is an adaptive reuse project that utilizes a historic building and turns it into an interactive bike cafe/ single housing apartment for the community to use. The project is located on 110 Milam Street and is adjacent to the local biking trail, Buffalo Bayou. The L-shaped massing configuration creates a terrace that allows the visitors to have a quality view of the bayou while allowing the occupants to have an ample amount of daylight and views throughout their home. 1
A key aspect of this project is the connection to the historic building and its surrounding bike networks. Access to the building is enhanced through a designed bike ramp that starts from the bayou to the building itself. The ramp leads up to the ground floor, where there are a number of amenities, including bike repair stations, tables, chairs, and bike racks.
In addition, the use of L-shape massing and its configuration forms a central atrium that allows natural light and air circulation to foster a sense of openness. The space also creates levels of terraces with quality views of the bayou that both the cyclists and residents of the project can enjoy.
The Cephalopod Community Center is a specialized facility that is dedicated to researching octopus communities. The building incorporates sustainable design features, including a double-skin façade with an outer layer of kinetic perforated metal. To optimize the use of the facade, the building uses an octagonal shell that helps capture sea breezes that create a visual ventilation effect, all while protecting the interior massing from outdoor conditions.
Galveston Dike, Texas
Credit: Aliyah Davis
The project uses a hierarchy to emphasize the importance of octopuses. All “octopus” spaces are organic, while all “human” spaces remain rigid and orthogonal. Furthermore, to give importance to the octopuses, on the ground floor there is a series of interconnecting tubes that allow the octopuses to circulate throughout the building. The “human spaces” on the ground floor consist of educational opportunities for the visitors to interact and learn from.
The second floor is primarily for research, providing dedicated space for scientists, but also includes a public workshop offering hands-on activities. This workshop can range from creating puzzles for the octopuses to solve to demonstrations on maintaining the octopuses health. The rest of the second floor is dedicated to research. However, there is an outdoor terrace for visitors to view the kinetic facade from the inside.
