4) mobile artist studio 2011

3) lighting studio 2011

2) TTU aquatic center 2008

1) bern infill 2009

5) artwork

TABLE OF CONTENTS

what story do you find yourself in?

Architecture isn’t made by architects; it’s made by the people that inhabit the space. Every project comes with a unique set of occupants, and every single user brings their own story to the volume. What traces do they leave on the building, and what impact does the building have on their life? These are the questions that I pursue through design. Architecture is a character in everybody’s story. What kind of backdrop are you setting?

Brian has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Texas Tech and will soon have a master’s degree in architecture with a certificate in ecological design from the University of Oregon. His journey into the profession began with Legos, and his obsession with a good story is rivaled only by his love of cupcakes.

BERN INFILL 2009

“Suppose time is a circle, bending back on itself. The world repeats itself, precisely, endlessly.” - Alan Lightman, Einstein’s Dreams

The clock ever moves forward, and Einstein’s home in Bern, Switzerland has burned to the ground. A replacement must be built, paying homage to the site’s most revered resident. How, then, to respect such an icon? By exploring his obsession: time. If “time is a circle”, then what happens when it begins to fold in on itself, repeating inside a repeat inside a repeat? Derived patterns became planters for the facade, filled with plants that grow, thrive, and die with each passing season, only to repeat the process for perpetuity. . .

TTU AQUATIC CENTER 2008

“80% sky, 20% earth.” -Upe Flueckiger

The South Plains is a starkly beautiful landscape, with a horizon the size of Texas. Nestled under that huge expanse of atmosphere lies fertile soil, whose crops provide the lifeblood of the region. In this arid climate, large pivot sprinklers dot the landscape, providing much needed water to cotton. It’s this vernacular that was employed for a proposed new roof for the TTU Aquatic Center, meant to replace the existing inflatable one. The form is one familiar to the denizens of Lubbock, and quite appropriate given the pool it is meant to harbor.

truss design progression

Scale: 116"=1'

Scale: 116"=1'

Scale: 132"=1'

Steel Rebar

Concrete

CMU Block

Brick

Plaster

Aluminum Sheet

Steel Pipe

Foam Insulation

Aluminum Pipe

Steel Cable

LIGHTING STUDIO 2011

“A light so restful, so weak and frozen in color, immediately evokes the quietude of nightfall and winter, as well as our own declining years.” -Henry Plummer, Light in Japanese Architecture

The project on this spread is an interpretation of the above line. It was a temporary installation, lasting only 3 days after it was constructed, and provided a place of repose outside the architecture studios.

newspaper penguins on parade - installation

It’s the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to meIt’s the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemiesI hear the farthest cry and the softest sigh when I’m emptyBut if you leave me I’ll get me gone and drown face down muddy in the waterOh when I die. . . The Darkest Side by The Middle East

lamp Interpretation of song lyrics

MOBILE ARTIST STUDIO 2011

Wanderlust is the fodder of dreams. Almost everyone experiences the urge at some point or another to just pick up and go somewhere, allowing fate to dictate a landing spot. Nowhere is this more evident than watching a train pass. What would happen if you were to hop on and just ride the rails, live like a true vagabond? What story would you write?

The mobile artist studio for Sisters, Oregon, explores such a story. Eschewing traditional project boards, the Vagabond Studio is instead illustrated with a comic and narrative, delving into the true spirit of the program and design.

“exploring the beautiful wall”

ARTWORK

TTU architecture building hall

mercedes reflection

seville sketches

comic collage

auckland map + playground model

auckland highway distortion

playground exploration

lonely new year’s

soda cube

Brian DonCarlos

2205 MockingbirdBaytown, TX 77520

cell: 713-922-0689

e-mail: brian.doncarlos@gmail.com