Brian Bracht

Ball State University

2012 - 2016

Bracht 2

ARCH 261

Diagraming For ARCH 261 we had

to watch the movie

Rear Window and pick

a group of scenes to

diagram.

My group diagramed

when Thorwald

attacked Jeff in his

apartment. Jeff used

his camera flash to

slow down the attack

until Lisa and Lt. Doyle

arrived to arrest

Thorwald.

What I Learned:

How to diagram

peoples movement in

spaces

Bracht 3

For this diagram we picked the apartment in which

Jeff was able to see Thorwald across the way where

he murdered his wife.

What I Learned:

How to observe fine details.

ARCH 261

Diagraming

Bracht 4

ARCH 214

Wall SectionIn ARCH 214 we focused

on how to build walls and

the materials that go into

them.

What I Learned:

How to build a structural

wall and it’s not as easy

as it looks.

Bracht 5

The Stacks

Engaging You In Reading

The Stacks bring patrons closer

to one another as a community by

integrating technology into the

daily lives of its patrons. The

facility promotes interaction with

the natural environment while

being orientated to face the

greenway and draw people in.

The open floor plan offers private

listening rooms, a cafe, meeting

rooms, natural daylighting, and

unique reading sites throughout

the library. The Stacks will meet

the informational, cultural,

recreational and educational

needs of the district's residents

regardless of age or schooling.

Architecture

Design Studio

ARCH 302

Bracht 6

UP

UP

-

---

Project NorthNorth

What I Learned:

Window placement to avoid

glare on computers and reading

materials

Creation of intimate spaces

Bracht 7

Group project in which we proposed to take interstate I 10 in New Orleans

and turn it into a linear park. I helped design the Ferris wheel in which each

car was a different Mardi Gras theme, raised community garden, lower

food truck park and produced renderings.

What I Learned:

Culture is very important to the people of New Orleans

Spatial arrangement

Architecture Design Studio

ARCH 401

Bracht 8

Bracht 9

Bracht 10

Bracht 11

Bracht 12

Joining New York City is about taking a different view toward

solving the problem. Our problem was residential units, a

museum, and a farmers market. After analyzing the problem I

chose the rectangle and subdivided it into triangles as the

solution and got my design. In this project the structure is a glued

laminated timber beam frame in which the residential units are

prefabricated cross laminated timber modules that plug into the

frame. The museum has an aluminum façade and large twenty

foot tall galleries. The farmers market is an enclosed eighty foot

tall titanium façade atrium space with bridges and openings to the

lower level for year round use. As in New York City many different

people come together; in my design all the shapes come together

to make one full and complete unit.

Architecture Design Studio

ARCH 401Joining

What I Learned:

How shadows affect interior and exterior spaces

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO

ARCH 501

ecoREHAB of Muncie with the Ball State University Depart. of Architecture

Bracht 13

Bedrooms:

Bathrooms:

Size:

Lot Size:

Const. Cost:

Completed:

Location:

Design/Build:

PROJECT INFO2

1

850 sq. ft.

40’ x 125’

$66 per sq. ft.

2016

n increase in neighborhood instability and residential displacement developed

as due to plant closings and job loss resulting from the recession of 2007. Ten years later, we are still feeling the effects of increasing foreclosures amongst low-income residents, ensueing residential displacement, and neighborhood instability. Shifting, aging, and declining populations; deteriorating housing stocks; underperforming schools; and many other factors have made older industrial areas and neglected urban neighborhoods less than desirable places to live. These factors further contribute to vacancies resulting in blight. Unfortunately, the communities that shoulder the largest burden of vacant

A and abandoned properties are consequently the most economically fragile and the least likely to have the resources to revitalize their neighborhoods. However, these neighborhoods still have the potential to be safe, active, and sustainable communities. In Muncie, Indiana, a partnership has been created between a local non-profit, ecoREHAB of Muncie, Inc., and Ball State University’s Department of Architecture to reinvest in the existing building stock of this former manufacturing city once known for its glass and automotive industries. This initiative has taken on finding ways to recapture the value of its vacant properties, while teaching students and the community about the economic potential and existing houses.

1215 W 10th STREET

What I’ve learned most from this studio is the possibility of the ripple effect. We’re trying to rehab one house in the Avondale community in hopes that it begins to start a chain of reaction within the community. This house’s success is critical so that it might kick start a movement that will reinvigorate the neighborhood. -Jordan Duke, BSU Architecture Student

Making Neighborhoods Livable, One House at a Time

Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood

Muncie, IN

ecoREHAB Muncie w/Ball State University

Depart. of Architecture

‘American Dream,’ but as a crucial component of building household wealth, stabilizing neighborhoods, increasing citizen participation, improved property maintenance, and ultimately revitalizing cities. Research shows that homeownership builds stronger communities, provides a solid foundation for family and personal achievement. It improves the quality of life for not only those invested, but for those in surrounding communities as well. A major objective of many neighborhood revitalization programs is to increase home-ownership. There are a number of ways in which the value of homeownership spurs neighborhood reinvestment. All of these aspects result in the prevention of blight, abandonment and the preservation of the neighborhood. At least four aspects of neighbor-hood stability can be improved by an increase of home ownership:

One of the most supported theories on the positive impacts of homeownership is that it leads to wealth creation. This in turn leads to enhanced life satisfaction, being able to afford better quality health care, and higher rates of civic involvement. Several research studies cited by the National Association of Realtors report have found that homeownership has a significant impact on educational achievement leading to better career attainment and potentially providing better economic wealth. For many, the value of a home lies not only in its worth as a long-term investment, but also in the pride of homeownership and the ability to securely raise a family. This further increases the investment of those with residences in older neighborhoods, strengthening their appeal.

I believe the impact from this studio can have long lasting impacts on the neighborhood and Muncie as a whole. We are rehabbing a house that is in a very deprived community. This house has the potential to change this neighborhood, and to be a beacon for the future of this community. In this studio we can see how our impacts can directly change the way people view a community.

-Jacob Hurt, BSU Architecture Student

IMPACTNEIGHBORHOOD

H omeownership is wide-ly seen not only as the fulfillment of the

Length of tenure of current residents;

An increase in the physical condition of properties that are improved due to overall community reinvestment;

1)

2)

A stabilization and often increase in property values;

Improvement of civic conditions throughout the neighborhood such as enhanced infrastructure and school systems brought on by an increase in the tax base.

3)

4)

13

2

4

5

6

7

1 Open Front Porch

2 Living Room

3 Kitchen / Dining

4 Bedroom 1

5 Bedroom 2

6 Hallway

7 Bathroom

FLOOR PLAN

2 6

87

ALLEY

WES

T 10

TH S

TREE

T

8

8 Rear Porch/Deck

Lett

er o

f Inq

uire

For F

undi

ng

2015

Receive Funding

Secure Deed

Focus Neighborhood Identified

Foundation Repair

Meth Remediation

Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Appl

y fo

r Gra

nt F

undi

ng

TIMELINE

Complete Interior Demo.

Completion

2016

Build

ing

Perm

it

Crawl Space Repair

Begi

n In

terio

r Fr

amin

gN

ew S

ewer

+

Wat

er L

ater

al

Fram

ing

Insp

ectio

nH

VAC

Roug

h-In

Plumbing Rough-In

Exterior Rehab Completed

Inte

rior F

inish

es

Flooring Installation

Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug SeptJan

Cabi

net /

Fix

ture

Inst

alla

tion

Rear

Por

ch C

onst

ruct

ed

Fron

t Por

ch R

esto

red

Roof

Rep

air

Ensuring a high-performance envelope is one of the most important ways to improve the energy efficiency of older homes. This can only happen through careful consideration of the building envelope and aligning the thermal boundary with the pressure boundary of the house. The pressure boundary defines the separation of outdoor air and indoor conditioned air. Properly sealing the house and minimizing air leakage, the conditioned air is kept inside the house. By providing the proper level and type of insulation in the same location as the defined pressure boundary, the insulation works to its fullest capacity minimizing loss by thermal conduction. Understanding these boundaries as three-dimensional surfaces is critical in the design process.

BUILDING ENVELOP

Attics are subject extreme temperatures ranging from sub-freezing in the winter to 150°F or higher in the summer. Even with the code required insulation wrap, running ducts in an uninsulated attic puts excessive demands on an HVAC system increasing operating costs. All ductwork is fabricating from sheetmetal and located them below the attic air barrier created by a continuous wallboard layer below the attic floor joists.

Compact house design sometimes requires plumbing to be located in exterior walls. Providing double stud wall construction at those locations allows for maximum protection of water pipes without compromising insulation in the wall. The outer wall has a full layer of R-15 wall insulation without interuption of piping, vents, washing machine outlet boxes, and electrical boxes.

Outside air is drawn into the house and leaks out through all the small openings into the attic. Creating an air-barrier between the conditioned space and the attic is critical to preventing this effect. Prior to framing interior, non-loadbearing walls a layer of 1/2” wallboard ceiling is installed and sealed creating a continous air-barrier preventing conditioned air from leaking into the attic.

Rim joists are where many building parts come together (foundation, mudsill, rim joist, subfloor, wall framing, etc.). In older homes, rim joists are often uninsulated and full of cracks causing air leakage and exacerbating stack effect. To prevent mold problems only airimpermiable insulation should be used to insulate these areas. Using a 2-part expandable foam insulation, all the rim joists were both insulated and air-sealed.

MONEY MATTERS

ffordability cannot be solely evaluated on the reduction of energy cost

and a lower environmental impact. To be a competitive alternative to new construction, sustainable rehababilitation must be financially competitive during the initial development and when setting the purchase price. One of the most vital goals of this program is providing affordable and replicable energy-efficient buildings to low- and moderate-income families within urban, often blighted neighborhoods. An evaluation of 2013 new housing costs demonstrates the steep increase in costs since 2002. According to the data compiled by the National Association of Home Builders, national new house

Development Costs

Construction Costs

Cash purchase price of propertyProperty Taxes Back taxes owes, 2015, 20=16Legal & Recording FeesMeth RemediationProperty+liability insuranceProperty MaintenanceSanitary District Fines and PenaltiesPermitting and Review

General ConditionsDemolitionRoofing + GuttersExterior ConstructionFramingFoundation/Crawl SpaceInsulationInterior ConstructionMechanicalPlumbingElectricalSewer Lateral + Water LineSpecial ConstructionAppliancesSite DevelopmentSummer Student Interns

Budget

1,500500

1,0008,2001,3007,0003,0005,5007,5006,5004,5003,0001,0002,5001,000

1,000

4,3352,975

10,0001,550

500

125

1,000

4,335542

16,6001,540

190283

2,400

125

1,000

4,3352,972

16,6001,540

190283125

613481977

8,0481,3047,0331,2073,0767,5865,9243,3273,900

7202,496

5523,000

170

1,1944

2,618

720407

895

60

783481977

9,2421,3087,0331,2075,6947,5866,6443,7343,9001,6152,496

6123,000

$$$$$$$ $$$$ $$$$

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$

$

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$

$

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Purchased/Paid Donated/Waived Total

Total Project Cost $80,385

construction costs averaged $94.54 per square foot. The additional costs of the lot, financing, marking, sales commission, and project overhead, the increases the cost to $138.96 per square foot, exluding developer profit. The Indiana construction cost average is slightly higher at $96.44 per square foot. A comparable sized newly constructed house would cost over $115,000. The cost of 1215 W. 10th St. was $80,385, including all development and overhead costs. Purchasing a new home can be expensive for families in lower income brackets. As of September 2016, the median sales price of a home sold in the Delaware County is $76,500. This number peaked in 2014 at $80,900. This project house will be sold for $40,000.

A

PLANTING A SEEDInvestment in the rehabilitation of existing housing is fundamentally a community strengthening endeavor. Each participant takes part in a project that is not simply aimed at making money but contribute to a healthy community. Projects that invest in the existing core neighborhoods are a catalyst for community growth and improvement. Rehabilitating buildings in older urban neighborhoods strengthens communities by protecting their character and enhancing property values. Sustainable

rehabilitation increases economic development within disinvested or blighted communities, further enhancing the overall quality of the neighborhood as a result. These are still neighborhoods with tremendous potential to be livable, sustainable communities. There are opportunities to use rehabilitation efforts as a means of urban reinvestment placing priority on infill and redevelopment as a catalyst towards reinvestment and future development. Houses within our

urban neighborhoods present opportunities to provide thought-fully designed, energy efficient homes. Older neighborhoods, have the economic accessibility to provide homes for families from every financial stratum proving to be an viable way to contribute to affordable housing. Promoting and sustaining a mixed-income neighborhood helps alleviate blight and stave off the threat of gentrification. Stable, vibrant communities are built upon a mix of housing options that fit a variety of lifestyles and income levels.