Originally from Los Angeles, Bryan Young recognized architecture even at a young age, and one by Louis Kahn left a lasting impression. As a teenager, he dived at Black’s Beach in San Diego, California, where you could see the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
“It’s still one of the clearest and most authentic buildings I’ve ever visited,” Young said.
He decided to pursue his interest in the built environment at UC Berkeley, where he received his degree in architecture, before completing his studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Founded in 2010, Young’s NYC-based studio, Young Projects, emphasizes the importance of materials and often explores unique construction techniques such as growing crystals or hand-pulling concrete.
Young and interested in interior design and interior design. He collaborates with artists to develop one-of-a-kind pieces and runs VERSO, the Tribeca design gallery he founded in 2002 with Amauri Aguiar; its curated collection includes bespoke furniture and art pieces.
Today, Bryan Young joins us on Friday Friday!
Photo by Bryan Young
1. Girard
When you stare at something for a long time over many years, it’s fun to see it start to get interesting.
Blue Trianglesby Alexander Girard dates back to 1972 – the year my wife Marina was born, which made it a great 40th birthday present in 2012. Over the past 14 years, we have repeatedly tested this seemingly simple silk screen with great interest. Groups of triangles are stacked together. Groups of triangles are stacked together. The blue triangles are both figures and are below the naked white triangles of the canvas. After some time, the surface seems to vibrate.
Under closer inspection, one can see that some triangles are actually touching while others mysteriously overlap. Discovering these nuances and related visual effects influenced the development of the tiling technique in our Glitch House project in the Dominican Republic, and the subsequent silk screens we completed in collaboration with the Soho gallery a83.
Photo by Bryan Young
2. Van Gogh’sRosesby Raina Lee
If you have known a painting for a long time you can remember it and see it again, it is very interesting.
Ceramic by Raina LeeRoseswhich lives in our kitchen in Brooklyn, is based on Van Gogh’sRosesfrom 1890, which are on display as part of the permanent collection at The Met. His version is an authentic copy, bringing back the pink color of the roses originally painted on the geranium pool and fading over time. Yet the effect of the glazed ceramic surface creates a dramatic image in the artwork, as the surface light and subtle dimensions of the clay create a sense of depth similar to the exterior of Van Gogh’s brushes.
Lee’s unique luster to make the pink color is the result of a chemical reaction between chrome and tin. It’s a manual method where the art comes from trial and error, and the actual execution involves the ultimate beauty.
Photo by Bryan Young
3. The Parrot and the Hawk
When things that are so familiar start to change because of their proximity to other things, it’s very exciting.
The yellow-headed parrot lives in the lowland forests of Central Mexico. The artwork came to me through my grandmother, who was a student at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. My brothers Mike and John and I share Kenner’s Millennium Falcon, released in 1979. The cockpit cover has been missing since 1981.
Nostalgia and pop-culture references are as important to our imaginations as innovation. The strange meeting of the Parrot and the Falcon in front of my mother’s floral sofa is a combination of memories and at the same time it seeks to evoke otherworldly qualities by being close to it. Like objects from my childhood, these pieces fueled a passion for collecting, shoebox dioramas, plex vitrines, and fictional stories.
Photo by Bryan Young
4. Playa Grande
If you live in a concrete jungle where dreams are made, the real jungle environment is more powerful than you could ever dream.
Photo of Young Projects colleague, Noah Marciniak, standing in front of a beautiful ficus tree while visiting the first site in Playa Grande in the Dominican Republic in 2015. A place that insists on being heard before being understood. Light travels through the canopy by rays. The air is thick and alive on your skin. It was clear from the beginning that any architecture placed here would have to respond to everything.
The large retreat house at Playa Grande takes its cues from the endless canopy above. Its roof—assembled from 160 moving and rotating scissors—mimics the restless, fluid geometry of the forest without touching it. In the center of the house, the yard holds another ficus tree. We wrap the plot as a dialogue instead of an outline.
Hosted by Bryan Young
5. Exhibitions
When you haven’t done something you love for a long time, and you do it again, it’s amazing how much you’ve missed it.
My first concert after the lockdown was The Flaming Lips at Brooklyn Steel in October 2021. The room was full of people who had been in a room full of people for a long time, and everyone knew it. Something was released that night, something that had been held tight for two years of isolation. Wayne Coyne reminded everyone in his space bubble that we should stay connected, even in bubbles.
The following is a continuous list of concerts over the course of five years: Kendrick Lamar with SZA, Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Wet Leg, IDLES, Iggy Pop under the Kosciuszko Bridge, Cameron Winter, The Boss at Barclays, Earl Sweatshirt and Peggy (except for the beef about who is auditioning). Small and large rooms. Solo acts and big bands. The venues themselves are drawn from all over NYC: Bowery Ballroom, Carnegie Hall, Kings Theatre, Warsaw, Knockdown Center, MSG.
What stays with you is not the setlists, but the people you went with. The special electricity of strangers dancing with food next to the people you love. Being in it fully. Getting angry.
Works by Young Projects
Photos by Iwan Baan and Karla Funda
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Glitch House in the Dominican Republic
The Glitch House is tucked into the jungle inland from the Retreat House at Casa Las Olas. The small building provides both accommodation for guests and the necessary landscaping and work areas for general maintenance. The exterior of the building is decorated with encaustic cement tiles handmade in the Dominican Republic.
The simple quarter arc pattern of each tile interrupts the shadow and graphic quality of the concrete block walls for a vibrant, moving effect.
The Glitch House is the first building a visitor sees when arriving at Casa Las Olas. Rather than marking this time with a defined boundary or gate, Glitch House uncannily immerses itself in the forest environment and offers events that lead to immersive experiences that guide retreat design in general.
Photo by Gieves Anderson
2. Soho Loft in New York City
This loft, located in Soho within a converted, raised three-bedroom pre-fab building. An attached public square, ending in a Scagliola archway, marks the entrance to the open living area. Millwork of walnut and stainless steel help anchor the kitchen within the open floor plan, while a series of library bookcases frame the entry to the first room, powder room, and laundry.
Photo by Brooke Holm
3. French Quarter Cottage in New Orleans, Louisiana
An 1820s Creole interior renovation with one of the largest private courtyards in the French Quarter, the property includes a main house and a carriage house with a gallery overlooking a walled courtyard, swimming pool, and large antique trees.
The classic four-square plan houses the basic rooms: bar, music room, salon, and dining area. The four adjacent rooms are treated as separate spaces that differ in color, finish, material, and furniture. Each main room is connected by “portals,” custom-made gold-leafed open doors that serve as borders that cut from one space to another.
Photo by Iwan Baan
4. Casa Las Olas in the Dominican Republic
Located in a previously undeveloped area, the Retreat House takes full advantage of the property’s pristine beach front, balancing expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean with the lush, dense forest that dominates most of the site. Further inland, the Porch House and Glitch House provide additional guest accommodation and an addition
system.
In the sense of the big picture, the Retreat House is simply part of a converted courtyard. Guided by the position of the sun, the natural wind, and the desire to preserve all the existing trees and vegetation, the modified form is a drifting ring that changes in plan and in the part just below the forest floor. The roof is a controlled area of 160 scissor trusses; Each one is different, but simple to assemble and build. The result is a very complex and fluid architectural form that changes along the corridors, curves between the basic double-height spaces, and rotates the geometric movement at each corner. The design helps the panoramic experience of the site, from it
a diverse jungle landscape in its vast ocean views.
Photographs by Michel Passos Zylberberg; co-designed and designed by Art in Construction in Brooklyn, New York; represented by VERSO
5. Downward Facing Chair
Young Projects worked closely with plaster artists Art in Construction to develop this one-of-a-kind piece that combines the 17th century scagliola plaster technique with the beauty of rough concrete. The result is a marble-like finish that transitions from a smooth, refined surface to a rugged exterior. The Upside Down form of the chair is durable yet beautiful and allows it to be used equally indoors or outdoors.
