Réna Bradley
Réna was born and raised in metro Detroit, but has also lived in Nevada, Washington DC, and Virginia. She studied architecture at Howard University (B. Arch) and is the founder and Director of the Tired-a-Lot Summer Studio.
Q: What gave you the inspiration for the Tired-a-Lot Summer Studio? What is your favorite thing about it?
A: Tired-a-Lot was inspired by the Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood and it's residents! The community told Bridge of Grace (Tired-a-Lot's host organization) that they wanted to see our neighborhood become more beautiful and welcoming, and, that they wanted our community to have more opportunities for youth and teens to do something productive. With their input in mind, launching a design studio to equip teens to beautify our neighborhood seemed like a great place to start.
When it comes to the studio's outcomes - of course I enjoy seeing the vacant lots get activated!- but more than that, I love seeing our teens grow in confidence. Watching them recognize their own brilliance and capacity to effect change is really powerful.
Q: What's a fun fact about you?
A: I love traveling! …and have jumped off of the world’s tallest bungee bridge in South Africa.
Q: What made you want to be an architect?
A: I studied architecture because I wanted to help make the world a better place. I learned in my high school's AP Environment course, how buildings affect people's health and thought architecture would be a great way to channel my creativity and love for math and the environment to make a difference.
Q: What are your greatest design/architectural accomplishments so far? What is your favorite project you’ve completed to date?
A: The biggest project I’ve worked on to date is the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia. It’s over 1.2 million square feet (or about 12 mid-sized Walmarts!) of LEED Gold. It was amazing to see the project go from an idea, to a drawn concept, to a built structure in just under 4 years. Hearing our military community members talk about how beautiful the hospital is and the way it uplifts their spirits gave me joy. I also love the work I did in Detroit to help stabilize neighborhoods! That said, my all time favorite, and most fun project has been Tired-a-Lot!
Q: What design/architectural goals do you still hope to achieve?
A: I hope to use design as a tool to help people realize their own potential and ability to effect change. I think good architects can make buildings and objects that shine, while great architects make the people feel like they do [shine].
Q: What gave you the inspiration for the Tired-a-Lot Summer Studio? What is your favorite thing about it?
A: Tired-a-Lot was inspired by the Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood and it's residents! The community told Bridge of Grace (Tired-a-Lot's host organization) that they wanted to see our neighborhood become more beautiful and welcoming, and, that they wanted our community to have more opportunities for youth and teens to do something productive. With their input in mind, launching a design studio to equip teens to beautify our neighborhood seemed like a great place to start.
When it comes to the studio's outcomes - of course I enjoy seeing the vacant lots get activated!- but more than that, I love seeing our teens grow in confidence. Watching them recognize their own brilliance and capacity to effect change is really powerful.
Q: What's a fun fact about you?
A: I love traveling! …and have jumped off of the world’s tallest bungee bridge in South Africa.
Q: What made you want to be an architect?
A: I studied architecture because I wanted to help make the world a better place. I learned in my high school's AP Environment course, how buildings affect people's health and thought architecture would be a great way to channel my creativity and love for math and the environment to make a difference.
Q: What are your greatest design/architectural accomplishments so far? What is your favorite project you’ve completed to date?
A: The biggest project I’ve worked on to date is the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia. It’s over 1.2 million square feet (or about 12 mid-sized Walmarts!) of LEED Gold. It was amazing to see the project go from an idea, to a drawn concept, to a built structure in just under 4 years. Hearing our military community members talk about how beautiful the hospital is and the way it uplifts their spirits gave me joy. I also love the work I did in Detroit to help stabilize neighborhoods! That said, my all time favorite, and most fun project has been Tired-a-Lot!
Q: What design/architectural goals do you still hope to achieve?
A: I hope to use design as a tool to help people realize their own potential and ability to effect change. I think good architects can make buildings and objects that shine, while great architects make the people feel like they do [shine].