Cultural institutions are facing a changing society defined by climate breakdown, rapid acceleration of technology, and engagement with more diverse audiences. B-arn-S is an agent of change, deeply committed to creating hands-on, research-driven architectural responses.
B-arn-S collective work is known for its conceptual research, material and construction logics and deep interest in architecture’s connection to the arts, as noted in Germane and Jennifer’s recently awarded 2022 and 2021 USA Fellowships. Our strength is in working with organizations that deploy the arts in service of broader social transformation. B-arn-S comprises approximately twelve talented designers working across three cities with multi-disciplinary backgrounds.
Our leadership team is three-pronged: Miami-based principal Germane Barnes, whose work “mines the nexus of race and design” (Architectural Digest),; Alabama-born Jennifer Bonner, a Portland-based principal, who is lauded for her investigations into materiality and hacking typical construction logics,; and Los Angeles-based principal Christian Stayner, whose work focuses on the alignment of a building strategy with the client’s institutional mission and budget , is a licensed architect in multiple states within the US.
