Brownell is a leading scholar on advanced and emergent materials for architecture and design, and the author of the Transmaterial book series (2006-2017).

In 2006 he became a Fulbright Scholar to Japan with a focus on emergent materials and applications in architecture and design.

After a visiting professorship at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Brownell taught at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture, Minneapolis starting in 2008, eventually serving as director of graduate studies and interim department head.

[2][3] Developing an interest early in his architectural and teaching career in the use of innovative materials in the building industry, Brownell initiated a research effort in the late 1990s which led to his authorship of several books on the subject, including the Transmaterial series, a comprehensive survey of a spectrum of new materials with the potential for enhancing the functionality, environmental impact, and aesthetic properties of buildings.

[5] Brownell authors the recurring "Mind & Matter" column [6] as well as a large number of online articles on a variety of topics[7] for Architect magazine.