Riccardo Brayda received a degree in civil engineering in 1874. In 1879, he became an assistant to Professor Angelo Reycend in the Scuola di Applicazione per Ingegneri (today’s Politecnico) where he taught until 1901. In 1901 he resigned from his academic post in order to focus on his commercial affairs and administrative career within the city of Turin. In Turin, he covered many public roles, such as city councilor, member of the General Committee of the Civic Museum of Turin and of the Committee for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Art Works. He also served as council member in the Special Services and Public Work Committee, and was member of the Commission of Urban and Rural Police. In addition, he was project manager for many public events in Turin, and designed a number of buildings such as the Palace for the International Exposition of 1884. Because of his archeological interests and his expertise in medieval history, he played a crucial role in the design of the Medieval Castle and Village in Valentino Park with architect Alfredo D’Andrade.