Undergraduate Portfolio

ABBEY WALLACE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE UNDERGRADUATE PORTFOLIO mississippi state university | 13-16

CONTENTS All enclosed works completed at Mississippi State University 2013 - 2016

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Regional Mapping

URBAN

No love for nonconnah: discovering the source of stormwater concerns

Downtown Starkville: A temporary park design

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SMALL TOWN/RURAL

NEIGHBORHOOD

circulation + connectivity throughout greenwood, MS: a bike master plan

Old Palmer home site: Mixed used development

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PAGE 15-18

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sculpting

LAND ART

Landforms: shaping spaces with clay

The dome + the tower: building with recycled materials

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01 regional mapping No love for nonconnah: discovering the source of stormwater concerns completed: fall 2016

Project Description With increased commercial and industrial development in our metropolitan areas, major streams and waterbodies are under extreme stress. Current development strategies increase impervious surfaces threatening the health and wellness of the environment and citizens in growing areas like Memphis, TN. Developed areas such as large retail parking lots channel storm water into oversized pipes and push excessive amounts of unfiltered water into streams at a high rate, contributing to flashfloods, erosion and polluted waterways. This analysis and planning project sought to address these concerns by strategically targeting threatened areas along the Nonconnah Creek watershed, a watershed surrounding the Memphis Metropolitan area and a major tributary to the Mississippi River. Four areas were selected within the watershed for their high pressure on the creek itself and some of its tributaries.

A collection of relevant data was compiled and a GIS model developed to assess the current conditions and identify strategic areas to invest public funding in an effort to repair the highly threatened Nonconnah Creek. This second part to the project analyzed the four threatened areas within the Nonconnah Creek watershed but selected just one particular site to further demonstrate how those efforts could begin to redefine the current paradigm of industrial development in this threatened area and areas alike. Within the selected industrial target area watershed, a regional facility was proposed on a vacant lot along a tributary (Tenmile Creek) of the Nonconnah Creek to slow down and manage the stormwater before reentering the creek.

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Legend Areas of High Impact Stream Buffer Floodplain High Run-Off Parcels Vacant Land Existing Parks Building Footprints Mississippi River

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low industrial target area 1 Parking lots and major highways intefere with the necessary riparian buffer for the Nonconnah Creek.

Impervious surfaces provide high amounts of pollutant run-off and prevent the success of the creek. To decrease intense erosion in this area, a riparian buffer should be implemented and necessary wet infrastructure to slow down and remove polluted stormwater.

residential target area 2 A large concrete swale runs through this residential watershed carrying high amounts of filthy run-off from surrounding roads. There is opportunity for a greenway by recreating a natural creek with walking trails for the residents as well as the opportunity to recreate the ecological functions of the creek to reduce flooding and provide habitat.

vacant land target area 3 This piece of vacant land rests at the mouth of an 85-foot wide concrete swale. The swale carries polluted water at a much higher velocity than at its natural state into this area and into the Nonconnah Creek. Multiple businesses, hotels, and residential areas are within walking distance of this area. A stormwater park could be very successful in this location.

high industrial target area 4 Located almost 3 miles from the Nonconnah Creek, this area consists of high run-off, industrial parcels that makes up the headwaters for a concrete tributary that feeds into the Nonconnah. Run-off here is carried with no form of filtering or mitigation.

Rather than recreating the concrete creek through the industrial target area, there is better opportunity to design a regional retention facility to temporality store the stormwater and manage it before returning to the Nonconnah. This opportunity can increase the quality of the stormwater, reduce the quantity, and provide habitat for an area that is significantly lacking.

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Prominent on many industrial sites in the United States, the ratio between impervious surfaces to pervious surfaces tends to be unbalanced as most industrial land is encompassed by large parking lots, buildings, roads, and railways and limited vegetation. The outcome has been the neglect of many important waterways that tend to not be natural anymore in their movements to larger waterbodies. Stormwater in these areas typically travels through channelized pipes or concrete swales, prohibiting it from any infiltration, removal of pollutants, and also a diverse habitat in these regions. While natural space has been limited, “pinched”, or abused in many industrial areas, there still remains opportunities to improve the ecology of these important features to our environment.

Tenmile Creek meanders through a dense industrial region of Shelby County, TN, picking up filthy pollutants along the way before depositing them into the Nonconnah Creek, a major tributary to the Mississippi River. In 2012, the EPA identified Tenmile Creek as an impaired stream

due to: dissolved Oxygen, Escherichia Coli (E. Coli), Phosphorus, and Sedimentation. To mitigate much of this high volume, filthy runoff, a regional stormwater facility can be designed for collecting and managing the amount of stormwater from this industrial region before leaving towards the Nonconnah Creek.

The proposed regional facility is located on a vacant lot alongside the Tenmile Creek. This 377,143.65 sq. ft. area watershed can be designed to store the first 1” rainfall of any storm. As many know, this is the dirtiest stormwater, allowing this constructed stormwater wetland to collect the first 1”, manage it, and then release it at a slower rate back into the Nonconnah Creek.

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Tenmile Watershed Dileneation Area: 2399.6 Acres Average Curve Number: 86.05 Hydrologic Soil Group: C Site Area: 2399.6 A Runoff Volume in 1” Event: 8,710,548.00 ft ³ Percent of 1” Event Retained: 100% Volume of Watershed Facility: 1,734,860.79 ft ³

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Legend Regional Stormwater Facility Tenmile Streamline Floodway Heavy Industrial (30% area) Light Industrial (35% area)

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Residential (10% area) Undeveloped Land (25% area)

Area: 377,143.65 sq. ft.

Average Depth: 4.6 ft.

Volume: 1,734,860.79 cu. ft.

industry utility easement Large powerlines line the Tenmile Creek in this area. Utility easements are required in which access is still available. Present conditions present highly eroded soil, to minimize these condition but preserve the utility easement, native grasses can be planted to slow down water, offer infiltration, and also provide habitat.

Riparian Corridor tenmile creek Riparian Corridor

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tenmile creek Industrial water facility

Currently, Tenmile creek has a concrete base and highly eroded sides. To preserve the creek’s longevity, it should be resculpted to not only hold water, but also designed with a riparian buffer to protect the quality, health and systems of the creek. A riparian corridor is simply a vegetated zone.

constructed stormwater wetland Constructed stormwater wetlands are designed to manage and improve the quality of stormwater runoff by maximizing the removal of pollutants such as through settling and uptake as well as filtering by vegetation. They are implemented for flood control or waste water treatment as well as for the creation of habitat and a landscape amenity. They do not have the full-range ecological functions as a true wetland because they are designed primarily for pollutant removal and erosion and flood control. Constructed stormwater wetlands temporarily store runoff in relatively shallow pools that are suitable for the growth of wetland plants.

There are a variety of types of constructed wetlands and are designed in regards to the available area. The basic design parameters for a constructed stormwater wetland are the storage volumes within its various zones. In general, the total volume within these zones must be equal to the design runoff volume. As illustrated below, the designed stormwater wetland for the Tenmile Creek watershed can retain the first 1� of rainfall.

Three zones are typically in a con-

structed stormwater wetland: semi wet, marsh, and pool. Depending on size, the pool zone may be further illustrated as either a pond, micropond, or forebay. Similarly, the marsh zone may be further illustrated as either high or low marsh depending on normal standing water depth.

Plant material for a constructed stormwater wetland can be pretty diverse depending on the hardiness zone the wetland rests in. These plants tend to be native and tolerable of hydric systems and used for the removal of pollutants. Since constructed stormwater wetlands have fluctuation water levels, and a regular to very erratic drying cycle, they may also contain pockets of deeper permanent water, their characteristic feature is the presence of emergent macrophytes, (large aquatic plants whose parts protrude above the waterline). Epiphytes (algae growing on the surface of aquatic macrophytes) are often associated with macrophytes in constructed stormwater wetlands.

Areas surrounding Tenmile Creek have a large pressure from surrounding industrial building that are large in scale and dump many pollutants into its waterway.

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02 Urban Downtown Starkville: A Temporary Park Design completed: spring 2016

Project Description Starkville, MS hosts an interesting demographic.

With a population of around 20,000, the student population matches it in size. There is minimal growth in the city, but there is a substantial growth with the university with an increase of 500 students each year.

With such an increase, there is a demand for more housing. Property is being held by locals as valuable and property owners are waiting for development times to peak. A prime lot neighboring the downtown of Starkville provides an ideal area for multiuse development. Though the numbers aren’t present for development today, the consistent population growth shows possibility for potential development in this area in the future. The owner of the vacant property sees this area as a temporary space for the public. In past years, the community market has been held here from May - August, but has been relocated to a permanent spot. Today, there is not much use besides overflow parking from downtown.

While future development sounds ideal, Starkville’s park system is extremely lacking. With minimal public green space, citizens do not have space to interact with each other to strengthen the community. This lot is ideal for a park downtown as there is presently not one within a 10-minute walk. The materials and furnishing designs were selected and designed so locals could work together to build the temporary park. Within this space, there are flexible areas for a variety of activities.

With beds for community gardens, and space shaped for relaxing during a lunch break or walking a dog.

A circulation study was also completed, and there is potential for a bus stop on the south of the site to attract more visitors.

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Existing conditions

Antique Store Art Mural Recycled Bricks

Parking Lot

concrete seat wall

Entrance from Parking Lot Gabion Seat Wall Native Grasses

Seat Wall Existing Pavilion Sculpture Seating Sculpture made from Existing Cortin Fence Existing Entrance

Existing On-Street Parking

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N Lampkin Street

Gabion Seatwall Sand Plaza

Recycled Woodchips

Native Grasses Aggregate Walk Existing Cortin Fence

Facing Southwest proposed community garden plaza

Art Mural

Native Grasses Repurpose Cortin Fence as Sculpture

Sculpture Seating/ Bus Stop

Lampkin Street

Facing Northwest proposed sculpture and bus stop 10

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03 small town/rural Circulation + connectivty throughout greenwood, MS: A bike master plan completed: fall 2015

Project Description Historically known as the cotton capital of the world and home of the blues, Greenwood, MS is currently seeing a decline in population as the opportunities for young professionals are decreasing, so many have chosen to move away, leaving a deteriorating downtown core.

Not only is the town shrinking, but a bigger issue of racial inequality is still present today which impacts infrastructure development. The city’s downtown divides two distinct classes, white upper-class to the west and African American lower-class to the east.

This did not impact housing communities, but school districts remain segregated. With unequal opportunity for all, I decided to research ways to provide equal access and connectivity to all parts of Greenwood.

When analyzing existing infrastructure, a number of great parks were observed, but were underutilized because of their lack of accessibility. To improve the circulation and connectivity throughout the community, a bike masterplan was created to provide accessibility to all public parks and public schools. In addition to bike and pedestrian infrastructure, my design provides enhance signage to attract visitors from the surrounding areas as well as provide directional signage throughout the town to better connect green spaces and activity and historical nodes within Greenwood, MS. Public green space within a city is known to benefit the environment as well as the public’s wellbeing. Not only does green spaces reduce flooding, provide clean air and water, improve health, but it can also strengthen a community, encourage safer neighborhoods and even promote tourism. Many areas the community has sought to improve upon.

My design identifies the present and historical faults and connects the city through an economically-sustainable master plan for future growth. A small step as such, could be a bigger step on how future infrastructure gets developed.

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circulation + connectivity throughout

Bankston Elementary School

Clerico Park

Little Red Park

Yazoo River Trail

Wagner Park

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Yazoo River

Blues Trail Marker

Davis Elementary School

Legend

McLaurin Park

Greenwood Middle School

5 Minute Walk

Sam Lench Park

10 Minute Walk

Greenwood High School

Major Arterial Existing Parks Proposed Parks Schools Bike Lanes - Phase 1 Bike Lanes - Phase 2 Nodes Directional Signage

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Amtrak Station

Whitington Park

Main street existing & proposed Main Street is a major road that leads from the interstate to the downtown area. A highly trafficked road could be improved for more sustainable transportation. To enhance biking in the city, the lanes can be narrowed from 12’ to 10’ which provides 4’ bike travel lane on each sign. Narrowing the lanes will also encourage slower traffic.

Church street existing & proposed Church Street is downtown and similar to many other downtown roads. Existing, it is a two way street surrounded by two rows of parralel parking. The downtown does not require this much parking and one lane could be removed to provide two bike lanes.

Avenue Park

William Elementary School

directional signage proposed Blues Trail Marker

Broad Street Park

Threadhill Elementary School

There are many historical spots in Greenwood that are difficult to find. There is a strong lack of adequate signage throughout the town. Signage can be enhanced for streets, parks, and directional signage to create a cohesive aesthetic to Greenwood.

MLK Park

History Narratives

Directional Signage

Street Signs

Welcome Signs

Park Signs

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04 neighborhood context Old Palmer Home Site: mixed-use development completed: spring 2015

Project Description Located in Starkville, MS the Old Palmer Home Site has been vacant for over 10 years with only an existing church to the southwest portion of the site. The lot surrounding the church was recently rezoned by Starkville zoning standards to a T5 district and is now optimal for multiuse development. With only .5 miles away from Mississippi State University’s campus, this lot is ideal for restaurants and retail on the first floor, and housing on the floors above.

To design multi-use development in Starkville, the Starkville Code of Ordinances was studied to calculate appropriate square footage for retail and housing as well as the minimum parking needed for each.

This was the first multi-use development project I worked on, and during the same time our studio was working on this project, a developer was presenting his ideas to the Starkville planning and zoning committee.

I was able to attend the meetings, and learned a significant amount about zoning laws. To this day, this remains one of my favorite projects where I began to fully understand how projects as such get designed, presented and then constructed.

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Pedestrian Pad Bike Lane Furnishing Zone Throughway Zone 3-Story Mixed-Use

Bioswale plan + section For the density required on this site, there are high amounts of impervious surfaces. To offset some of the high amounts of run-off, bioswales and raingardens have been designed to help mitigate stormwater on site.

Curb Cuts

Crosswalk

Bioswale

Community Park Existing Church of The Living God 2-Story Single Family Attached

Russell Street Section Elevation facing South

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mixed-use development proposed use

Total Site Acreage: 3.1 A Total Commercial Gross Proposed: 39,000 sq. ft.

Proposed Residential Dwelling Units:

15 single family attached + 60 apartments Total Parking: 180 Spaces

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05 sculpting Landforms: shaping spaces with clay completed: spring 2015

Project Description Landforms create a unique visual experience. They can be shaped to encourage more mobility through exercise or even provide berms for relaxing. In this project, our campus exercise facility, The Sanderson Center, was used to manipulate the existing grade. To the west of the building is a lake with a walking trail surrounding it. The grade from the building to the lake is extreme and serves no purpose, and this is where the project site is.

Using clay, the existing topography was sculpted to scale. The proposed topography was then created from removing and replacing clay in new areas, very similar to a cut and fill process. No extra clay was added.

Once the model was completed, it was photographed and then scanned in to Rhinoceros 3D. The contours were overlaid in AutoCad, and the new proposed topography was created.

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Existing Topography Chadwick Lake

Sanderson Center

proposed Topography Chadwick Lake

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06 land art The dome + the tower: building with recycled Materials completed: fall 2015 & 2016

Project Description Each year, Landscape Architecture students at Mississippi State University voluntarily work together to construct a public art piece that is displayed in the Department’s courtyard for an entire academic year.

The theme for the past few years has been a sculpture constructed from recycled wood.

In 2015 and 2016, I had the opportunity to work alongside faculty and other students to construct two different pieces that have had campus and national recognition.

Both of these projects have been listed as some of my favorite pieces completed in my undergraduate degree.

The reason for this is most likely as follows: there was not a project statement and there was not a list of “do’s and don’t’s”. Each piece had its own inspiration and required building knowledge and simple physics to construct. The Dome was constructed in the fall of 2015, and The Tower was recently completed in fall of 2016.

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The dome Recycled pallets The Dome was inspired by Bruce Munro’s geodesic dome, made of recycled water bottles filled with fiber optics. We were able to see this piece on display at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. For construction, a stake was secured in the middle, and a string cut at 7’ was used as the radius of the pallet dome. Starting from the bottom and abstractly screwing pieces of cut pallet boards together, we finalized the dome in just 3 days.

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The Tower Recycled lumbar Unlike the Dome, The Tower did not have much inspiration besides constructing something bigger and better than the previous year. The overall idea was playing with light and shapes and creating spaces for the abstraction of shadows.

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Thank you for your time!