PORTFOLIO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
alexis
opos
Design Statement | As a designer, planner, and inventor I strive to create spaces in the urban environment that connect and engage users at the pedestrian scale. I have a passion for urban design and redevelopment projects and am dedicated to unveiling innovative and creative design solutions. My niche lies within interdisciplinary firms where I am able to apply my training as both an urban planner and landscape architect to address critical environmental issues and promote stewardship of the land.
Bio | I am a diverse creative thinker, designer and leader. I have a Masters of Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Urban Planning from UC San Diego. I was awarded the H. Leeland Vaughn Award at Berkeley in 2010 for my leadership, design work, and academic excellence. I also received fellowships all three years while at Berkeley and I received an ASLA Honor award in 2011. My enthusiasm for urban design has made me a quick learner, and innovative designer. I am extremely skilled in GIS and graphic communication.
contents capstone
studio
urban design
studio
design + planning
studio
mission street // reflecting, celebrating, and contemplating the urban green
hunters point // heritage park, making youth + art the future of change
lincoln park golf course // redefining a landmark’s character + identity
gis + research
alexis uc
opos
berkeley mla
2011
post industrial point richmond // rec-ature, cult-reation
drawing
sketching + craft // technical drawing
reflecting
vacant lot| 550 mission street, san francisco
celebrating, and contemplating the urban green
Vacant lots are not eye sores, they are sprinkles of opportunity waiting to be woven into the urban fabric. In modern cities like San Francisco, ‘vertical’ is a dominating character and so it stands with reason that the urban landscape should ‘reflect’ that urban character as well. If buildings can be skyscrapers, then landscapes can be too, but there may be more than what meets the eye. The concept and design that transforms this vacant lot takes these notions of verticality, the urban landscape, and reflection and uses them to weave a once vacant lot, into the urban fabric while also creating a place of contemplation, refuge, and visual intrigue.
perception + visual intrigue
use pattern
site organization
breaking the visual plane
organizing principle of the human scale - - 6’ grid
responding to site
the design plays off of geometries on site and uses reflection along with green walls to create a dynamic urban green.
screen of boston ivy
reflecting pool
vertical green wall
himalayan birch grove
crushed granite
vertical green wall
central walk
outdoor lounge
raised plaza green wall cafe
sidewalk
sidewalk MISSION STREET
N
studies
design development
A
reflection color texture
studying reflection, canopy heights, solar orientation and materiality were critical to the detail development of the site -- boston ivy was spec’d as a backdrop to the grove of himalayan birch trees, which were contrasted on the crushed black granite -- the infinity design of the reflecting pool allows for a seamless continuation of the vertical greenery on to the ground plane.
design development design development design development
WINTER
AVERAGE SOLAR EXPOSURE
SUMMER
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AUTUMN/ SPRING
BBBB
SECTION CUTS
B
change seasons
experiments with plant palettes - - by using boston ivy as a backdrop to the white himalayan birch, not only is a clean canvas created for the birch trees to be presented on, but the
seasonal change in color of the ivy also creates a dynamic in the landscape that is intriguing and unique to the site.
section elevation
mid| tiling + grout joint detail plan of the reflecting pool bottom | section through the grove of birch trees and planters that line the main walk across the site
above | a cross section through the reflecting pool and grove of himalayan birch trees. left | a scale model showing the character of the reflecting pool
heritage
hunters point naval shipyard, san francisco
park | making youth + art the future for change
retain site character
construct wetland habitat + boardwalk
A
C
B
outdoo
B
visitor center
constructed wetlands
P
ET
metro station
artist colony artist colony floating sports complex
mid-density residential
amphithea performan
floating residential units r + d facilities artists colony complex + plaza
hunters point master plan 0
75
E
heritage park
ROBINSON STRE
NU
C
3 ock dryd 2 ock dryd
RA VE
mixed-use residential
A
saltwater inundation lake + wetland
historic drydocks 2 + 3 circa 1940
transition from formal to industrial
FIS CH E
hunters point carries with it a deep and complex set of challenges due to its history of being a landfill and later serving as a major naval shipyard during WWII. In the years and decades after the war, issues of poverty, health, and juvenile delinquency overtook the community. The proposed heritage park seeks create outlets of expression for the youth of the community via the arts, while maintaining the historic elements that tell the story of place and heritage. With the highest youth population in all of San Francisco, and some of the highest delinquency rates, there was an overwhelming need for this heritage park to become a colony of art, performance and music opportunities for both the local youth and neighboring residents.
150
N
heritage park schematic plan SF bay ferry + water taxi terminal constructed wetland + heritage boardwalk
3 k c do
dry
historic pump house
heritage park restaurant floating gallery space
historic pump house
or music rooms
floating stage\ display plaza floating wetlands + kayak park
dry
adaptive re-use open air workspace
heritage green \ native grasslands kayak + boat rental
ater + nce plaza
2 k c do
workshop storage
heritage park cafe
cherry tree memorial grove + adaptive gallery space adaptive reusefarm to table greenhouse + garden N
solutions
'
challenges '
'
'
T
east bay
P
' '
P '
D
'
k
' k
T
k
Water taxis Ferry Lines
san francisco
k
D
introduce multi-modal P transit
'
Public Boat Docking Bus Line & Stops Parking
1. lack of access 2. large youth population with a trend of juvenile delinquency 3. site contamination 4. sea level rise
k
X k
Future light rail line & station
'
k
X k
transit lines
X
k
20%
29% 23%
Legend
28%
k
34%
26%
BART_stations BART_line
44%
X
CalTrain_stations CalTrain_line Muni_line
22%
'
Ferry_stations
bayview hunters point Ferry_lines
FREEWAYS
29%
dpt_bike_network
Commuter Rail
0
8,500 17,000
21%
21%
26%
34,000
bayarea_zipcodes
Feet 68,000
51,000
31%
´
34%
opportunities
youth + art programming
30% 23% 23%
22% 22%
adaptive reuse of historic elements
% population >18 0
Feet 10,400
“community-based arts programs help youth improve pro social skills + conflict resolution” 1,300
2,600
5,200
7,800
1. culture of naval shipyard; first drydock on west coast 2. history as a means of building up the identity of the site 3 existing community of artists + studios
expand existing artist colony
view north from drydock 3, looking past the historic pump house to the bay bridge -- historic elements remain untouched and recycled materials from on-site are repurposed as bands of ground cover creating visual interest while maintaining a naval and historical feel.
above | model of shade structures along the drydocks for semi-permanent retail spaces and exhibition space far right | floating wetland and kayak park housed in drydock 2 below | section through drydocks 2 and 3
drydock 3 | floating gallery, stage + restaurant
drydock
tumbled glass
seat wall
maple tree
white gravel
lavender
recycled concrete seatwalls
tree well
crushed brick
existing concrete dock
materials
historic drydock cleat
drydock 2 | constructed wetland kayak park
above | floating wetland system
far left | view of the memorial plaza where vertical building elements remain providing a grid of modifiable gallery space - - groves of cherry trees embrace the gallery spaces offering refuge and seating elements devised from reclaimed concrete blocks found on site. left | detail illustrations of the memorial plaza’s white gravel paving stabilized with an eco grid, ensuring ada accessibility. bottom left | site model, view from artist colony out to drydocks. bottom right | nighttime illustrative section through cherry tree memorial grove and repurposed seating elements.
adaptive reuse
top left | site model top right | adaptive re-use of an existing building on site, retaining only the building skeleton to create and open air workspace for artist left | palette of materials taken from on site and reused - - wood planks from buildings reused as paving, glass and brick crushed and reused as paving, concrete and wood dock floats adapted as seating elements.
cohesive
lincoln park golf course, san francisco
redefining a landmark’s character and identity
context
water system
closed loop systems and cycles
poor site access
concept
lack of identity
existing issues
From putting greens to an urban green, this project transforms one of san francisco’s under utilized and best kept secrets into a 322 acre regional destination park - - by reclaiming lincoln park golf course and crafting a layering of systems centered around water, culture, vegetation, recreation and circulation a unified, cohesive park is created - - the park capitalizes on the culture found at the historic sutro baths on the west end of the site, the breathtaking views to the golden gate bridge and the sites’s unique terrain. This San Francisco oasis offers a sculpture park, community gardens, a new museum complex surrounding the existing Legion of Honor, sporting fields, hiking trails, and a closed loop system of water collection and filtration.
segmented by diverse uses
non native plant communities
limited user groups
capitalize on site conditions using existing topography
program linked by a traversing circulation
Lincoln Park Master Plan
clement street
33rd ave.
38th ave.
42nd ave.
48th ave. geary street
0
360
720
A
oak woodland cultural loop cultural loop coastal sage scrub coastal prairie
cultural loop
riparian habitat
crossfit trail
vegetation circulation culture A
B legion of honor (e) evergreen forest
constructed wetland/ evaporation ponds
cultural loop coastal prarie
B
coastal scrub hm tc r ca wate
en
ru no ff
catchme
nera
ge t
u s es
nal / aesthetic
at er
r
tion of
we
en
recreat io
nt /r eu se
po
at m
us es
r
l ra lt u
t/ r euse
re rt
e at fw redistribution o
te wa
/ nt me ove rm wate
w
water
icu agr
gondola
r atu + fe
es
interweaving
point richmond, richmond CA
of recreation, culture and nature*
View 1
rec-ature/ nat-reation/ cul-reation
tidal marsh Open assuming a post-industrial/ post chevron space + Tidal Marsh Space & DESIGN PROCESS diverse site scenario, this project is founded on an northern Northern vegetation Diverse marina approach which applies an intensity of high point SITE FEATURES Marina Vegetation High use gradient across the site and program Point ANALYSIS -GAP - uses such as recreation, take advantage of the rich cultural history as well as the OPPORTUNITIES & EXISTING INFRUSTRUCTURE natural ecologies of Potrero SUITABILITY ANALYSIS San Pablo by adopting this guiding design principle. THREE SENARIOS From southeast to north west, CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAMS an urban density gradient is applied allowing the urban Winehaven winehaven STRATEGIC PLAN Historic historic core to melt into expanses pointMolate molate Point Chinese chinese of natural open space. CONCEPTUAL IMAGERY fish camp open
gis
chevron Chevronoil refinery
Oil Refinery city of point City of Point richmond Richmond
dredged deep Dredged channel
Deep Channel southern marina Southern Marina
Fish Camp
PHASING
quarry Quarry
Chevron chevron Storage storage Tanks tanks
*team project: K. Dahl, M. Sharp, Y. Lee
residential Residential community + miller marina Millerknocks Knox Community regional park & Marina Regional Park
View 2
gis process potential activities
gap analysis
pocket Pocket Parks parks
neighborhood neighborhood community Neighborhood Neighborhood Community parks + rec center park Parks and Recreation Park Playgrounds Center playgrounds
program regional regional Regional Regional rec playground Recreation Playground Center center
athletic Athletic complex Complex
regional Regional park Park
based guidelines for acreage/person based on on guidelines for acreage per person within service radii within service radii unmet unmet demand demand
existing existing supply supply
within 1 mile within1 mile of of the peninsula the peninsula
1 to 51 to miles 5 miles from frompeninsula the peninsula the
5 to 510 miles to 10 miles from from the peninsula the peninsula
10+ miles from 10 or more miles the from the peninsula peninsula
analysis
nearshore + upland
Nearshore & Upland Habitat/Veg habitat/ vegetation
12%
70%
3%
4%
Parks and Historic Sites
distributed
Open Space/ Passive
3%
Commercial and Retail 5%
1%
Mixed Use
2%
formation of distributed hubs scenario
12%
70%
3%
4%
Open Space/ Passive
3%
Commercial and Retail 5%
1%
Mixed Use
2%
central Circulation existing
Existing Structures and Chevron Tanks
circulation
after conducting a series suitability analyses and gap analyses, the next step in the process was to develop test scenarios for the site’s fundamental organization and design strategy - - based on existing conditions and potential program three test scenarios were devised
shore & Upland Habitat/Veg
lation
develop t e s t scenarios
gis
existing parks +
Parkshistoric and Historic Sitessites
12%
70%
3%
4%
Open Space/ Passive
3% 1%
Commercial and Retail 5%
formation of central hub scenario
Mixed Use
2%
12%
70%
3%
4%
Open Space/ Passive
3%
Commercial and Retail 5%
1%
Mixed Use
2%
gradient Existing Structures andstructures Chevron Tanks existing
+ chevron tanks
formation of gradient scenario
12%
70%
3%
4%
Open Space/ Passive
3%
Commercial and Retail 5%
1%
Mixed Use
2%
gradient
gis
point richmond master plan
gis
by retaining distinct site features, such as the refinery’s smoke stacks and the oil tanks, and adapting them in the landscape as scenery or experiences you move through, a sense of place is given to the site. The scars that are left within the landscape create cultural intrigue as well as unique user experiences
gis
phasing
co-op
king farm master plan, canada
medium density, low income housing, community garden, agricultural heritage site
The design and master plan for King Farm is a proposal for what will become a medium to high density, low-income family oriented housing develeopment. Located near the city of Sault St. Marie, Canada, King Farm is known historically as a model dairy farm. The site is situated near the heart of a growing city. This prime location allows for easy expansion of pre-existing infrastructure which surrounds the property. In designing the master plan, GIS was used to analyze site suitability, and realize optimal locations for the various site componenets and program. Additionally, AutoCAD was used to create an illustrative 3D rendering of the proposed scheme.
g i s eographical nformation
gis
ystems
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Legend
k
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Schools 200m Your Commute
gis
g e o t e m p o r a l maps are the core of tthe personal environmental impact report (peir) which is founded on the concept of an environmental impact report (eir) - - using of off-theshelf mobile phones and gps devices, individuals are able to use the tools we developed to investigate for themselves the ways in which they interact with the environment - - peir uses modern technology to foster participatory sensing that empowers neighborhoods, communities and individuals - - the data captured below is a user’s trace of their drive along the 101 freeway, where 4 schools fall within a 200 meter buffer of the freeway - - users are able to visually see their impact and exposure to things such as airborne particulates, fastfood restaurants, jjj jj j j j jj jj jj jj jj jj jjjj j jjj jjjj j jj and carbon emissions. jjjj jj j j j j jjschools
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sketching
watercolor, the figure, model making, technical drawings + craft | digital and analogue
basswood model of Paulo Mendes da Rocha’s brasil museum of sculpture, with a removable top floor to reveal the subterranean structure and gallery spaces
model making
brasil sculpture museum, sao paulo brasil designed by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, 1988
left | detail model of semi-permanent structures designed for hunters point historic drydocks right | clay and pulp board model of hunters point heritage park proposal using acetate and water color to model the bay
left | eflute topo model of san francisco’s lincoln park right | clay model of lincoln park proposal
left | foam core model of riverside metropolitan museum right | model had a removable roof and second floor
left | sketchup model right | rhino light study model
drafting Section Elevation C - C SCALE: 1/8”= 1’-0”
Section Elevation D - D SCALE: 1/8”= 1’-0”
FIRST FLOOR PLAN Cryer Site Boat Museum Oakland Estuary
SECTION B-B’
Section Elevation B - B SCALE: 1/8”= 1’-0”
professional projects
h a n d drafting
OILOFTROP ERUTCETIHCRA EPACSDNAL
alexis
opos
ALL THE IMAGES, DESIGNS AND TEXT WITHIN THIS PORTFOLIO ARE ORIGINAL WORKS alexis.opos@gmail.com