Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Portfolio 2012-2017

Anna Irene Hooker Design Portfolio • 2012 - 2017

CCB Plaza Indianapolis has long been known for racing and not much else.

But now that younger people are choosing to stay to live and work, a new culture is rising. The city has many formal outdoor spaces, but the creation of a modern, flexible plaza and park space would speak directly to the interests of downtown Indianapolis’ newest residents, while still encouraging use from those who already live and work in the city. The city needs more exciting and new design in order to support the growth of a new culture that is not only in spirit but also visible in built spaces.

Indianapolis is going through a huge boom in architectural development, so it makes perfect sense that the city needs to see a growth in public space as well. The redesign of the City County Building plaza to include functions that can be enjoyed by new and existing community members will make the space an asset, influencing more people to move into the apartment buildings going up all across the city. With the new transit center across the street, the plaza will see consistent use from IndyGo patrons.

The new CCB Plaza will provide programs and events that take place during every season, as detailed out in the calendar below. Fall colors take the sculpture garden to a stunning new level in the autumn, while the lawn-turned-ice skating rink completely changes the dynamic of the plaza in the winter months. Continuous events will keep people active and happy all year round.

right • The Lawn is converted into a Skating Ribbon in winter.

Locate existing on-site features to keep in the new plaza design. Chosen elements include the 6 pillars near the entry to the building, the stairs to the underground parking, and the connection to the Cultural Trail.

Map the network of connections to nearby Indianapolis destinations. The CCB Plaza is within walking distance from residential units, Circle Center, City Market, the new Transit Center, and other city favorites.

Begin to shape the site around a central community-based space. By making the largest space on the site one that is almost completely flexible, the community is given control over the activities that their new park holds.

Plug in special rooms on the site that are most fitting to the location. After considering what is around and what is needed, programming choices are made and rooms are created in order to serve these needs.

10

Delaware St.

9

1

3

2

Washing

0

1 2 3 4 5

Sculpture Garden Indianapolis Cultural Trail Entry Plaza Terrace Lounge Dining Room

6 7 8 9 10

CCB Pavilion Playscape Event Lawn Reflecting Fountain Building Plaza

9

gton St.

Alabama St.

7

8

6

5

4

above • The Sculpture Garden with autumn accents of red maple.

right • Internet Cat Video Festival on the Lawn, part of the Summer Movie Night series.

Madjax Maker Force Madjax Muncie is a center for innovation and design; it brings together makers of all kinds converting the energy of ideas, power of problem solving and grit of making into entrepreneurship. As a city built on industry and work, the new Madjax makerspace is the perfect place to foster the expression of ingenuity within the community.

The task at hand was to create an image of Madjax’s visual and spatial relationship with its surrounding, without doing any planview design thinking. This vision for Madjax was one that was highly graphic and representative of a new movement within a reemerging downtown sector. The form of the building - which used to be home to Cintas launderers - is not to be hidden by new facades, but instead celebrated by pop-art artistry that will show visitors how the new and the old can have fun together.

Each street bordering Madjax presented its own unique design dilemmas, and therefore a stock design could not be stamped onto each. The design decisions made for each street reflected the visual oomph of Madjax’s architectural branding, while keeping a minimal identity of their own to blend with - and not compete with - the building itself. Streets were transformed from busy, unsafe corridors to pedestrian and activity friendly public spaces.

Jackson Street

One of the easiest ways to get people inside is to peak their interest from the outside - this means the facade needs to be engaging and catchy. A bright mural on the wall facing the sidewalk along Jackson Street will catch the attention of anyone passing by. A geotagged instagram upload in front of the wall by a popular fashion blogger, and the wall is now a place.

The lots across the street from MadJax on Jackson Street are slated to become a parking lot, but there’s no need to create another drab sea of black asphalt. By drawing out the geometries from the mural and covering the pavement with them, a space is created that is not only safer and more aesthetically appealing, but is truly unique.

Once again, the facade of the building is given special consideration. Like the makers inside, bold design decisions have been made to give MadJax the strongest identity possible. Vertical lines are drawn from the building and across the entire roadway, indicating an entry zone for both the makerspace and the adjacent Food Hub. Here, a more casual approach to the site creates the feeling of a chill backyard instead of a formal, stern entry.

There are enough conventional roads in Muncie, but Monroe Street will stand out by acting as spill-out space for the makers of MadJax. Minimal and curbless, the road is fairly unassuming on a normal day. But with the use of popup bollards, the road is transformed into a hardy display of Maker culture and talent. These special event days can be open to anyone in the community, and the simplicity of the design allows for outside businesses like local food trucks to come out and join in the fun.

Monroe Street

Main Street sees large amounts of water whenever it rains in Muncie; for this reason, Main Street has been chosen to be be MadJax’s ecological corridor. Deep planting basins filled with well-curated plant species will offset the flooding issue that the site sees currently. Trench drains along the street will collect any leftover water that isn’t caught by the basins. Fabricated steel bridgeways will ensure that pedestrian experience is maximized.

Main Street

A great benefit that MadJax has is its proximity to Cornerstone Center for the Arts; the two centers should work together to encourage growth and promote a love of art. This makes Main Street the perfect place for makers to create street furniture and other outdoor elements that can be used by CCA patrons as well as other makers, to foster a sense of community within this large group of creative individuals living in Muncie.

Indiana Dunes Parkway The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is home to a wide variety of ecosystems. The purpose of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Parkway is to draw attention to and highlight specific ecosystems found in the Lakeshore area. These ecosystems, like most, are subject to intense pressure by human activity. It is important, therefore, that these unique and special ecosystems should be protected. The National Park Service believes that education and exposure to natural ecosystems promotes protection and consideration of these habitats.

Thus, the Indiana Dunes National Parkway highlights the ecosystems found throughout the Lakeshore, subsequently increasing public awareness of these natural ecosystems while providing protection and opportunities for research. The Parkway also resolves logistical concerns related to the parkway including problematic intersections and the rerouting of commercial and commuter traffic.

The pages for this segment contain highlights from the completed project, which can be viewed in its entirity on issu.com.

GIS Day Student Poster Contest • Second Place Winner for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Parkway Datascape INASLA Student Design Awards • Merit Award Winner in the Planning & Analysis Category

Conceptual Parkway Map The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Parkway follows US-12 between Gary and Michigan City taking it past the ecosystems the Parkway would showcase. Running adjacent to the Parkway on the northern side of the road (except near the industrial areas, where it moves the south side for some time) will be the expanded Calumet Bike Trail. The Parkway and the Trail together help to unite the trails, South Shore railroad line, communities, and ecosystems that make up the region. Trailheads and South Shore stations are marked on the map along with the expanded Calumet Trail and the Indiana Dunes National Parkway. The stars indicate where pull-offs have been proposed. These function as nodes for the showcasing of ecosystems as well as providing connection points to existing trails and attractions.

Also shown on this map are the areas where traffic will be rerouted to limit the presence of commercial traffic on the Parkway. These areas are further explained later on.

DUN PORT OF INDIANA

OGDEN DUNES GARY

BURNS HARBO

PORTAGE

MICHIGAN CITY

BEVERLY SHORES

PINES

NE ACRES

OR

CHESTERTON PORTER

parking

South Shore station

railroad crossing

trailhead

dunes ecosystem

woodland ecosystem

Symbolic signage will be used in the Parkway to communicate to visitors what they can expect to see at pull-offs and along the trails. These circular signs use simple imagery to convey features quickly and clearly to visitors.

time to walk trail

shelters

no access

stop

wetland ecosystem

grassland ecosystem

way

park

ing

park

bike

path

ter

shel

ting exis l trai

ting exis ok lo r e v o

Overlook Pull-Off This pull-off connects to a small parking area for the Tolleston Dunes Overlook. From the overlook, visitors can see dunes, wetland, and Long Lake. The overlook will have information about the different environments and the plants and animals that live there. The Tolleston dunes overlook pull-off allows guests to view many of the ecosystems found along the dunes. These include woodland, grassland, wetland, and exposed dunes. As guests arrive at the pull-off they park in a small lot and walk a short trail to the overlook where they can enjoy the landscape any time of year.

left • Monumental signage, with weathered steel and natural stone, led the design of other parkway signage.

above • Landscape improvements, custom lighting, and overhead entry signage displayed along the Parkway.

Washington St. Art District Muncie is a town which is prime for redevelopment opportunities.

The downtown is located only a mile from one of the state’s biggest universities, but students simply do not go downtown because there is no draw for them. Washington Street’s vacant buildings and parking lots sit on sites which could easily be redeveloped into big attractors. The street itself has the opportunity to connect to Muncie’s nearby recreational assets, such as the Cardinal Greenway and the White River Greenway.

What downtown Muncie needs is a destination developed specifically to be a cultural incubator for the area. There should be interest for university students, Muncie’s permanent residents, and everyone inbetween. With more parking spaces than street facing businesses and residencies, the corridor is a slate half blank.

Existing buildings can effortlessly be woven into a new framework plan for the street, anchoring the development in an eclectic reality and preventing the creation of an uber-modern centre.

The goal for the Washington St. redevelopement is to create a vibrant, urban-feeling street space within downtown Muncie.

Currently, there is a disconnect between Ball State students and permanent residents partially because of Ball State’s perceived isolation within Muncie; designing a street with younger people directly in mind, as well as providing a stronger connection to downtown from across the river, will not only aid in bridging the gap between town and gown, but will also cause a higher number of Muncie transplants to stay in the area instead of immediately moving after school.

Street Interface The newly designed Washington St. is a completely curbless street, allowing for seamless travel from one place to another for pedestrians. A skinny vehicle lane forces drivers to slow down, and knowing that the street is pedestrian-heavy will cause those behind the wheel to pay extra close attention to their surroundings. Lighted bollards protect bikers from cars, so the cars cannot travel into the bike lane. The northern sidewalk is comfortably wide, and stormwater retention planters punctuate the walkway. the southern portion of the street consists of the sidewalk and a paved flex strip, which can be used for a plethora of programs by parallel businesses, local artists, etc. Alley and street crossings are painted vibrant hues, making them unmissable to nonpedestrian traffic.

Light Posts

Bike Lane

Vehicular Travel Lane

Flexible Program Space

Seating

Stormwater Planters

Graphic Crosswalk

Alleyway

Alley Interface Unlike your conventional alley, the alleyways of Washington St. and the surrounding buildings are vibrant and bustling with activity. The exemplar alley, illustrated in this set of drawings, is located near multiple restaurants, a shop-lined parking facility, and the mural-clad concert hall (previously known as Meeks Mortuary). This space has been curated by the artists and performers that work frequently at the venue; an outdoor stage and tiered seating platforms have been installed for impromptu gigs and planned performances. Like the unpredictablility of this open-to-anyone performance spot, you’ll never know what you’ll find in Washington St.’s rich alleys until you look.

Anna Irene Hooker annaihooker@gmail.com • (317) 608-7559

Education 2012 - 2017

Ball State University College of Architecture & Planning • Muncie, IN Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Minors in Social & Environmental Justice and Sociology

Experience 2016

American Structurepoint Intern

Summer Landscape Architecture intern in American Structurepoint’s Planning department. Common tasks included creating analysis maps, making renderings and perspectives, participating in the conceptual design phases of multiple projects, completing planting plans, and creating any graphic design elements (icons, diagrams, etc.) needed. Participated in client meetings, stakeholder sessions, and community presentations and events. Primary projects involved with: Anthenaeum Pocket Park, Lawrenceburg Riverfront Development, and Union City Strategic Plan.

Nature Play Guidebook InDesign Editor

Employed to assist Professor of Architecture Pamela Harwood with the creation of a book detailing the design, development and construction of a nature-based outdoor classroom learning and play environment. Given markups and drawn drafts of pages, which were then inserted digitally into the InDesign file. Tasked with choosing photos and page layouts that best displayed the information given for each of the guidebook’s sections.

2015

Landworks Sardinia Participant

Travelled to Sardinia to participate in a 10-day intensive workshop with international landscape architects and students. Worked on a team led by Walter Hood to think up and build landscape interventions in the old mining town of Argentiera, after spending days of doing thorough inventory and analysis of the history and natural elements of the land. On the last day, a public presentation and tour of the installations took place.

2015

Mun(see) Exhibit Participant

Mun(see) was a photography exhibit put on by a group of students in the College of Architecture & Planning celebrating the rich visual history of Muncie. Participated in the show by showing a collection of panoramic photographs taken of various factories around town, highlighting the aesthetic quality of the post-industrial landscape. Was also tasked with creating the flyers and posters for the show.

2014

Designworks Workshop Student Faculty

Two-week summer workshop hosted by Ball State’s College of Architecture & Planning for high school students interested in the college. Students completed various abstract art and design projects with the guidance of professors and student faculty. Gathered materials, gave desk crits, and helped demonstrate and teach good design thinking to the students in attendance.

2015 - 2016

Recognition 2016

INASLA Student Design Awards • Merit Award Winner in the Planning & Analysis Category

2016

Indiana Garden Club Scholarship • Scholarship Recipient

2015

GIS Day Student Poster Competition • Second Place Winner

2015

Sigma Lambda Alpha Travel Scholarship • Scholarship Recipient

2012 - 2017

College of Architecture & Planning Dean’s List • Recognized

Involvement 2014 - 2017

Sigma Lambda Alpha Honors Society, Tau Chapter • Treasurer

2013 - 2016

American Society of Landscape Architects, Student Chapter • Member

2013 - 2016

College of Architecture & Planning First Year Program • Mentor & Juror

2013 - 2016

Living Lightly Fair • Sign Maker & Volunteer

Skills Computer Applications • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator), Autodesk AutoCAD, ESRI ArcMap, Google Sketchup, Microsoft Suite (Word, Powerpoint, Excel), Rhino Design Skills • Board and Presentation Layout, Graphic Design, Laser Cutting and Model Building, Design Thinking, Photography, Sketching, Site and Program Research, Public Speaking, Hand Rendering