BRANDON RAY EKMAN Graduate Portfolio Landscape Architecture
Contents RESUME 4 INTERNATIONAL DESIGN KACANG PADANG 10 NEIGHBORHOOD AND URBAN DESIGN LONGWOOD 14 GOLFVIEW 16 12TH ROAD 18 PARKS AND PLANTING HONEY-BEE GARDEN 22 FIRE-RESISTANT PLANTING 24 GAINESVILLE PARK DESIGN 28 CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
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Photograph of My Daughter My family walking up a trail as my daughter turns back toward me
Brandon Ray Ekman
(801) 922-0591, theekman@gmail.com
EDUCATION/MEMBERSHIP Apr. 2017
Masters of Landscape Architecture,
University of Florida Apr. 2012
Bachelors in Landscape Management, Minor in Business Management,
Brigham Young University Dec. 2015 - Present
Student Member, ASLA
Florida Chapter, American Society of Landscape Architects Aug. 2016
LEED Accredidation
Green Associate May 2002
Eagle Scout, BSA
Boy Scouts of America
EMPLOYMENT Oct. 2015 - Jan. 2016
Grounds Keeper, Sante Fe College
Nov. 2014 - Oct. 2015
Grounds Worker 3, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Mar. 2014 - Nov. 2014
Pool Technician, Pool Chlor of Nevada Inc. Apr. 2007 - Aug. 2011
Gardening Crew Member, Brigham Young University 4
INTERN/VOLUNTEER Feb. 2016 - May 2016
Kacang Padang Masterplan Design Workshop
Joint studio organized by the government of Pangkalpinang, Indonesia in cooperation with SAPPK ITB and University of Florida; worked in various roles, including project leader, to develop a masterplan for a 77-hectare recreation and education park Jan. 2016 - May 2016
Golf View Infrastructure Studio, University of Florida
Interdisciplinary design studio where I worked in various groups of three to seven people, sometimes as group leader, to create new and adaptive infrastructure for the existing neighborhood. Feb. 2012 - May 2012
Intern, Linden Nursery
Assist in the day-to-day business of the company (education, manage and inventory plant material, ship materials to customers) Jun. 2003 - Oct. 2004
Missionary, LDS Church
Served as a volunteer missionary in the Jamaica, Kingston Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints
SKILLS AND PROFICIENCY
Adobe Photoshop InDesign Illustrator Google SketchUp Rhinoceros AutoCAD Arc GIS Microsoft Word Power Point Excel Jamaican Creole
Conversational
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International Work
Indonesian Interdisciplinary Design Workshop
Indonesia Montage Children jumping into the river upstream of the project site
Kacang Padang Group Portion Recreational and Educational Park Joint Studio
Park Final Master Plan Rendered by Daniel Rodriguez The study site, including the lake, upland, and reclaimed areas
Government Owned Land
Intake
Reclaimed Area Retention Lake
This project was a part of an interdisciplinary, international workshop in cooperation with the Bandung Institute of Technology and Pangkal Pinang, Indonesia. The group portion I worked on was responsible for designing a retention lake, community center, and upland residential unit to help revitalize the city. We designed 12 Heroes Marching Park, a recreation and education park based upon the city’s history and current needs. The park included a civic center on the reclaimed area on the reclaimed area, a recreation lake, and a digs in the upland for wayfarers to visit and see it all.
Output
B
A’
B’
A
Karto Salah Island Plan The island Karto Salah, named for the driver and hero of the Indonesian Revolution
Kacang Padang Individual Portion Karto Salah Hero Island
The individual portion of this project consisted of designing islands for recreation throughout the lake. There were 12 islands, each named after a hero from the island’s history. My island was named Karto Salah Island after the hero that took part as a driver for the soldiers in the revolution to expel the Dutch. 10
On Karto Saleh Island there is a bumper car arena, boom-boom cars as they are called in Indonesia, to represent Karto Saleh as a driver. There is also an RC arena and a skate park. This island and the amenities on it will enable the children of Pangkal Pinang to explore their hobbies.
Boom-Boom Car Section A-A’ This graphic shows the covered boom-boom car arena
Skate Park Section B-B’ This graphic shows the skate park area of the island
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Neighborhood and Urban Design Longwood, Florida Revitalization Design Golf View Neighborhood Infrastructure Design Gainesville, Florida Skinny Street Design
Road Awareness Poster This graphic was used to create awareness for inclusive road design
A
A’
Urban Design Plan This graphic shows the plan in context to the Longwood downtown
Longwood, FL Revitalization The City of Longwood is a suburb of Orlando, Florida. Longwood is a wonderful area with both a historical district and an industrial district. The town is, however, sliced in half by a very fast-traveled road.
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This road has made a major barrier in the city and has started causing serious blight. I designed a roadway that would slow down traffic and encourage pedestrian movement from east and west and lessen the impact of the barrier.
Proposed Figure-Ground
Existing Figure-Ground
Existing Circulation
Proposed Circulation
Proposed Spacial Diagram
Proposed Public Domain
Urban Design Objectives
Complete Street Section A-A’ This graphic shows the roadway in section with all lanes represented
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’ 17
15
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’ 8.5
’ 12
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12
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’ 8.5
’ 15
’ 17
13
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This graphic shows specific Ideas and objectives for the final design
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Golf View Neighborhood Infrastructure Interdisciplinary Design Studio
This project was set up as an interdisciplinary studio with architecture, construction management, and landscape architecture students. It was a great experience to collaborate with students in other fields and expand my own ideas. The studio used a mash-up approach to create entirely new types of infrastructures that combine benefits provided by outdated systems.
20’ two-way
20’ two-way
14’ two-way
14’ one-way
Neighborhood Circulation
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Four different road typologies were designed to service the neighborhood
Throughout the course of the project, the focus of each person varied, but my contributions primarily focused on rainwater management and neighborhood circulation. This was a historic neighborhood with a narrow right-of-way to fit traffic and utilities.
Plan of initial water carrying system This graphic shows a design where the water is transferred from the roof to the wall via an arbor
Rooftop water channel
Pipe
Wall-top water channel Cistern
5%
Detail of rain transport system, Rendered by Yan Chen This graphic shows water carried from the roof by a wall into the cistern
12th Road at current Standards 12th road as it would be at current Gainesville standards
12th Road Skinny Street Project
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Much of the canopy would be removed if the roads were updated
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Current standard in section
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14
15
17
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This was a project centered on public outreach and gaining support to establish legal precedent for changing the city codes.
12th as a skinny street As a skinny street, microclimates and feeling would be much different on 12th
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’ 17
17
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One way I went about this was to show the residents how the character of the neighborhood would change if the standards were enforced.
12th in section as a skinny street Overhead canopy is much more dense on a skinny street
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Parks and Planting
Honey-Bee Module Garden Design Austin Cary Learning Center Fire-Resistant Planting Design Gainesville Park Design
Running In The Woods Wonders of nature that children are able to see more easily than adults
Bee Garden Perspective The magic that people could experience in their personal honey-bee garden
Honey-Bee Module Garden Design Natural Planting Design
This assignment was given as a natural planting competition. We each used Florida-native plants to create a small flower garden. My Idea was to create a modular garden containing beehives. These gardens could be installed at different locations and, depending on the planting in the garden, each module’s bees could produce a different flavored honey. 22
Bee Garden Montage
on tie Co
Pa lm ett o Sa w
Sa ge W ild
flo we Sp r ot ted Ho Ga llb r er sem ry in t
ac hS un
Li
ly
Be
Gr as s
er
ste m
Sp id
Bl ue
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nt ur
yP lan t
One of my inspirations for this project, ABC’s Pushing Daisies
Honey-Bee Garden Plan This graphic shows the garden in plan view, along with plant names
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Austin Cary Learning Center Fire-Resistant Planting Design
The Austin Cary Learning Center is located in Gainesville, Florida among forest that is used to study the effects of controlled burns over time. As members of a studio, we were tasked to create a beautiful environment around the learning center that would remain resistant to forest fires if they ever got out of control.
B
A
B’
A’
Learning Center Plan The plan for the learning center in context
Learning Center Section A-A’ The walkway and entrance to the building in section elevation
Learning Center Section B-B’ The entire breadth of the building in section elevation
I sought to create an oasis in the dry woodland that would be; easily maintained, full of succulent and drought friendly plants, and full of life throughout the entire year. For this project, many factors were involved with plant selection, including drought tolerance, leaf fall, as well as sun and shade tolerance. 25
Common Name
Botanical Name
Eastern Redbud “Forest Pansy�
Cercis canadensis
Chickasaw Plum
Prunus angustifolia
Live Oak
Quercus virginiana
Cabbage Palm, Sabal Palm, Cabbage Palmetto
Sabal palmetto
Century Plant, Agave
Agave spp.
Azalea
Rhododendron cvs.
Wild Sage, Buttonsage
Lantana involucrata
Inkberry
Scaevola plumieri
Algerian Ivy, Canary Ivy
Hedera canariensis
Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Photo
Above: Fire-Wise Planting Schedule Below: Planting Plan The plants used in this project and their specific beneficial attributes
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Leaf Color
Secondary Color
r
Evergreen/ Annual/Perennial
Reason for Choosing
Optimal Light
Wildlife
Deciduous
Tree
Full sun
Butterflies, Birds
Yes
High
20-30 ft. 15-35 ft.
Deciduous
Tree
Partial sun
Butterflies
Yes
High
12-20 ft. 15-20 ft.
Evergreen
Tree
Full sun
Butterflies, Birds
Yes
High
40-80 ft.
Evergreen
Tree
Full sun
Birds
Yes
High
25-60 ft. 10-15 ft.
Succulent
Shrub
Full sun
Some
High
Evergreen
Shrub
Partial sun
Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds
Some
Perennial
Groundcover, bedding plant, vine
Full sun
Butterflies, Birds
Yes
Medium
2-5 ft.
1-5 ft.
Perennial
Groundcover, bedding plant, vine
Full sun
Yes
High
2-4 ft.
3-8 ft.
Evergreen
Groundcover, bedding plant, vine
Full shade
No
Medium .5-1 ft.
1-6 ft.
Perennial
Groundcover, bedding plant, vine
Full sun
Yes
Medium .5-1.5 ft. .5-1.5 ft.
Native Drought
Mature Mature Container Size Heigh Spread
6 ft.
60-120 ft.
Variable
Medium Variable Variable
Austin Cary Montage This graphic shows the Austin Cary Forest at the beginning of a fire
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Chip Board Model This model shows the topography through the use of chipboard sheets
Gainesville Park Design
This park design for a Gainesville, Florida park celebrates the history of the area in two ways. The first is with the planting, where the area had started out as pine and saw palmetto forest, turning over time as the park goes from west to east, into a somewhat forced sub-tropical palm destination. The second way is the change mirrored in the architecture as it goes from untamed and rough to one of control, with straight lines and sharp corners. 28
Park Section A-A’ This section shows the tunnels in the untamed section of the park
Park Section B-B’ This section elevation shows the progression of the entire park
B’
B
A
A’
Park Plan View This graphic shows the park design in plan with topographic lines
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Construction Document Grading Plan and Road Design
This was the design for a lodge on a large parcel. I designed the entrance, parking, and stormwater management plan for the property.
Construction Document Irrigation Design and Schedule
This is an irrigation plan I designed. I used a property that I had previously used for a Tremron Pavers Competition. Some of that design can be seen in the lower right-hand corner.
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Construction Document Schoolhouse Design
This was a project that enabled us to design a small schoolhouse near a lake. I added features to protect from flood damage and basic ameneties that could easily be maintained by the owner.
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GIS Analysis
Sea-Level Rise Scenario I looked at the worst case scenario for sea-level rise and found what parcels would be greater than 50% impacted for each year. This information was used this information to see how many families would need to be relocated and give some indication how to plan for the future of the county.
Scenario 1: Parcels in North-West
Scenario 2: Parcels in the South-East
Scenario 3: Parcels East of the Interstate
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GIS Analysis
Extension to Florida Turnpike
I used GIS to find the best suitable path for an extension of the Florida Turnpike. This project included finding a suitable place for a rest stop.
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Model Building
Other artistic interests include painting, writing, model building, and photography.
Photography
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My two children have had a great impact on my interests by reminding me that there is beauty everywhere. All I have to do is help those around me to see it.
Thank you