CAITLIN SMITH Landscape Architecture Selected Works 2021
VALUE NATURE
PROM OTE
ART
ABATE CLIMATE CHANGE
CONNECT
PEOPLE
THE COVER
THE AUTHOR
At first glance, one might interpret the cover as a peak into the creative workspace of the author, but with some context, it becomes much more.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska and a member of Generation Z.
The inspiration for the cover image came from the author’s background. Her interest in landscape architecture started as a humble collection of houseplants growing on her windowsill. When the collection started in early high school, it soon began translating to her daily life. As the collection grew, she knew that there was more to this hobby, that something amazing could come of this. Caitlin started looking for more plant-related enrichment. During her final year of high school, she stumbled upon landscape architecture, and since then, her appreciation for the field its ideologies has grown.
Moved to Seattle, WA for career opportunity and adventure for family of six.
Story behind the art.
The plants are held in colorful pots with actionable items written on them. These are main components Caitlin finds to be woven into the research, design, and creation of landscapes. They are the basis for questions she asks when working through a design or living every day life. She believes these values should be part of every planning and decisionmaking process. The view outside the window is a representation of a typical midwestern landscape typology, the prairie or flower meadow. The image fades as the focus is drawn to the vibrant plants and powerful values at the forefront. This symbolizes the move away from the Midwest, where substantial issues of inequality and the climate change are often glazed over, to the Pacific Northwest, where these challenges cannot be ignored. Value Nature. Promote Art. Abate Climate Change. Connect People.
PROJECTS
An abstract timeline.
Completed at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
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Moved back to Omaha, Nebraska to be closer to extended family as kids grew up. Stumbled upon Landscape Architecture while in search of careers related to art and nature. Accepted into the accredited L.A. Program at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Worked as a Research Assistant, GIS Intern, Water Management Planner, and Undergraduate Learning Assistant. Completed final semester remotely in Phoenix, Arizona and graduated with High Distinction.
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THE ENCHANTED FOREST
Children’s Adventure Playground. Lincoln, NE. Spring 2019.
BENSON REIMAGINATION & THE RUNWAY PLAZA
Urban Network Ideation & Destination Plaza Design. Omaha, NE. Fall 2019.
WADE PARK RESEARCH & WADE-PAISLEY PARK
Historic Connections to Doan Brook & Brook Restoration and Design. Cleveland, OH. Spring 2020. Partially Remote
Road-tripped up the Pacific Coast through California and arrived in Seattle, Washington. Worked as a gardener enjoying the first PNW summer outdoors and learning more about native plants.
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THE CHURCH YARD
Urban Refuge Garden. Lincoln, NE. Spring 2021. Fully Remote.
THE ENCHANTED FOREST
Children’s Adventure Playground. Lincoln, NE. Spring 2019.
Enter
Discovery Pit
Fairy Garden
Ages 1-7
Shade Plants
Central Plaza Gathering
Perilous Patch Ages 8-12
Enter
The design for the existing Idylwild Park brings naturalistic play and lush plants to inspire the fairytale imagination of children. The Garden of the Gnomes and the Fairy Garden have unique characteristics that help children understand the importance of community and growing in a positive and maintained environment. The Discovery Pit facilitates physical development of motor skills and early collaboration, intended for ages 1-7. The Perilous Patch allows kids to create, build, and navigate an obstacle course, which fosters physical and mental development, ages 8-12. Adults enjoy a central space to relax while looking after their children. The park is densely planted with overstory and understory trees, seasonally blooming plants, and expansive ground covers. Enchanted Forest stimulates the senses and becomes an educational space for people of all ages.
Garden of the Gnomes
Enter
Sun Plants
Street Parking + Planted Path
Discovery Pit
Whimsical Way
Perilous Patch build, play, & perform
Street Parking + Planted Path
4 A 3
2
1
6
5
NORTH
1 Garden of the Gnomes 2 Discovery Pit with hidden gems 3 Whimsical Way 4 Shaded Fairy Garden 5 Perilous Patch 6 Central Plaza AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop.
Top Section view with 2 play areas and 3 paths. AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop. Bottom Perspective A, Fairy Garden with statuettes. Photoshop.
BENSON REIMAGINATION
Urban Network Ideation. Omaha, NE. Fall 2019.
Sculpture Garden Roof Garden Grand Entrance
Food Accessibility
Event Center
Outdoor Concerts
Pedestrian Bridge Multi-use Plaza Across Radial Hw y
Retail/Residential
Art Studios
Support Local Artists
Streetscape Traffic Buffer
Benson is a unique historic neighborhood in Omaha, NE with locals that are looking for more from the main street hub. The area is in need of general repairs, pedestrian friendly walkways, increased variety of outdoor spaces, and multi-use areas to accommodate both visitors and residents. The Sculpture Garden emphasizes Benson’s love for art and becomes a trail head for the urban network. The Roof Garden introduces a system to educate about food growing processes, encourage volunteer opportunities, and provide food to low-income and food-insecure families. The Event Center hosts large cultural events as well as small community gatherings. A Pedestrian Bridge crosses Radial Highway and facilitates access on the north side of Benson’s city-center. The Multi-use Plaza connects retail/residential spaces. Art Studios house spaces for artists alike to learn, collaborate, and showcase their work. The Community Corridor will increase Benson’s walkability and green infrastructure. The Runway Plaza is a destination located within Benson’s re-imagined entertainment district, where the Multi-use Plaza is sited. It’s nestled between fourstory retail-residential buildings and must engage a variety of users. The Runway encourages visitors to interact with the site, and in doing so, meet each other. The structure weaves through the plaza and changes form and materiality with every turn. The Wood Bench allows visitors to interpret its best use. Some may sit or lay down, others might climb or walk on top. In the Cafe/Canopy area, the structure become metallic and shifts overhead, users chose the most comfortable spot for their taste. The Work Space is a bright yellow polymer material at optimal desk height with wedged chairs for collaborative meetings. The Runway transforms finally to form the Splash Zone. Fountains shoot water out of stone with pieces cut out to sit underneath the spray. Children take advantage of a shallow pool and mist. In key walkways, the runway is carried through in a thick strip of gravel. The Game Spot is open space for large outdoor board games, like chess, ping pong, and corn hole. The dynamic elements of the Runway coupled with its various programs and attention to various user typologies makes the site endlessly enjoyable.
Top Descriptive Axonometrics of Key Landscape Features. Made by team mates: Aus Perez, Nabhan Al Hajri & Rashid Al Musalhi. Bottom Benson Retail District Spatial Strategy. New network of buildings, streetscapes, walkways, and parking. AutoCAD, Rhino, Illustrator.
THE RUNWAY PLAZA
Destination Plaza Design. Omaha, NE. Fall 2019.
Wo o
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DINING
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Gather & Relax 20’
Ca fé
/Ca n
CANOPY
Shaded Walkway Varies
WALK
Access 12’
SEASONAL SCULPTURE
Rotating Art Display & Seating 30’
x
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Wo rk
Sp ace
b.
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WALKWAY Access 16’
SHALLOW POOL Cool Off & Play Varies
Walk
Access 6’
FOUNTAIN & MIST
Plaza Feature & Playspace Varies
Entry
Access
S1
S2
NORTH
Game Zone
Left Illustrative Plan. AutoCAD, Rhino, Illustrator, Photoshop. Right Descriptive Axonometrics. Rhino, Illustrator, Photoshop.
Top Game Zone. Lumion. Bottom Aerial View. Lumion
Top Section 1 with dining, canopy, and sculpture features. Rhino, Illustrator, Photoshop. Middle Section 2 with pool, fountains, mist, and entry lighting. Rhino, Illustrator, Photoshop. Bottom Splash Zone Perspective looking southwest. Rhino, Lumion, Photoshop.
WADE PARK RESEARCH
Historic Connections to Doan Brook. Cleveland, OH. Spring 2020.
Wade Park is a 6-acre site located east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. There are significant buildings surrounding the park that form a Historic District, the connections between these buildings must be emphasized. The Doan Brook runs through the site and is part of the Doan Brook Watershed. Issues found within the watershed include water quality, surface runoff, and lack of beneficial vegetative cover. Water quality is low from lawn runoff and sewage contamination during flood events. Surface runoff rates are high, because of
impervious surfaces and a lack of vegetative cover. Stream restoration efforts in the area, meant to fix crumbling channel walls and allow better flood water management, have become a controversial issue as they plan to remove historic channel walls and native vegetation. As modern landscapes are rendered, the design must interpret the need for ecological performance while tying to cultural aspects nearby.
Hydrology + Pollution
Low
Medium
Surface Runoff
High
Sewer Lines
1882
1884
1905
Jeptha H. Wade donates 74acre park to the city, the start of Wade Park Zoo
John D. Rockefeller donates 208 acres of land to the city, along Doan Brook
Doan Brook straightened, channel walls built to control water flow
1916
1923
1928
Cleveland Museum of Art opens to the public
Luxury hotels built south of Wade Park - Park Lane Villa + Wade Park Manor
Frederick Law Olmsted completes Fine Arts Garden
Botanical Garden
Groundwater Pollution Potential
Slow
Sewer Drop Structures
Concert Hall
Park Lane Villa & Wade Park Manor
Medium Floodplain
Museum of Natural History District Boundaries
Fast
Rapid
Water Runoff Rates Doan Brook
Performing Arts Center
Significant Gardens
Churches
District Historic Buildings
WADE-PAISLEY PARK
Brook Restoration and Design. Cleveland, OH. Spring 2020 - Remote
The proposal creates an open park with views to the picturesque stream below. It features access to Art Museum event space, education centers and overlooks, while contributing areas for contaminant processing and water infiltration to promote the longevity of the park’s ecosystem. New paths and framed views will promote access between the Cleveland Museum of Art, Nord Family Greenway, MLK Boulevard and Rockefeller Park to continue highlighting the historic connections in the area. Hydrology and grading challenges encouraged robust programming. Widening the brook, to allow more area for flood events, introduced the terraces – a key feature of the park. The terraces are planted with a dry meadow plant palette, featuring yellow summer blooms, which wrap around both sides of the brook. Increased space near the brook allows for the addition of water retention areas, or
marsh pools, to allow for higher water levels while also creating a diverse marshland ecosystem. These elements will serve as areas for educational outreach with visitors. Along main park paths, topographic interest is found in the wedges, which offer sloped lawn spaces with views towards the brook. There are 7 planting palettes, which fall within 3 topographic categories: lowland, escarpment, and highland, those most used by visitors. Within these, there are discrepancies of sun exposure, soil moisture, plant communities, and seasonal change. Plants closest to the brook perform phytoremediation, effectively reducing contaminants within the water. Paisley Park enhances natural scenery and tells a story of the past through robust grading, vigorous planting, and exiting program interventions.
Palm Sedge Carex muskingumensis
Little Bluestem S. scoparium
Christmas Fern P. acrostichoides
Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans
Bugbane Actaea simplex
Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
Foam Flower Tiarella cordifolia
Gold Yarrow A. ‘Coronation Gold’
Ice Dance Sedge Carex ‘Ice Dance’
Virginia Wild Rye Elymus virginicus
Left Section A - Wedge: wooded edge, dry meadow. Photoshop. Right Section B - Terrace: seasonal flowering edge. Photoshop.
B A
Top Design Sketch Interations. Trace Paper. Bottom Wade-Paisley Park Illustrative Plan. AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop.
THE CHURCH YARD
Urban Refuge Garden. Lincoln, NE. Spring 2021 - Fully Remote
Native ecology is celebrated in this dry, urban prairie yard. Intersecting paths lead down serene garden corridors, guiding visitors towards comfortable living room retreats. Most humans have daily lives filled with stress and busy schedules. In a college town, stress is something most students are helplessly tangled within. The Church Yard is a restorative place where all are welcome to relax their minds and bodies. It is an urban oasis where people are reminded to stop and enjoy the moment, and to come back periodically as the seasons change. When working through challenging moments in life, people need both time and space to speak to others or to reflect on their own, thus the Yard has many areas for visitors to stop and look at the scenic garden views while they process their thoughts. Vehicular noise is reduced most notably in the Botanic Garden and the Secret Corridor, as walls and vegetation offer a buffer. The Pool has a constant trickle of water that creates a soothing ambiance and allows wildlife a refreshing drink. The Church Yard is open to the public the 95% of the time. It can be reserved for special events like wedding receptions, church outreach, educational courses, and service events, as well as other parties and celebrations. Maintenance is an important part of any landscape project, and the members of the St. Paul United Methodist Church plan to hold volunteer events in order to manage the garden spaces and periodically check up on the Yard. A lead gardener from the Church and a specialized employee of Lincoln Parks and Recreation will meet quarterly to discuss the status of the Yard and the next steps to continue cultivating a successful garden.
Top Identity Collage of an urban, naturalistic refuge. Photoshop. Mid Zoomed Project Area Bottom Full Studio Project Area - different colors for each site. AutoCAD, Illustrator.
Top The Meadow Plant Palette. 11 distinct groups based on form, bloom, and color. InDesign. Bottom The Church Yard Plan. AutoCAD, Rhino, Illustrator, Procreate
Top Pool View with lush planted beds and ample seating. Rhino, Procreate. Bottom Archway Perspective with views to the Meadow. Rhino, Procreate.
Winter - Archway
Spring - Pool
Summer - Meadow
Fall - Secret Corridor
All 40’ Sections emphasizing characteristics of each area. Rhino, Illustrator, Procreate.
CAITLIN SMITH Thanks for viewing!
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