LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO DANA LADD
Urban Agriculture Cooperative
CONTENTS
BIO
DANA LADD
Innovative designer experienced in urban and natural landscape enhancement with practical skills, an artful eye and a passion for sustainability. Robust project management skills make for a driven leader and powerful team player. Design skills are dynamic and progressive due to varied educational background and hands-on experience with complex environments.
EDUCATION
RESUME
Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture
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2023 -
HILLTOP HARVEST COMMUNITY GARDEN A GATHERING RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Rutgers UniversityEdward J. Bloustein 2017 - 2020
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University of Pittsburgh
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2016 - 2017
Master of Landscape Architecture
WORK EXPERIENCE 10/2021-07/2022
Bachelor of Arts: Urban Studies
03/2021-08/2021
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Mobile: +1 973-634-2325
ST. NICHOLAS PARK
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Website: https://rebrand.ly/danaladdportfolio
SKILLS Photoshop
MODELS
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Illustrator InDesign SketchUp
TECHNICAL WORK
Split Rock Design - Junior Designer and Project Manager
04/2019-06/2020
Farm Production and Social Media Intern • Promoted the organization through 3-4 weekly posts on social media. Posts included prevalent articles about food insecurity, environmental sustainability, gentrification, and what was happening at Urban Agriculture Cooperative. Furthermore, responded to 5-10 people each week on social media to answer any questions they might have about the organization. • Ran volunteer hours at the SWAG farm for corporate groups, schools, and organizations. Largest volunteer group I managed was 100 high-school students. • Taught classes to k-8 about gardening, ecosystems, composting and sustainability. • Oversaw SWAG farm, which covered 2 city lots and had 50 garden beds, to keep it maintained and capable of producing a high crop yield. • Produced promotional flyers, both digital and paper, for the organization.
Designed and developed concept plans and drawings for customers through AutoCAD and Adobe Suite. Produced design presentations which include, but are not limited to site sketches, plant design, furniture placement and a material palette to communicate design intent. Facilitated site inspections of jobs under construction. Managed projects from initial conception through completion. Created cost estimates for projects upwards of $80,000. Corresponded with clients on a weekly basis to schedule meetings and prioritize projects.
Email: danaladd33@gmail.com
NEWARK COMMUNITY FARMS AND GARDENS
Jane Gil Gardens - Operations Manager/Designer Attended and contributed to initial new client meetings for note taking purposes and design input. Constructed audits and estimates for clients throughout the year. Organized and maintained google drive for efficient data tracking and easy access to documents by company. Worked in the field at various high-end client’s gardens throughout NYC. Created InDesign design packets for clients to aid them in choosing what flowers they want for each season and enable them to get a better understanding of where things will go in their garden.
Bachelor of Arts: Urban Planning and Public Policy Minors in Spanish and Sustainability
CONTACT
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Program Coordinator for Foodshed Development Conducted public outreach and marketing campaigns coordinated weekly farmers markets across Newark, and after school programs for k-8 at SWAG Farm’s gardens. Inventoried upwards of 300 products sourced from roughly 30 different vendors. Coordinated with various partners, customers, and point of sale - pickup sites. Organized food logistic for weekly Farmers Markets, data collection, safety, and customer interaction.
10/2020-Present
“I” On Design - Freelance Landscape and Urban Farm Designer Specialize in landscape design, plant and sustainability consultation through the use of hand- drawings, Auto-CAD, Sketchup, Lumion and Adobe Renderings. Produced local and international projects that have included: Urban Apiaries, Productive Farms, Community Gardens, Residential Landscapes, ADA Compliant Landscapes, Architectural Structures.
Urban Agriculture Cooperative 06/2020-10/2020
Program Coordinator for Foodshed Development Conducted public outreach and marketing campaigns coordinated weekly farmers markets across Newark, and after school programs for k-8 at SWAG Farm’s gardens. Inventoried upwards of 300 products sourced from roughly 30 different vendors. Coordinated with various partners, customers, and point of sale - pickup sites. Organized food logistic for weekly Farmers Markets, data collection, safety, and customer interaction.
Rhino
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GIS AutoCAD
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HILLTOP HARVEST COMMUNITY GARDEN FALL 2023 | PROFESSOR MICHAEL KING
This semester we were tasked with creating a design intervention for an issue or deficiency that we wanted to address in or around prospect park. After some similarly themed ideas, such as agricultural production on the lawns and a food forest in the woodland, I decided that I didn’t want to touch the park, especially when there was so much vacant land outside of it. My interest in agriculture stood and Brooklyn’s extensive network of community gardens inspired me to take a stab at designing a community garden in one of those lots. ADOBE SUITE | RHINO|LUMION|AUTOCAD|HANDMODEL
SITE
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BEDFORD STUYVESANT
BUSHWICK
CYPRESS HILLS
PROSPECT HEIGHTS PARK SLOPE
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CROWN HEIGHTS BROWNSVILLE
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EAST NEW YORK
11 MIN 12 MIN
45 MIN
BROOKLYN BOTANICAL GARDEN
EAST FLATBUSH
AMBOY STREET GARDEN LEFFERTS GARDENS
PROSPECT PARK
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PS 221 WILBERT KING SCHOOL OCEAN HILL ELEMNTARY
SCHOOLS There are 926 Public Schools in Brooklyn. Many of those schools border the parkways, such as Eastern. The schools closest and most relavant to this Community Garden are indicated on the map.
WINDSOR TERRACE
COMMUNITY GARDENS PROSPECT PARK SOUTH
EASTERN PARKWAY
VACANT LOT SITE
GRAND ARMY PLAZA FARMERS MARKET
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NEIGHBORHOODS SCHOOLS
Community gardens are prevalant throughout NYC, some dating back to the mid 1900s. Three such important community gardens, indicated on map, are staples in their community and served as inspiration in the design process for 600 Crown Street’s proposal.CANARSIE
Nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers were food insecure even before the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 185 million missing meals across the five boroughs, also known as “The Meal Gap.” In Brooklyn, 1/3 of the population is struggling with food insecurity.
FOOD INSECURITY
I chose my site for it’s size, access to sunlight, its location near the eastern parkway and its flow right into Prospect park’s grand army plaza. In grand army plaza there is a farmers market that this new community garden can partner with. Furthermore, around the site there are many schools and residential homes. The plan is to utilize the schools for volunteers and to harbor an educational atmosphere around the garden, which will be one of its main ethos. 6
The new garden, dawned Hilltop Harvest Community Garden, will utilize the 3 rain gardens, 30 garden beds, 6 rainwater harvesting umbrellas, native planted hill, greenhouses and orchard to guide that education. The design will have all these components plus elements that are on and around the hill. The hill itself is already present on the site so there will be no need for excavation. These components include a seating structure against the hill, benches in the hill, a slide down the hill and path through the native planting of the hill. The hill design currently has a ramp on it, but in further iterations the ramp may be meandering with landings to be more accessible.
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HAND
MODEL
WATER IS CAPTURED THROUGH THIS UMBRELLA SHAPED DESIGN AND FUNNELLED INTO A RAIN BARREL
RAIN BARREL HERE IS USED TO DIRECTLY FEED THE HOSES TO WATER THE GARDEN
WHATEVER OVERFLOWS IS DIRECTED HERE
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To water the plants, I designed rainwater harvesting umbrellas. The goal is for the water to be captured into this rainwater barrel which is connected to a hose that can water the plants on site. The overflow of the water goes into a cistern below which can be accessed by a pump. The model (to right) is 1/2inch = 1ft. the umbrella is 16’ in diameter, and 12 feet tall. The programming of the garden will be monitored by the three fulltime jobs that will be created on the garden: the farm manager, the events/volunteer coordinator and the education leader. The rest of the labor will be maintained through volunteer help. The main income shall be the produce, which can roughly produce 5,300 lbs of produce a year. This along with grant, donations and community support will aim for the garden to continue to be up and running for years to come.
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A GATHERING SUMMER 2023 | PROFESSOR CHRISTIN HU
In anticipation of my upcoming time at Spitzer, I opted to augment my skill set over the summer by enrolling in an additional graphical representation course. The culmination of this endeavor centered around a transformative exploration of the campus. For my final project, I undertook the challenge of reimagining an underutilized space adjacent to the ADA walkway, envisioning it as a dynamic hub for communal interaction. My focus centered on fostering a sense of community through thoughtful design interventions. Specifically, I aimed to enhance the functionality of the area by introducing more seating options and inviting gathering spaces. At the heart of the project lies a distinctive winding seating structure seamlessly integrated into the natural slope of the land. ADOBE SUITE | AUTOCAD|HANDSKETCH 11
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I drafted different modes of seating within the larger structure. This was a study and practice of iterative design. I also utilized this time to practice hand drawing with the use of programs such as procreate to create a sketchy element to the project
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RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN SUMMER 2021 | SPLIT ROCK DESIGN
I have experience in design for residential landscapes of all scales. Constructions have included expansive hardscaping, detailed planting plans, and furniture placement. Depending on the client, designs have either been in color or black and white and made to be easy to understand. ADOBE SUITE | AUTOCAD|HANDSKETCH 15
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NEWARK COMMUNITY FARMS AND GARDENS FALL 2020 | FREELANCE WORK
Below is my redesign of a community garden that was constructed to be a part of the Newark Community Food System’s Land Tenure packet for the City. Local community members took previously abandoned lots and transformed them into thriving spaces for their city. In order to obtain the resources to realize their dreams, detailed designs and proposals were created and submitted to the City of Newark for funding. These graphics depict one of the farms that was included in the packet. ADOBE SUITE | AUTOCAD| SKETCHUP | LUMION SWEAT LODGES AND YOGA SPACE
TINY HOUSE
OUTDOOR KITCHEN
RABBIT HOLE FARM 17
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BEFORE
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AFTER
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ST. NICHOLAS PARK FALL 2023 | PROFESSOR MICHAEL KING
This project‘s aim was to study our routes to the Spitzer school of Architecture by documenting our daily journey to school, transcending routine through graphic representation. Employing plans, sections, perspectives, and a 5-foot-long transect, we unveil the hidden dimensions of our commute. Plans and sections dissect the geometry of our path, exposing its interaction with the surrounding environment. Perspectives capture the play of light and shadow, offering glimpses into the nuanced experiences of our daily trek. The 5-foot-long transect, a tactile journey through space, invites viewers to feel the undulating landscape of our route. ADOBE SUITE | AUTOCAD|HANDSKETCH 21
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To study St. Nicholas Park I constructed several elevations. Above is the elevation across the park and below is the section of the entrance to the park. To the right is a collage of important moments for me around the Spitzer campus.
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3D MODEL RHINO MODEL AND LASER CUT PANCAKE MODEL
ST. NICHOLAS PARK ELEVATION
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My commute spans from Jersey City, NJ all the way to Harlem, NY. To produce the hand drawings I used local contour maps, on site observation, photography and historical research. My most compelling portion of my journey was when I walked through St. Nicholas Park near Spitzer. Other moments along my walk included my main drag in Jersey City, and a popular sitting rock in St. Nicholas.
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MODELS
FALL 2023 - STUDIO
VAN VOORST GAZEBO A hand model made of materials such as foam, wooden sticks, cardboard, natural material (twigs), toothpicks, paint and printed out paving patterns. This model is a first attempt at ever doing hand modeling.
PALEY PARK A group project hand model made from a rhino model that I worked on. We split the rhino model and then laser cut cardboard pieces. We then assembled it all back together with string and handcut trees and their canopies. 29
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DOCUMENTATION AUTOCAD
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