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Gallagher Hannan Ecological Design & Planning Portfolio
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Index Ashuelot Greenspace Project, Keene, NH p.4-9 Suitability Study for an Affordable Housing Development, p. 10-13 Southampton, MA Putnam Barn Siting, Dublin, NH p.14-15 Huppert Homestead, Petersham, MA p.16-17 Wescott-Rice Homestead, Ashfield, MA p.18 Dickinson Residence, Woodstock, CT p.19 Black Brook Farm Growers Market Garden, Carlisle, MA p.20 Examples of AutoCAD Work p.21
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Ashuelot Greenspace Project Keene, NH Creating a vibrant public park and greenspace along the Ashuelot River
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Final Conceptual Site Design A 3.5-acre abandoned parking lot site adjacent to the Ashuelot River is transformed into a vibrant greenspace and community event space in Keene, NH. This park includes a natural playground, a space for the Keene Farmers’ Market, a wildflower meadow designed to bio-remediate the heavily impacted soils, and plenty of wayfinding and informational signage to orient visitors to the site and its surroundings - including adjacent bike path and other recreational opportunities.
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Created with Sketch-up & hand drawing
Explore. Boaters enjoy easy access to the river, and maps invite passing cyclists and other visitors to explore the surrounding area, and the beautiful Ashuelot River Park.
Power. Solar panels provide renewable energy for the city.
Shop Locally. On market days, residents shop for local produce, prepared foods, and crafts at the Keene Farmers Market. Connect. The pavilion becomes an event space, where the community can come together to enjoy concerts, outdoor movies, or public art displays.
Play. A centralized playground made of all natural materials brings families to the site.
Learn. Interpretive signs teach residents about the history and ecology of the area, and about the site’s green infrastructure.
Thrive. Native vegetation creates habitat for insects, birds and animals.
Reflect. Quiet nooks and shady edges offer visitors secluded areas to look out over the meadow and river.
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Contextual Analysis & Assessment
Ashuelot River Park
The site is very centrally located, between several existing open-space and recreational areas (including the 175-acre Ashuelot River Park), a large residential neighborhood, and near downtown Keene. This location, combined with the fact that downtown Keene has very few green-spaces, make this a great location for a new park, playground and community event space.
Residential Neighborhood
Site
Bike Trail & Boat Launch for Kayaks and Canoes
Ashuelot River Park
Bike Trails
Hiking Trails
Swimming
Picnic
Sports Fields
Playground
Faulkner and Colony Dam
Ellis Harrison Park
Wheelock Park
Playground
Lawn
Ashuelot Arboretum
Commercial Area & West Street
Downtown Keene
Camping
Camping
Playground
Ladies Wildwood Park
Lawn
Robin Hood Park
Hiking Trails
Sports Fields
Playground
i
le
Ash Swamp Brook
1/2 M
Swimming Hiking Trails
Keene Central Square
Ashuelot River r Site
2 M il e
ne s from Kee
n Ce
te
Event Space
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Legend Ashuelot River Map of open space in Keene, NH. With the exAshuleot Greenspace ception of the Central Square,Parks there arefrom noKeene other < 2 miles Center Parks > 2 miles from Keene Center
greenspaces within a 1/2 mile of the downtown.
Picnic
Beech Hill Preserve Lookout
Hiking Trails
Created with ArcGIS & Adobe Photoshop
Sports Fields
Fuller Park
To help determine appropriate uses for the new greenspace, the Keene Comprehensive Master Plan and Recreation Plan were both consulted. The plans recommended, among other things: • Increased walkability and bike connections • Planning for climate change • Increased flood mitigation • Increased city-wide stormwater infiltration • Design to improve the health of the community • Design to encourage alternative transportation • Design to encourage positive activities for youth • Design to increase connectivity among alternative transportation • Expanding open space/conservation land • Increased Historical and environmental signage
Site Analysis & Assessment The soils on site are mostly fill, with limited organic matter, and are heavily impacted. Remediation will be necessary in order to re-vegetate the site. The site is almost all within the 100-year floodplain, although controls from the Surry Dam mean that it will most likely never flood. However, designs will have to take into account a high water table as well as FEMA floodplain regulations regarding cut and fill.
Example Soil Amendment Techniques:
2-3 inches
2-3" of compost (the amount of soil that could be brought in under FEMA floodplain regulations) could be brought k in and tilled into the fill, then planted with cover crops or a tolerant biomass-building meadow mix to build biomass on site. k
A compost program could be started on-site by a nearby professional using wood chips and leaves from the Keene Public Works Department or food scraps from the farmers market. A photo taken of a soil pit dug in May 2015 shows that the top 2-3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; below the asphalt is made up primarily of fill with little to no organic matter
Legend Ashuelot River Beaver Brook 100-Year Flood zone Site 0
0.1
0.2
0.4 Miles
Ashuelot River Park
This map shows the extent of the the 100-year flood zone in downtown Keene, the reason why the Surry Dam (4 miles upstream) is under such tight controls.
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Suitability Study for an Affordable Housing Development Southampton, MA
Creating a affordable housing cluster development to make the most of a steep and difficult-to-develop site
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Driveway Recommendations Building a driveway to the top of the site from Laurie Drive will be expensive and require careful engineering. At this time, the best alternative seems to be to build a road through the pastures to the east.
Driveway #1: Up the Slope
Driveway #2: Around the South-side
Driveway #3: Through the Field
NOT RECOMMENDED
Possible, with Reservations
RECOMMENDED
550 ft long (as shown here) 8% slope
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515 feet long (as shown here) 8% slope
> 1/4 mile long 5% slope (according to Mass GIS map)
Master Plan Alternative
In order to help fund development, the lot is sub-divided and a lot to the north is sold at market rate. On the south side of the site, a small cluster development takes advantage of one of the only flat areas on the site. A A market rate lot in the northern part of the site can be reached by a
going straight down the shared driveway. Turning left leads to... B a parking court (16 cars) for small cluster development, with a fire-truck turn-around.
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C Open commons and a shared garden space is fire-truck accessible. Houses on the stream side are single story with full basement. Houses on the pasture side are two stories, built into the hillside, acting as a retaining wall. Around the houses, mown turf and low plantings makes up the majority of the open space, with native shrubs placed as privacy screens. D A native meadow leads to a meandering woodland trail. At the edge of the woods shrubs and small trees create habitat, biodiversity and a buffer for the forest interior, which is planted with edibles and woody plants with bright fall foliage. At the end of the trail, benches look over sloping dairy pastures.
Laurie Drive Cul-de-sac
Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
A
E Stormwater management requires careful planning. A network of swales and infiltration basins to retain and filter water from impermeable surfaces are necessary to avoid channeling the water, which could potentially greatly increase the already very problematic erosion on the site. F A 60-foot by 60-foot shared septic system. For more information about determining septic system size see Appendix B.
A-Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
C
C
E F
D
*Red lines indicate current topography. Created with hand drawing & Adobe Photoshop
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Site Analysis & Assessment Conditions on the site make building a road up the western slope inadvisable. There are flat areas for building, although these are relatively small, so alternative development strategies are recommended to make the most of the limited space. Run-off from the development will have to be carefully managed to reduce impact on the intermediate stream running along the west side of the site.
Views into pastures Intermittent stream Property boundary Erosion Drainage direction Road Herbaceous plants Setback from stream >30% 20-30% 10-20% <10%
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Created with hand drawing & Adobe Photoshop
ATTACHED UNITS can save even more space, are often cheaper to build, and are not just for urban sites. Shown below is the Cheesecake Consortium, a co-housing community in a redwood forest
TRADITIONAL SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT
• • •
Involves a lot of disturbance for only a handful of houses. Centers around cars. Doesn’t foster community.
Cluster developments are especially great for kids, who can wander and play freely.
POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS CAN BE A GREAT ALTERNATIVE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. As the first wave of baby boomers reaches retirement, many such communities (sometimes called “saging communities”) are popping up. They often have community buildings to encourage interaction and to offer a space for residents to cook meals together and pursue hobbies and activities with like-minded individuals with similar needs. Below is shown Silver Sage, a senior-only cohousing development in Boulder, CO.
CLUSTER HOUSING • • • • •
Maximizes space on the site, allowing for many more houses. Fosters community, because the houses are arranged to encourage neighborly interaction. Encourages outdoor living, with a shared common green space in the center of the houses. Keeps cars at bay, and is designed to be human scale, and walkable. Allows the town to grow while still maintaining open space and farmland elsewhere.
Although it is not always possible to have parking right next to residents’ houses, as is the case in the cluster housing development above, many residents say that they enjoy walking from their cars as it gives them a chance to happen upon, and visit with, neighbors.
The Conway School Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Design and Planning Fall 2013
Gallagher Hannan
Laurie Drive, Southampton, MA Client: Town of Southampton
Cluster developments encourage neighborly interaction and foster community.
Taking it one step further... HOUSES DESIGNED FOR CLUSTERING are tall and narrow, with public rooms on one side and private on the other, to give residents a sense of separation even in tight quarters (houses below designed by Kraus-Fitch Architects in Amherst).
Suitability Study for Proposed Affordable Housing Development
Some examples of existing cluster developments (also known as “pocket neighborhoods”)
Alternative Development Strategies
This site has a limited amount of flat, buildable area, and access will most likely be expensive, so it is recommended that the Town look at development alternatives that maximize usable space.
Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.
Alternative Development Strategies Research
8/22 *images from www.pocket-neighborhoods.net
Page taken from Conway School fall 2013 planset
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Created with Sketch-up & Adobe Photoshop
Putnam Barn Siting Dublin, NH Siting an antique post and beam barn on a vacation property overlooking Stone Pond and Mount Monadnock
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Edge of Wetland Marlborough, NH
Dublin, NH
Edge of 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wetland Buffer
Mown lawn
Preferred Conceptual Alternative Potential to add access road to connect to overďŹ&#x201A;ow parking, event space and/or outdoor work area
Siting the barn directly to the north of the house makes it easily accessible, creates a sunny, enclosed space to the east of the house and south of the barn, and allows for an orientation that leaves open the option for roof-top solar panels in the future (a client request). It also creates nice views of the barn as you come up the driveway, as well as from the meadow to the south (not seen on map).
Stream
Created with AutoCAD & Adobe Illustrator
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Landscaping creates an attractive entrance into the newly enclosed backyard area
House
Existing Grass Farm Lane
View A: Coming up Driveway Barn Siting Alternative 3 High Meadow, Malborough & Dublin, NH
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40
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Huppert Homestead Petersham, MA
Designing an innovative agriculture system for a 10acre farm
House
Conceptual Master Plan Alternative #1: Simple Silvopasture
House
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Conceptual Master Plan Alternative #2: Habitat & Alley Cropping
Potential expansion space for vegetatable and flower garden Concrete foundation Herb and flower Garden Specimen tree Chicken coop with expanded run and trellis for shade and shelter
Wildflower meadow Vegetable and flower garden
Plantings to attract pollinators
Lilac bushes
Expanded garden around the elder beech stump
Created with hand drawing & Adobe Photoshop
Hoop house/ Bio-shelter
Shade tolerant plantings extended around base of the house Fence & Gate
Windbreak planting of junipers and other shrubs (6-8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; tall)
Prepared by: Regenerative Design Group 1 Chevalier Avenue Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301 June 2015
Prepared For: Mick & Louise Huppert 18 Maple Lane Petersham, NH
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Home Zone Design The home zone design is about bringing edible gardens closer to the house, where they will Home Zone Design 1 be more accessible, and enclosing the space so that processes can become streamlined and strong wind pressure is decreased, as well as providing lovely framed views out into the larger landscape.
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Farm operations are centralized around the flat sunny meadow in the south-eastern quadrant of the property, which will make a good place for siting future hoop-houses and growing crops. Future barn is located centrally between existing hoop-house and flat sunny meadow (future farm center) and all the working areas are on roughly on the same contour, making it easy to move around the farm. A thinned woodland area above the barn lets more light in to the house site and is an attractive setting for a trail from the house to the barn, and perhaps a future forest garden.
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Rice-Wescott Homestead Ashfield, MA
Centralized farm operations are separated from the house. Views from the house to the south and east are preserved. Tractor activity is, for the most part, kept off the driveway that runs directly in front of the house. The meadows in front of the house become wildlife habitat areas. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;meadow loop trailâ&#x20AC;? around this part of the property could visits different nodes on site, including a new small pond, as well as hooking into larger trail systems.
Dickinson Residence Compost Area
Potting Shed Windbreak & Habitat Hedge
Medicinal Garden
Woodstock, CT
Septic Leach Field
The central home area is made up of various spaces or “rooms” separated by mowed and meadow edges, berry plantings, and gardens. The ability to move through areas allows separation and connection, intimacy of space, and a sense of exploration throughout.
Kitchen Garden
Views are framed by the gardens and plantings; some close-in views look to diverse berries, herbs, and the vegetable garden. Further out, the woodland edge is framed and directed through flowering and fruiting shrubs and specimen trees. Berr
tch y Pa
Meadow Flower Garden
Lawn
The vegetable garden is fenced as is the medicinal garden. Or a larger area could be fenced with a low fence and electric wire. Deer can be trained on a simple, low electric fence. The shed and adjacent trellis creates space for potting, propagation, and other garden work, tools, wash station, and behind, storage of compost and other materials. A rainwater collection system, and attached greenhouse could be built into the structure as well.
Wellhead
Meadow Loop Trail
Conceptual Home Zone Design Dickinson Residence
N Created with AutoCAD & Adobe Illustrator
The central home area is made up of various spaces or “rooms” separated by mowed and meadow edges, berry plantings, and gardens. The ability to move through areas allows separation and connection, intimacy of space, and a sense of exploration throughout.
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Black Brook Farm Growers Market Garden Carlisle, MA
During the Spring of 2011, my mother and I designed, built and planted a 1/3 acre market garden in Carlisle, MA. Over the following two years, we ran a 16 family CSA out of the garden, eventually turning it over to a colleague and friend who still farms there today. For more information (and pictures), visit bbfgrowers.com.
Curved rows were built along the contours to best capture and infiltrate water (image from googlemaps.com)
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Examples of AutoCAD Work
Drawing of current Ashuelot Greenspace Design (left) and survey of property for Putnam barn siting project (below)
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