“I live to create beautiful landscapes” Benjamin Himschoot
himsben@gmail.com (352) 665-9344
Art Design Landscapes Process Bio
Visioning - 2 Illustration - 4 Renderings - 6
Site Planning - 8 Residential Design - 10 Commercial Design - 13 Planting Design - 14
Updating - 17 Rejuvenation - 18 Transformation - 20 Solutions - 22
Design Process - 24 Design Development - 26 Construction - 28 Completion - 30
ResumĂŠ - 32
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Visioning
Making a Statement I developed a design vision to set this local business apart from others in the area. I included several versions of a living green wall to create a landmark in the local community. Photoshop rendering techniques were used to illustrate two different versions of a green wall for my client. The first is a system of corten steel planters to support climbing vines supported on tension wires to cover the façade. The second rendering depicts a modular green wall structure to create an instant, solid green wall.
Tall Paul’s Brewhouse Downtown Gainesville, FL
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Existing Site
Illustration
I was hired to create photorealistic renderings of the proposed site improvements and testify as an expert witness before the county commission. My work showed that the proposed landscape buffer would be more than sufficient to block any public views of the site, and the project was approved.
Prairie View Solar Park Alachua County, FL
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After Landscaping
When a solar company proposed a sustainable 9 acre solar generation field next to a conservation area, the local community was up in arms. Many feared that the solar array would become an eyesore.
With Solar Array
Public Relations
Renderings
My vision for an entry courtyard of a residence. Succulent planters and a repurposed antique mirror create a mixture of textures and rich colors.
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Visions for Making an Entrance
This 5-acre residential estate lacked curb appeal and is tucked back into the woods. Low light conditions created by a dense tree canopy made planting dsign a challenge. By working with the client, a new proposal for the entryway was conceived that included a range of colorful plants, sculptural elements, and a custom sign marking the numbers of the house. Landscape lighting provides nighttime drama to the entry.
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Site Planning
Edible Landscapes The design for this 5-acre estate began with an empty field and a small grove of pines in the north corner. The client wanted to incorporate edible plantings into the design, as well as have spaces for recreation, circulation, and entertainment for their growing family. Careful consideration of site features, such as siting of the proposed house structure to maximize solar gains were taken into account. The resulting design includes a small pond, walking trails, a kitchen and seasonal
Conceptual Linework
Private Residence Alachua County, FL
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vegetable garden, a greenhouse, pool and entertainment area, as well as a formal entry with a fountain and circle driveway. The planting design incorporates a variety of edible plants, including peaches, nectarines, blueberries, blackberries, pecans, citrus, and many other edible varieties.
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Residential Design
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Creating Dynamic Outdoor Spaces This design included an outdoor kitchen and dining area, lounge, and seating area by extending the existing the space currently under the porch enclosure outward into the larger landscape. The use of natural stone pavers gives continuity to the space and provides a luxurious finish to the space. The addition of an outdoor pool and sunning deck provides ample room for entertaining. Built-in seating benches doubles for storage capacity. Dense evergreen hedges provide seclusion and privacy for the space. Finally, a lawn area provides some open green space for a children’s play area.
Private Residence Jacksonville, FL
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Commercial Design Towne Parc Apartments Gainesville, FL
Landscape Updates This apartment complex in Gainesville needed some curb appeal and an update for their campus. I devised a new face
for their entry feature, as well as a large-scale landscape update for the campus. The focus of the design was to create a welcoming entry sequence, an attractive common recreation and office area, and to stitch the spaces between the buildings together into a cohesive park-like setting.
Planting Design
Working with Native Plants Isle of Pines, Florida This Southwest Florida project has spanned across 8 years, and utilizes a plant palette of natives to create low-maintenance privacy plantings. Located at the entrance to a private subdivision, this planting design greets visitors upon arrival. A blend of colors and textures create rich layers within the landscape, and variation of flowering perrenials provide seasonal colors throughout the year. The use of native plantings reduce the 14 need for fertilizers and pesticides, and their drought-tolerant qualities eliminate the need
Updating
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Before
After
Renewing a Mid-Century Modern This residence was purchased by a local architect, who wanted to give the overgrown and outdated landscape a facelift. The project involved the removal of the existing landscape and broken asphalt driveway, and the development of a modern, low maintenance design. The use of concrete, granite, and steel edging for the pathways, along with clean lines echoed the modern design aesthetic of the residence. A variety of textures, colors, and plant materials were used to create excitement and a rugged natural beauty in contrast with the crisp, clean lines of the modern structure. 17 A custom lighting system provides dramatic nighttime illumination of the landscape.
Rejuvenation
Recycling Landscapes Gainesville, Florida I used Feng Shui principles to design and to reenvision an existing landscape and creatively edit the existing structure to create a cohesive landscape (right). Existing concrete rubble on site, along with an antique copper basin were used to create a custom fountain, completed with limestone boulders, flagstone, 18 and beach pebbles; planted with succulents (above).
Before
An area of overgrown viburnums (right) were transplanted to another area on site to provide privacy screening, and the planting bed was transformed into a succulent rock garden, outlined with a river of beach pebbles.
After
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Transformation
After
Before
Creating a Stormwater Solution Gainesville, FL I addressed serious drainage issues on this small site, which was trapping water against the structure of the house. The existing driveway was also unattractive broken strips of concrete. My design engineered a drainage system to capture stormwater and route it to a rain garden (right). The resulting project both solved the drainage issues on site, by allowing the water to dissipate and drain into the ground, and created a new driveway surface.
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Native plants were used in and around the site to reduce maintenance, and new Zoysia sod was planted to create a lush, green carpet of lawn flanking the new driveway.
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Solutions
Dealing with Drainage Gainesville, FL What began with a desperate drainage situation, developed into an engineered stormwater system for a Gainesville residence. Lack of site stormwater management, and improper construction site preparation had left this residence vulnerable to flooding and standing water inside the house during large rainfall events.
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The design of this project incorporated bioswales and rain gardens to address the flooding issues,
along with an outdoor entertainment space, kitchen, and swimming pool. Native plantings were also included in the design to reduce maintenance. Due to budget constraints, the master plan was broken into phases to make each component affordable. The first phase included the excavation of the bioswales and rain garden, along with the installation of a custom fountain a the bottom of the rain garden as part of a meditation garden. This completed phase has completely resolved the drainage issues on site, and has provided an attractive garden for the clients.
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Design Process Bringing an Idea to Life Gainesville, FL
My design process begins with developing clear objectives for a project through understanding the site and the needs of my client (Photos from initial site visit: near right). Concepts are explored by creating different design alternatives, then the best option is chosen and refined into a preliminary design. The design is further edited until all objectives are addressed in a design that matches the taste, lifestyle, and budget of my client. I look for inspiration from many sources, including nature, other designed landscapes, and even in the materials that I am using. For me, successful design solves a problem in a unique and beautiful way. In this example, my client wanted an edible garden with an Asian design aesthetic. After working through several iterations of the design 24 (center), a finalized design was developed (far right).
Design Development
Concept Construction Building a Pergola
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This example shows the design of a pergola structure that begin with a design sketch, then was modeled using Google SketchUp, and constructed on-site. The structure used custom mill-hewn cypress wood beams and steel plates for strength and stability.
Completion
Construction I take pride in being part of the construction process, as seeing a project come to life is a very rewarding experience. I also enjoy solving problems along the way as site conditions sometimes present unique challenges. This series of photos show the edible Asian garden under various phases of construction. Hardscape being installed (below), the installation of a subterranean drainage reservoir(right), plants waiting to be installed (middle right), and custom concrete stepping stones lined with welded steel edging ready for gravel (far right).
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Completion
Creating an Edible Asian Garden The result of this project is an edible landscape featuring clean lines, miniature landscapes, outdoor rooms, and a basalt column fountain (right). Plant varieties include nectarine, citrus, avocado, fig, blueberry, guava, pomegranate, pear, and grape in addition to a mixture of traditional plant materials. The large pergola serves as a trellis for Kiwi vines, and custom Cypress planting boxes provide areas for vegetable gardening. The use of steel and concrete give a modern edge to the while the use of natural stone and large 30 design, massing of ground covers give a rich, organic feel to the landscape.
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Benjamin Himschoot, MLA
1620 NW 29th Road – Gainesville, Florida 32605 (352) 665-9344 | himsben@gmail.com
OVERVIEW Landscape designer seeking permanent position within a growing design-build firm. 10 years experience in working with landscapes including sales, design, and project management. Highly motivated and attentive to detail with a passion for bringing landscapes to life.
EDUCATION Masters of Landscape Architecture – University of Florida – 2010 Bachelors of International Business – University of North Florida – 2002
KEY POSITIONS HELD dr3design, LLC Principal / 2012 to Present / Gainesville, FL Currently serve as partner in a design/build landscape architecture firm specializing in custom landscapes for public and private clients. Scope of work includes site planning, landscape design, planting plans, renderings & illustrations, construction documentation, and project implementation. Work with clients to develop strategic design solutions from concept to design and documentation, through installation, and long-term care.
Himschoot Landscaping and Himschoot Tractor Service Owner & General Manager / 1996 – 1998 & April 2004 — January 2008 / Lee County, FL Worked as field-laborer and later operations manager of company. Scope of work addressed residential and commercial projects including excavation, site preparation, grading, water management, hurricane restoration,
demolition, and landscaping. Oversaw all aspects of sales, project estimating and bidding, contracts, billing, materials supply, logistics, and customer service. Managed all aspects of projects from small residential construction to largescale land clearing while concurrently managing multiple crews and projects. Successfully started a landscaping division that provided residential and commercial design, installation, and maintenance of landscapes. Worked with existing client base from the construction company to expand operations into landscape services. Provided installation of hardscapes, irrigation, as well as vegetation. Services also included re-landscaping of existing homes and sites, as well as long-term maintenance and landscape management.
C.H. Robinson International Logistics Coordinator / August 2001 - April 2004 / Jacksonville, FL – Madrid, Spain – Miami, FL Coordinated global import and export operations of multi-modal shipments across three international branches. Managed import and export coordination for rail, truck, ocean, and air cargo. Handled necessary documentation, transportation, tracking, and billing of shipments.
SKILLS PROFILE Proficient in AutoCad, Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, Sketch-Up, SPSS, Arc GIS as well as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Excels in design, project management, and logistics. Creative and analytical thinker, attentive to detail, and excellent organizational skills. Also fluent in Spanish & English, with intermediate proficiency in Brazilian Portuguese.
ACTIVITIES & SERVICE - City of Gainesville Development Review Board Member – 2012 to present - Graduate student representative for the University of Florida Student Chapter of the American Association of Landscape Architects (SCASLA) from 2008-2009 - Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) - 2007 - Present - Member of Sigma Lambda Alpha – National Honor Society for Landscape Architecture – 2008-Present - Studied Landscape Architecture in Paris, France - August to December 2008 - Conducted field reserach for Masters Thesis in Bogotá, Colombia -May to August 2009
Extended curriculum vitae and references available upon request.
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