Jessi Flynn Portfolio August 2015
I believe in connecting people to places, and connecting natural systems to built systems. I solve environmental problems by shifting wastes to become resources. I connect built and natural systems in urban environments. I solve problems by being resourceful, knowledgeable, and creative to find solutions that apply to real life. I work with technology, with people, and with dirt and plants. I have 15 years of experience organizing, running, and managing projects, programs, and people for private companies, non-profits, state and federal governments, and international organizations. I have lived and worked all over the world in different cultures and languages. I love my native city of Boston. I want my experience and skills to benefit Boston and its surroundings by increasing the quality of life in the city through creating healthy, enjoyable environments and connecting people to place through landscape and urban design.
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Academic 20
Water-Cycle Master’s Thesis
Landscape Design
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Natural Systems
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Housing and Settlement
22 Residential Design /Build
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School Garden Design
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Sketching
Personal
Professional
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26 Volunteer Multi-Modal Work
Resume
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Water-Cycle
Thesis Research and Studio Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 Instructors: Nina Chase and Ellen Merritt
Location: Boston, MA: Back Bay and South Boston Summary: Decentralized stormwater/sea level rise combined with multi-modal transportation systems in an urban environment.
Bicycle Crashes Police recorded 2009-2012
Radar maps showing impervious surfaces of Boston and Massachusetts. Impervious Surfaces: Roads, Sidewalks, Driveways, Parking Lots, Roofs, Compacted Gravel Cycletracks Planned by City of Boston over next 30 years
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Natural water cycle
Bioremediation: Pollutants carried in urban stormwater can be broken down or removed through bioremediation using soil bacteria and plants. Volatilization of chemicals
Hg(0) Hg(0)
Hg(0)
Hg(0) released as naturally occurring mercury vapor.
Mercury
Hg(0)
Hg(0)
Urban water cycle due to impervious surface runoff
Bacteria
Hg(II)
Hg(II) Hg(II)
Hg(II)
Hg(II) + Ocean (salt water) = MeHg - highly toxic bioaccumulator in wildlife.
Hg(II)
Degradation of fuels, solvents, and herbicides by soil bacteria. Solvents Fuels Bacteria Bacteria
Designed urban water cycle that captures, uses, and returns water to the natural water cycle.
Bacteria
Nutrients for plant
Root
Herbicides
Bacteria digests Carbon for bacteria Fuels, Solvents, Herbicides
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Landscape Urbanism:
Shifting From Parcel to Ecological Scale
Centralized Infrastructure and Parcel Based Planning: Water removed as waste to city infrastructure
Linking built, decentralized stormwater treatment into transportation networks that mimic natural watershed scale.
Natural Watersheds (blue): Streams and rivers serve as water collectors and conduits.
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Bike Network (orange) as Urban Watershed: Streets and cisterns serve as water collectors and conduits.
Decentralized Ecological Scale Planning : Water connections pool water as resource using public street space
Integrated Watershed as Combination of Built and Natural Networks
Stormwater Analysis
In a typical 1� rainstorm, this study area discharges 500,000
gallons of water carrying contaminants directly to Boston Harbor.
90,000 gallons
400,000 gallons
Impervious Surface Catchment Area Site Catchment Area Catch Basin Pipe Stormwater Outfall Streets Buildings Site
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Capture and Reuse of Stormwater Runoff
1. Collection: Water runs off streets, into cistern through curbcuts.
2. Retention: Stormwater stored in cistern.
3. Treatment: Water reused for street tree and planter irrigation. Filtration through soil is critical step in green infrastructure to breakdown pollutants. 8
Existing system: Water is collected off streets, and piped directly to Boston Harbor and rivers, carrying pollutants directly into water.
Boston Harbor
Infiltration of Stormwater Runoff
1. Collection: Water runs off streets and sidewalks into cistern through curbcuts.
2. Retention: Stormwater first flush captured and infiltrated by raingarden, overflow to porous bottom cistern to infiltrate. 3. Treatment: Filtration through raingarden, infiltration through subsurface soil breaks down pollutants, recharges groundwater levels.
Groundwater
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Innovation District Design: BioBuoys
Buoys in harbor water
Floating d`ock
Existing stormwater outfall
Planter boxes irrigated with captured stormwater
Buoys floating in stored stormwater
Plant palette includes plants known for phytoremediation properties as well as harsh coastal and street environment tolerance.
Recessed downlighting on all sides
Curb cuts to convey stormwater to underground cisterns
Plant Palette Acer rubrum Red Maple
Populus tremuloides Quaking Aspen
Juniperus comunis Juniper
Plant Images: Missouri Botanical Garden
Nepeta racemosa Catmint Image: NorthCreek Nurseries
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Existing stormwater outfall
Buoys float in stormwater collected from the street in an underground cistern. As the buoys rise and fall, colors indicate the level of the water. Water collected in the cistern is used for irrigation of planters and street trees. The infiltration of the water through this method removes many stormwater contaminants. The buoys in the Harbor water are the reminder that the water is connected. What we allow to drain into our catch basins, we put directly into our Harbor.
Wood boardwalk
Angled entry allows cyclists to pull in, dismount
Concrete one way cycletrack
Oaks for biodiversity Red maples for water uptake Quaking aspen for pollutant breakdown
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Back Bay Design: Water Way
Curb cuts allow runoff to enter raingarden at street level. Metal grating covers curb cut Steetl grating over runnel allows cleanout access
Raingarden widths widest between existing trees
Raingardens narrow to allow pedestrians and cyclists sp
Plant palette includes salt tolerant raingarden plants suited to urban streets and a range of water tolerance.
Plant Palette Rudbeckia maxima Coneflowers
Liatris spicata Blazing Star
Deschampsia ceptiosa Tufted Hair Grass
Aster novae-angelica New England Aster
Oenothera spicata Sundrops
Andopogon gerardii Big Bluestem
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Plant Images: NorthCreek Nurseries
pace to pause
At grade pedestrian crossings connect sidewalk to street parking, allow raingarden crossing and interaction.
Existing trees to be preserved
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Studio: FilterPier
Advanced Studio : Natural Systems Fall 2012 Instructors: Shaun O’Rourke and Nina Chase
Location: The working Boston Harbor Shipyard. Client: HarborArts, whose mission is to use art to bring attention to marine issues. Goal: To address natural systems at work in the shipyard. I focused on the hydrology of this site, designing a natural filtration system to remove contaminants such as mercury, lead, and hydrocarbons from shipyard runoff before they enter the Boston Harbor. At the same time, the FilterPier was designed to be interactive and educational, placing visitors at eye level with the filtration system while they walk to the new Harbor Arts art gallery at the end of the pier.
(Above) Photoshop rendering of the FilterPier with glass planting bed walls allowing viewing of root systems. Model done in SketchUp, Rendering in Photoshop.
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(Below) Plan and longitudinal section of FilterPier, showing the stages of biofiltration and gallery space.
Gallery Poplar trees
Sunflowers
Grasses and Microorganisms
Oysters
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(Left) GIS mapping of impervious surfaces used to illustrate surface area for runoff.
(Below) Diagrams of biofiltration phases.
Volitilization Hg(0)
Mercury Hg(0)
Degradation Hg(0) released as naturally occurring mercury vapor. Hg(0)
Fuels, Solvents, Herbicides Solvents Fuels Bacteria
Bacteria
Hg(II) + Ocean = MeHg - highly toxic bioaccumulator in wildlife.
Hg(0) Hg(0) Bacteria Hg(II)
Hg(II)
Hg(II)
Hg(II)
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Bacteria Nutrients for plant Bacteria digests
Root
Carbon for bacteria
Fuels, Solvents, Herbicides Hg(II)
Herbicides
(Right) Transverse section of the sunflower filtration bed on FilterPier, showing central path out to art gallery and 45 degree angle of glass “rhizotrons” for below surface level education.
Sunflowers “Rhizotron” Soil Drainage Gravel Drain Pipes Ramp
Sunflowers - Extraction
Floating Base
Extraction
Filtration Pb
Lead
Pb Pb
Plants to be removed and disposed of as hazardous material.
Pb
Ammonia, Sediment Ammonia, Sediments
Clean Water 50 gallons per oyster per day
Pb
Solid Waste helps build natural oyster reef Pb
Pb Pb
Pb Pb
Pb
2007 Baltimore Sun photo by Glenn Fawcett
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Studio: WaveEdge
Advanced Studio : Housing and Settlement Spring 2013 Instructors: Aidan Ackerman and Berta Pantoja
Location: South Boston Innovation District, a quarter square mile of parking lot used for commercial operations. Goal: To introduce a mixed use community that would meet the needs of the thriving district in terms of housing, entertainment, and community resources, while working with natural systems at work on the ocean’s edge, such as storm surge and sea level rise. My concept used the seemingly opposing natural and manmade forces at play, allowing them to integrate in the site via waterways and a constructed hill neighborhood. This would provide for natural waterfront space in the community, as well as resilience to flooding events.
SketchUp site design georeferenced in Google Earth Ocean waves, storms, wind
People, economic drivers
(Above) Diagram of forces at work on site: natural forces in the form of the ocean and storms from the northeast, and forces of population and industry coming in from the southwest. It was this diagram that drove the shaping of my design for the site. (Below) Site plan.
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Programming diagrams
Housing created by design: Site size (including dune/ harbor 1,476,595 ft2 Total building footprint area: 977,500 ft2 Total floor area: 4,680,000 ft2
area):
(Right) Section showing waterfront dunes and inland hill with underground parking. (Below) Rendering of site using SketchUp and Photoshop
Commercial floor area: 882,500 ft2 @ 2,000 ft2 per unit = 440 commercial property units Residential area: 3,800,000 ft2 2BD: 1000 ft2 1,266 units @2.5 people = 3,165 people 1BD: 800 ft2 1,583 units @1.5 people = 2,375 people Studio: 600 ft2 1055 units @ 1person = 1,055 people Micro: 500 ft2 1,266 units @ 1person = 1,266 people 19
Professional Practice: Landscape Design Timothy Lee Landscape Design Site plan for Conservation Commission review meeting.
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As a consultant for Timothy Lee Landscape Design, I draft base plans, convert hand drawings and details to digital drawings, and produce construction documents and presentation materials for bid sets, permitting, conservation commission approval, and clients.
Private Residential Designs Summer, Fall 2014
Samples of site layouts, grading and drainage, and construction documents. Designs by Timothy Lee.
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Professional Practice: Land Escapes, Ecological Design/ Build
As a contractor and employee of Land Escapes, I created CAD and SketchUp drawings, and digital renderings for clients ranging from private property owners to commercial clients and schools based on the lead designer’s concepts. I assist in manual layout, construction, and planting of projects including containers and beds, patio construction, and porous pavement.
Constructing and completed recirculating waterfall. Designed by Trevor Smith, Land Escapes.
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Residential Design Winchester, MA Private Client Summer, Fall 2013
Design created for a private client for a patio and deck area, a permeable pavement driveway, new garden beds, and water and fire pit features. Design by Trevor Smith, lead designer of Land Escapes. I created the site plan drawings for the client.
Phase one of construction (Below): I assisted with demolition, layout, grading, tree transplants, and patio layout.
13 Myrtle Street, Winchester, MA Site Plan 1
Wooden Fence
Seating Wall
Patio Pavers
Sloped Garden Bed
Bluestone Walkway
Raised Garden Beds
Existing
House
Permeable pavers for parking area
Two fountain location options
Reconstructed deck with wide stairs Firepit
Relocated Memorial Dogwood and Vibernum
N
0
5’
10’
20’
Under construction
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Residential Design Concord, MA Private Client Summer 2013 I designed this SketchUp model and renderings for a client interested in adding retaining walls, plantings, and a patio to their newly constructed house. The design was done based on the lead designer’s concept.
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(Above): Existing conditions.
School Garden Design Needham, MA Public Client Fall 2013, ongoing
Design for an elementary educational school garden. The garden was designed by Trevor Smith of Land Escapes. I created plan drawings for school board and town engineer review, and a SketchUp model, including a fly through of the garden and renderings for PTO meetings.
(Below) Fly through video of school garden created in Sketchup for school presentation.
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Volunteer: Boston Cyclist Union
Arlington Street Cycletrack Rendering Boston, MA Summer 2012 Photoshop rendering for the Boston Cyclist Union (BCU) for public outreach to support for protected bike lanes in Boston. The president of the BCU, three years later, still carries an 8x11 version of this rendering with him everywhere he goes to aid in discussions about bike infrastructure. This rendering has been used in : • BCU annual meeting presentation by the President of the BCU (twice) • BCU year end mailing for fundraising • Facebook organization and event promotions for the BCU • Boston Magazine • BostInno • Commercial Property Executive • By the City of Boston
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Route 9 Cycletrack Rendering Brookline, MA Summer, Fall 2014 This image helped the BCU and and residents get the City of Brookline to reconsider a major road redesign to include cycletracks. As the article below says, “The Bike Union’s efforts to create a new vision for a protected bike lane (cycletrack) on Route 9 paid off big at a large public meeting in Brookline... Several presenters projected a cycletrack rendering created by Bike Union volunteer Jessi Flynn. Her rendering was based on a redesign of the street complete with cycletrack created by volunteer Mark Tedrow and board member Peter Furth, which was also referred to. It became clear over the course of the evening that their design was a powerful tool that helped gather support for the cycletrack among Brookline residents.”
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JESSI FLYNN
EDUCATION
2 CLINTON STREET #37 • CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 PHONE 774.277.0566 • E-MAIL FLYNN.JESSI@GMAIL.COM
Master of Landscape Architecture 2015 Boston Architectural College • Boston Society of Landscape Architects Scholarship Award Recipient, 2014 Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Journalism 2000 Ohio Wesleyan University
Boston, MA
Delaware, OH
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Landscape Design Consultant 2013, June - Present Independently Employed Cambridge, MA • Timothy Lee Landscape Design, Lexington, MA; Produce residential plans, construction documents, and image boards for clients, contractors, and permitting: June 2014 - present • Toole Design Group, Boston, MA; Produced graphics for urban multi-modal design guide manual: December 2014 • Land Escapes, Arlington, MA; Created plans and renderings for clients and contractors; assisted with design and construction of residential plantings and hardscapes: project based, June 2013 – August 2014 Teaching Assistant 2014, August - 2015, May Boston Architectural College • Tutored undergraduate and graduate students in Grading and Drainage classes • Taught and led discussions for undergraduate and graduate Ecological Systems classes Forester 2011, June - 2013, March Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation • Responsible for regulatory compliance, creating GIS maps, survey teams and progression • Conducted surveys of all trees within 10 square miles for signs of Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation • Educated residents of invasive species prevention and detection
Regional Recruiter 2007, August – 2011, May Peace Corps • Top recruiter in the United States for number of qualified applicants • Organized and led campus, community, and diversity recruitment campaigns throughout New England • Worked with 550 Peace Corps applicants through the application process and candidate assessment 28
Boston, MA
Boston, MA
Boston, MA
Program Relations Officer / Conservation Program Officer 2005, April – 2007, August Earthwatch Institute Maynard, MA • Created communications strategy for organization’s scientific mission, goals, and outcomes • Wrote multimedia press releases, annual reports, grant requests, and weekly newsletters • Formed internal reporting structure to gather and disseminate outcomes • Designed and implemented program evaluations for $5 million global projects • Managed internal and external communications, field based staff support, and accounting of $500,000 annually for research centers in Belize, Brazil, Australia, Kenya, and the United States • Supported start up of research center in Belize, including partnership building, workshops, logistics, and priority setting Regional Coordinator & Volunteer 2001, January – 2004, May Peace Corps Ngäbe/Buglé Reservation, Panama • Pioneered Regional Coordination program to provide volunteer, office, and agency support • Drafted and negotiated signing of government-to-government agreement between Peace Corps and the tribal government • Coordinated activities of 40 Peace Corps volunteers with 30 partners, including tribal governments, national agencies, and national and international NGOs • Trained 55 Peace Corps volunteers in cultural sensitivity and cross-cultural work environments • Wrote regional cultural handbook and Ngäbere language manual with a three-member team • Received the Outstanding Service Award for Pioneering the Regional Leader Program in March 2004 • Provided technical assistance for a World Bank native species watershed reforestation project • Designed and built sustainable, appropriate technology for buildings, water, agricultural, and waste systems • Trained more than 40 community members in project design and management, and farm planning • Wrote grant requests and led national horticultural and public health workshops in cooperation with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) • Launched a community based eco- and ethno-tourism project resulting in alternative income generation and community funds
CERTIFICATIONS & QUALIFICATIONS • • • •
Massachusetts Certified Horticulturalist, 8/2015 Massachusetts Certified Arborist #2472, 10/2012 Massachusetts Pesticide License #40063, 2/2011 Proficient in: Adobe Photoshop GIS Adobe Illustrator SketchUp Adobe InDesign AutoCAD 2D & 3D
• Environmental Leadership Program, 1/2009 - 12/2009 • US Forest Service Environmental Impact Assessment Training, 2002 • Volunteer for the Boston Cyclist Union producing graphics for public outreach and assisting with events since August 2012 • Member of the Boston Architectural College Alumni Board since July 2015 • Fluent in English and Spanish
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Sketching
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