Jake Tiernan
Portfolio 2020
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“Conservation of land and conservation of people frequently go hand in hand.”
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Personal Statement
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jm.tiernan57@gmail.com
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-Eleanor Roosevelt
We live in a post-wild world, shaped by rapid urbanization and constant land-use. As much of the western world shifted from dense cities to urban agglomerations over the last century, historic habitat patterns of wildlife have shifted as well. As we grow accustomed to urbanization, so too does wildlife. It is our role as landscape architects to mitigate this relationship . This does not mean bringing nature back into cities or agricultural lands. Instead, we must accept that nature has adapted to our communities and our communities must adapt as well. It is at this critical juncture where we, as landscape architects, will find a new role--not only designing beautiful places for people to live and interact, but also designing for wildlife as well.
(267) 884 3367 1
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Content
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Darley Park, Baltimore, MD.
yote - Cani s Co l a tra rn ste
Urban Ecology
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Agricultural Ecology Bellefonte, PA.
Travel Copenhagen, DK.
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Baltimore, Maryland
State College, PA.
1. Darley Park
Suburban Ecology
Top predators are vital in any ecosystems. Urban ecosystems, however, can not sustain the average top predator, so the Eastern Coyote fills that role. Darley Park, located in North-Eastern Baltimore, is a low income, predominately black neighborhood. Currently the community is dealing with a high vacant housing rate and lack of street trees and, in turn, a serious rodent problem. In order to remedy this, I proposed creating a series of outdoor classrooms, on an existing vacant lot. These classrooms will double as habitat for small birds and mammals, drawing them out of homes. Furthermore, the lot and road along it, Clough Street, will take advantage of and amplify the ecologies of the nearby railroad, which itself acts as a key habitat corridor for mammal, bird, and pollinator species.
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Habitat Diagrams Rodent Complaints in the City of Baltimore
Railroad as Habitat Corridor Habitat Study of a Darley Park Railroad Sun Vectors (Coldest Days of the Year)
Zone 3: Rail Bed
Zone 2: Flat, Open Area
2-4% Slope
2-5% Slope
Zone 1: Rail Bank
Zone 4: Wet Ditch
5-12% Slope
0-2% Slope
Vacant homes are attractive to rodents, and other small mammals, as habitat patches due to regulated temperatures and readily available food sources. During the winter, the sun does not heat the outside of buildings well. By testing average indoor temperature against average (coldest) temperatures, it is shown that vacant homes are up to 50 degrees warmer than outdoor temperatures. Gravel composite rail bed. Wicks water to either side.
Sun Vectors (Hottest Days of the Year) Zone 1: Birds of Prey Use
Zone 1: Mammal Use
Wet, acidic pH becomes soils. more basic.
Zone 2: Mammal Use
Zone 3: Pollinator Use
Most Rodent Complaints
Most Complaints
Least Complaints Least Rodent Complaints Railroads Railroads Vacant Houses Vacant Houses
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Rodent complaints were geo-coded for use as a proxy of actual rodent location. This was done to see which features, such as railroads and vacant homes, rodents, and potentially other mammals, congregate around.
Similarly, temperatures in vacant homes are, on average, 20 degrees cooler than outside temperatures. Rodents, and other small mammals, then hide indoors to avoid heat exhaustion and, eventually, heat death. It was then identified that street trees were essential as temperature regulating agents.
Produced with ArcGIS Pro.
Produced with Grasshopper for Rhino and Illustrator.
Riparian Zones Zones Riparian
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Birds of prey, such as hawks, are perch hunters. Here they use trees as a vantage point, diving on prey in the opening below.
Produced with Rhino and Photoshop.
Rail banks offer the most vegetative cover in the form of scraggly shrubs and small trees. Mammals hide and forage here.
Mammals such as deer travel along the open parts of railroads as they have a clear line of vision all around. Predators such as coyotes hunt here for the same reason.
Many bee species nest along the flat areas of railroad tracks despite the regular vibration and wind from trains. They also have no issue pollinating the many invasive flowers along the tracks.
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Master Plan
Site Interventions Produced with Rhino, VRAY, and Photoshop
Clou
Playroom
Science Room
Art Room
Clough Street Rail Trail
gh St
A
reet
Play Room
Scien
ce Ro
om Art Room
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A Clough Street Vacant Building
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Art Room
Science Room
Play Room
Clough Street Auto Shop
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Gold en
Master Plan
ng
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arbler -Vermiv -W ora ed
Produced with hand drawing. Bald Eagle Ridge
Golden-Winged Warbler is currently facing a crisis due to its need for medium-to-large swatches of uninterrupted habitat. In spite of this, it is largely un-bothered by human activity. As such, a unique opportunity presented itself in the form of a former trailer park in State College, Pennsylvania.
Scotia Barrens
Mt. Nittnay
A Patch and Edge Ecology
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era opt
State College, Pennsylvania
Tussey Ridge
85ft. - Edge Species Only 165ft. - Edge Species, Some Interior 245ft. - Interior Suitable Habitat
Patches Patches Refugia Patch Barriers
2. Scotia Place
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The trailer park was slated for re-development into a series of cost-effective, single family town houses. With this in mind, it was then identified that the new, central space would be ideal to act as a nature play space for the community. The purpose would be two-fold; to integrate children with their native ecologies, as well as referencing the native vegetation of the nearby Scotia barrens. In doing so, children would gain a new space to learn and play, and key pollinator and bird species, such as the Golden-Winged Warbler, would gain a new home.
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Scotia Barrens is the nearest point of refugia, or uninterrupted habitat. It is, however, surrounded by large amounts of urban space that many species cannot cross. It becomes increasingly important, then, to use sites such as ours to establish patches which animals can use to commute between major points of habitat.
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Everything was rendered in the style of Disney’s The Iron Giant, as the site was designed for children, and should therefore be presented in a graphic language they would understand and appreciate.
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The Bird Watcher: A Master of His Craft
Boy Meets World, Boy Meets Butterfly
Key Bird Species
Vermivora chrysoptera Golden-Winged Warbler
Pollinator Friendly Plantings
Ceanothus americanus New Jersey Tea
Produced with hand drawing.
Ammodramus savannarum Grasshopper Sparrow
Bonasa umbellus Ruffed Grouse
Cistothorous platensis Sedge Wren
Columba livia Rock Dove
Setophaga americana Northern Parula
Setophaga ruticilla American Redstart
Community Center
Vernal Pool Educational Bridge
Buteo jamaicensis Red Tailed Hawk
Scolopax minor American Woodcock
Associated Pollinators Gaylussacia baccata Black Huckleberry Photinia melanocarpa Black Chokeberry
Celastrina argiolus Spring Azure
Celastrina neglecta Summer Azure
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Erynnis martialis Molted Duskywing 11
Residential Area
Raised Walk
Produced with hand drawing.
Central Paths
Raised Walk
Residential Area
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B1
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Entry to the Site
Go ld
gle Ea en
Aquil a c h r ys
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
os et
3. Buffalo Run Brewery
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Golden Eagle, along with many other migratory bird species, once used the historic Xeric meadows in Centre County as key habitat on their journey. However, in the face of urbanization, more and more of this early successional, grass land habitat has been lost. Farms then play a critical role in filling the gap. Many of Centre County’s farms back-up to untouched ridges, such as the site on Buffalo Run Road. By leaning into Centre County’s existing agro-tourism industry and craft beer production, I propose to create a new micro-brewing site that grows all of its ingredients on site, while also providing key habitat through sylvo-pasture and agro-forestry. People will not only get to enjoy the many native beers and wines of Centre County, but the native ecologies as well.
Produced with Rhino, VRAY, and Photoshop.
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Maps and Analysis
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Alluvium, All Areas Are
Alluvium, All Areas Are Prime Farmland Prime Farmland Alluvium, Farmland of Statewide Importance
Alluvium, Farmland of Statewide Importance Colluvium, All Areas
Forest
Forest
1 - Most Suitable
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Agricultural Land
Agricultural Land
Most Suitable
AreAreas Prime Farmland w, All Are Prime Farmland Colluvium, Farmland of
Statewide Importance Colluvium, Farmland of Statewide Importance Residuum, All Areas Are Prime Farmland
Residuum, All Areas Are Prime Farmland Residuum, Farmland of
Statewide Importance Residuum, Farmland of Statewide Importance Non-Tillable Land
Non-Tillable Land
Due to rapid urbanization and development farmland within the Spring Creek Watershed is at risk. Several conservation easements exist that help farmers to keep their land in agricultural production. This helps to preserve the rural aesthetic of the region as well as keep the prime agricultural soil protected from development.
Clearwater Conservancy Protected Land
Clearwater Conservancy Protected Land
Moderately
2 Suitable 2 - Suitable
PACE Protected Agriculture Land
PACE Protected Agriculture Land
PACE/FRPP Protected Agriculture Land
PACE/FRPP Protected Agriculture Land
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Least Suitable
3 - Least Suitable
Due to rapid urbanization and development farmland within the Spring Creek Watershed is at risk. Several conservation easements exist that help farmers to keep their land in agricultural production. This helps to preserve the rural aesthetic of the region as well as keep the prime agricultural soil protected from development. 15
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In order to preserve agriculturally important soil and minimize agriculture’s ecologic impact,w I proposed agro-forestry and sylvo-pasture as possible solutions. Identifying two grassland plant communities that worked with agricultural production of existing agricultural staples as well as a new one, barley, I stacked several GIS layers to find suitable locations for a new farming operation.
1 - Most Suitable
3
Most Suitable
Moderately
2 Suitable 2 - Suitable
1
Least Suitable
3 - Least Suitable
In order to preserve agriculturally important soil and minimize agriculture’s ecologic impact I proposed agro-forestry and sylvo-pasture as possible solutions. Identifying two forest plant communities that worked with agricultural production of existing agricultural staples as well as a new ones, grapes and apples, I stacked several GIS layers to find suitable locations for a new farming operation.
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Master Axon
Sections
Agricultural Products
Site 1 was selected due to its proximity to conserved forest land on Bald Eagle Ridge. The grassland plant communities act as key patches for migratory birds to reach habitat within Bald Eagle Ridge.
Grasslands
Recreation
Dairy
Beer
Mesic Meadow
Oak Savanna
1% - 10% Slope
10% - 15% Slope
Tulip, Beech, Maple Forest
Mesic Forest
15% - 20% Slope
20% + Slope
Forests
Me
sic
Fo
Tu M lip, B ap e le ec Fo h, re st
res
t
Oa Sa k va nn
TB a Fo M re st
Dairy
Wool
Cider
Wine
A1
Me
sic
Me
ad
ow
So
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cia
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Agricultural Products
Loading Area
Cider
Wine
Produced with Rhino, VRAY, and Photoshop.
Beer
Recreation
Dairy
Dairy
Wool 17
Brewery
Dining Area Agro-tourism Cabins
Produced with Rhino, VRAY, and Photoshop.
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Da attle - Bo ed C s tau hR r nis
Amager Wetlands, Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark
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4. Travel
I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark the summer after my sophomore year to study sustainable, healthy communities. When I was there, I was captivated by the cities seamless integration of their native ecologies with public space. A constructed wetland built on the edge of the city acted as its “green lung”; providing people a space to exercise, as well as interact with a rotating group of Danish Red Cattle, which were used in place of mowers. People could not, however, swim in these wetlands due to their importance as migratory bird habitat. Instead, they were treated to a number of “sea baths” around the city that were almost always in-use, despite the fact that I was there in May.
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Kastrup Sea Bath, Copenhagen, Denmark
Thank you. 21