JOSHUA ROBBINS landscape architecture clemson university undergraduate portfolio 2009-2014
ABOUT ME... My name is Joshua Robbins. As a child, I was very active. I would stay outdoors involving myself in sports and other activities; just about anything that would get me dirty. As I grew older, camping and fishing became my hobbies. Landscape Architecture was a career choice diven by the love of nature and the outdoor environment. While studying at Clemson University, I was allowed many chances to travel. I visited California, Charleston, and Europe during my studies. Travelling opened my eyes to see outside my comfort zone, to witness how others live and act with one another. My aspiration as a Landscape Architect is to enhance our everyday lives with friendlier interactions with each other as well as to grow our respect for nature.
JOSHUA ROBBINS clemson university bachelors of landscape architecture 2014 joshualrobbins@gmail.com c: 803.528.3847
Thank you for setting aside time to look through my portfolio. Inside you will find projects that were completed during my studies for a Landscape Architecture degree.
Here is a link you may scan to view my resume:
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table of CONTENTS
[1]
recreational CORRIDOR........................................................................................5 Community Design
[2]
fluid CHANNELING..............................................................................................11 Off-campus Studies*
[3]
changing SCALES..................................................................................................21 Exit Studio Project*
[4]
construction DRAWINGS.......................................................................................37 Allen Sudbury Project
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* _ group project
recreational CORRIDOR
Professor David Pearson - Fall 2012 - Greenville, South Carolina
This community design project is located in Greenville, South Carolina. The site spans 180 acres, and is within walking distance to Falls park, Greenville’s Performing Art Peace Center, and Main Street. It is also adjacent to two separate residential areas. Several issues impact this site that must be addressed in the concept and design of the site. The surrounding neighborhoods, which differ economically with income, affect the use of the site. Contaminated water drains into the Reedy River on site, and the river’s floodplain extends throughout most of the site. With little riparian activity, remediating and restoring the river is vital. Any design and development will have to focus on not affecting the ecology, but to regenerate it. Filtering the water with native plants proved sustainable and beneficial to the environment. My goals for this project were to provide versatile circulation for active users, because Greenville’s downtown is in close proximity. I also wished to introduce recreational and passive activities for those coming down Swamp Rabbit Trail, as well as for the inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhoods and visitors. Enhancing the site and environment will allow friendly interactions between residential families and visitors. The Reedy River and existing wetlands will be rehabilitated to better the environment. To promote sustainability, the re-use of existing structures was also implemented. V
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program & land USE
vegetation skate bowl tennis court basketball skate snake run baseball soccer fields rock climbing/ ice skating children’s playground entrance plaza wetlands
pedestrian vehicular
circulation
river wetlands floodplain 100yr floodplain 500yr floodplain
floodplains
master PLAN
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flood plain PROGRESSION
average river height
precedent IMAGES
Wetland is preserved and accented upon. A boarded walkway intersects to provide aesthetic views, as well as to allow educational opportunities for the environment
floodway
5 year floodplain
Existing building structure is to be re-used and re-fitted for activities This will allow for less demolition during construction
10 year floodplain
Section A-1 Section A-2
laser cut model
Aerial render
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fluid CHANNELING*
Professor Toni Montes - Spring 2013 - Barcelona, Spain
This studio was held in my fourth semester at Clemson while abroad in Barcelona, Spain. Completed as a multi-disciplinary studio, this project focused on both architecture and landscape architecture elements with the objective to create a market space. The proposed site is located next to Barcelona’s port, and will be open to the public. When approaching this project, my partner and I agreed that visibility and circulation were our main design goals. We wished to enhance the view to the port whilst not infringing on the flow of pedestrian traffic, but also to create a space that welcomes you to enjoy the local atmosphere.
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channeling VIEWS
street view
street view analysis
creating views
The analysis was established from tracking the flow of circulation on site, which was converted into lines that overlaid each other. This allowed us to see which paths were used most frequently, as well as identifying potential areas for market space and views. A temporary market was proposed, so that during certain hours of the week vendors could come and sell their goods. Benches were designed to accommodate for people to stand at or sit on. During non-market hours, the site would serve as an open space that allowed faster traffic to flow through autonomously with use.
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Circulation Paths _Pre-Extension
Circulation Paths
Buffer Zones _Pre-Extension
Buffer Zones
Marketspace - “Islands” _Pre-Extension
Marketspace - “Islands”
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Diagram of Captured Views pl
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view of skyline
of view
operational DIAGRAMS
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Circulation Paths
“Islands”
viewing market CLOSED
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master PLAN
0
30’
60’
120’
Section A-1
Aerial of site
Section A-2
Section A-3
Sidewalk
Road
Granite Curb
Concrete Paver
Dock-wood
Sand
Concrete Paver
Grass Buffer
Concrete Paver
Dock-wood
Sand
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master plan ILLUSTRATION
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changing SCALES
Professor Paul Russell - Spring 2014 - Clemson, South Carolina
Changing scales was my last project at Clemson. Instead of doing projects based on individuals choosing, our landscape architecture class teamed up and decided to do design-build project alongside several architects and graduate architects. We worked in the beginning of the semester with research and analysis, with the later part of the semester working on the construction of our design. Our site would be the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, where in the previous year on July 13, 2013 major flood damage had occurred and was in major need of repair. During that entire month rain fell on-site virtually every day. It was estimated that on the day of the flood over 100 million gallons of water rushed past Hunt Cabin past the garden’s Duck Pond. We worked together to build eight new bridges, signage, and on-site maps for visitors to the Botanical Garden. An awareness piece was also installed at the epicenter of the flood’s initial starting point. To see a more detailed and descriptive account of the work done visit, All work shown was created by myself and my partner, Nicholas Allport.
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savannah river WATERSHED
So to begin our analysis, we determined to begin our study with the water basins and watersheds that affect our site. We set our largest scale to work within as the Savannah River Water basin, followed by the Seneca subbasin, Clemson watershed, and ending with the smaller sub-watersheds that affect our SCBG.
Eastern Divide
Gulf of Mexico
NC
SC
GA
Atlantic Ocean
To better understand the results that occurred on July 13, 2013 and to take appropriate steps to a productive future for the Botanical Gardens, our team decided to broaden the scale of our research. This would allow us to see what factors affect our site, as well as to understand our site in a smaller scale.
population DISTRIBUTION
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regional flood DAMAGE When assessing the storm from July 13, 2013 in the Savannah River water basin, we wanted to determine thedamage recorded as well as the amount of people affected from the storm. Clemson was not alone in experiencing a heavy amount of rain that month: there was 28/31 accounted days of rain. The flood that occurred had the most effect on Clemson area because it contained the most sensitive material to be damage.
energy CREATION
As we shifted our focus to the smaller scale of the Tugaloo-Seneca sub-basin, we researched the history of how water has flown through the area. Our research found that Lake Hartwell next to Clemson’s campus wasconstructed in 1962. 560 bridges and 56,000 acres were gained, yet 75,000 acres were submerged by Lake Hartwell.
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tugaloo/seneca watershed LAND USE
lake hartwell DAMS AND LEVEES
When Lake Hartwell was introduced to the Tugaloo-Seneca sub-basin, Clemson was faced with an opportunity. If they could dam Lake Hartwell, they would not only avoid losing 494 acres but also create an energy source. The President of Clemson was able to provide 486,000 mVh of energy from the creation of the dam. This diagram shows what parts of campus we would not have if the levees were not there. What remains of the lake in Clemson’s campus is Hunnicutt Creek, which plays a large role in the flood of July 13, 2014.
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kite hill COMPACTION
Kite Hill has been used as a parking lot during football games for many years. Due to so many fans driving in to participate on game day, many are forced to park wherever space is available. When cars park on the grass, compaction occurs, which hardens the soil and it becomes brittle. Rough estimations put 7,500 cars on kite hill for a home football game. At 2 people per car, 15,000 people, would account for 18% of the stadiums seating.
flood water DAMAGE
As the water flowed off at Kite Hill and down through the gardens, its power began to take a toll. First, it overflowed the dam, then destroyed and collected vegetative material, in turn ripping up bridges and trails.
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SCBG duck pond HUNNICUTT CREEK SECTION-ELEVATION
While the duck pond was not the catalyst for the flood, it was the beginning point of the damage that occurred on the heritage trail in the garden. The amount of water that dumped into it from Kite Hill was substantial enough to overflow the dam and the discharge tube. The flood nearly damaged the Hunt Cabin, and wiped out all but two of the bridges and thousands of plants.
walker golf course HUNNICUTT CREEK SECTION-ELEVATION
The 787 year flood brought sand deposits from the South Carolina Botanical Garden onto the insized banks. This illustration shows how fertilizers and herbicides used on the golf course were able to travel via runoff into the creek due to fast moving water.
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bring AWARENESS
Our analysis of the watershed that we live and study in, from the Savannah River Water basin to the Hunnicutt Creek Watershed, has led us to the conclusion that the watershed awareness level needs to rise across the spectrum. Specifically, how land use and land management practices impact Clemson University and the sensitive natural areas of the South Carolina Botanical Garden.
marker down to the roads that they respectively intersected, the northeast ridge line ending on Highway 76 and the southern ridge line ending on perimeter.
The one semipermanent object in the installation is the marker, which was cemented in the ground. In a symbolic gesture aggregate from the trail that was damaged in the flood and water from Hunnicutt creek that did that We chose to focus our awareness area damage were used in the cement onto the sub water shed of Kite Hill mixture. that contributed to the SCBG’s Heritage Trail. The piece is meant to subtly The short term flag installation was raise the awareness of how much area to intrigue and arouse viewers into contributes to the SCBG’s and that following the ridge line to the marker. specific area’s management practices After the flags are gone the marker is contribute. meant to be discovered during football games and random discoveries. Due to lack of materials, time, and permission from Clemson University we had to limit the size and lifespan of our installation. The goal was to delineate the sub-watershed by defining the ridge line and placing a marker at the pinnacle. The marker will display the elevation, the latitude and longitude, compass bearings, and a statement about the Heritage Trail. For ease of placement and recovery and the resulting low lifespan we chose to mark the ridge lines with the landscape flags. These flags were placed every foot from the edge of the
design PROCESS
We began looking at both cement and steel markers and basic information. We decided on steel, for detailing purposes. Manufacturing complications became an issue and we were not able to fabricate the material we desired, however we did come up with a manageable design with a graphic sticker and steel.
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construction and installation PROCESS So to begin our analysis, we determined to begin our study with the water basins and watersheds that affect our site. We set our largest scale to work within as the Savannah River Water basin, followed by the Seneca sub-basin, Clemson watershed, and ending with the smaller sub-watersheds that affect our SCBG.
installation PHOTOS
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construction DOCUMENTS Professor Paul Russell - Fall 2011
Allen Sudbury Park is a fictional park created for the sole purpose of a technical design implementation.The base plane was created by my professor, Paul Russell, and was used to increase our knowledge and understanding of AutoCAD, construction details, grading, and sheet sets. The base plan consists of 56 parking spaces, 3 ADA handicap accessible spaces graded to 1:12 slope. Thebuildings are set back 40’ from the side and back of property line, and 60’ from the front. Grading allows for storm water to drain evenly throughout the site.
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Dear Viewer, Thank you for taking the time to enjoy my portfolio. This is but a small sample of the work I have completed as a student of landscape architecture and design. I graduated this past May, and since then have been working full time while trying to complete my portfolio. Please feel free to contact me at any time, and thank you again for viewing! Sincerely,
JOSHUA robbins
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