CULTIVATING NATURE_A PORTFOLIO OF WORKS JAMES RYAN HUNT
Cultivating Nature is a portfolio showcasing work completed over four and a half years following the landscape architecture curriculum at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. The projects exhibited in this book represent my undergraduate work ranging from residential to regional planning scales. The projects were also chosen to exemplify my versatility in illustative media typology. The concept of cultivating nature is found by considering nature as relative to its context. In these projects, my goal was to design spaces that function cohesively with their surroundings. James Ryan Hunt Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Clemson University
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CULTIVATING NATURE_A PORTFOLIO OF WORKS JAMES RYAN HUNT 01
Accelerating Decay: Reversing Industrial Processes Greenville, South Carolina
02
Clemson Downs Retirement Community Clemson, South Carolina
03
Silos on South Compact Community Charlotte, North Carolina
04
Seneca Central Park and Plaza Seneca, South Carolina
05
York and Lancaster Recreational Network York and Lancaster Counties, South Carolina
06
Piazza di Sarzano Revitalization Genoa, Italy
07
Burns Residence Planting Plan Sunset, South Carolina
08
Internship Construction Documents Greenville, South Carolina
09
Graphic Representations Architectural Drawing
10
Sketching Europe Study Abroad
2011
2009
2010
2008
2009
2011
2010
2010
2010
2011
01
ACCELERATING DECAY: REVERSING INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA
2011
The Union Bleachery site was once the center for the surrounding communities during its operation. Due to degradation and bankruptcy of the current land owner, the site has been condemned by the EPA as a contaminated brownfield site. Although the majority of the bleachery building has been destroyed by fire, much of the existing infrastructure still remains. Because of the health risks associated with the site and its proximity to the Reedy River and Swamp Rabbit Trail, a remediation and reuse plan has been developed to allow it to be used again as a center of community interaction. The plan follows the concept of Accelerating Decay, an idea formulated to reverse the damage done by the industrial process of the bleachery. The design encompasses a unique aggregate of remedial processes and human interaction with post-industrial remnants. The process of remediation is also part of the design. Manipulated topography will channel stormwater into constructed wetlands that will harvest, retain, and filter the water. Vegetation will also be used to cleanse the soil by phytoremediation and the stormwater by infiltration.
Master Plan
PHASING
Removal of unrecoverable contaminants by excavation, capping, incineration, and relocation.
Above: A context map shows the site’s proximity upstream of downtown Greenville and Falls Park on the Reedy River. It also shows its location relative to the other textile mills surrounding the city.
ACCELERATING DECAY
Manipulation of topography to create diversity in spaces and to collect stormwater for retention, filtration, and absorption.
DESIGN
Existing
Remediation of contaminated remnants by phytoremediation, microbial introduction, and natural filtration processes.
Proposed
Decayed
01 CULTIVATING NATURE_A PORTFOLIO OF WORKS
Reuse of site by allowing it to mature and conduct natural processes while introducing human interactive and recreational processes.
JAMES RYAN HUNT
DESIGN SYSTEMS
VEGETATIVE COMPOSITION
PROPOSED CIRCULATION
CAPPED SOIL LANDFORMS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
ACCELERATING DECAY: REVERSING INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
Above: A constructed forest provides ecological program of remediating contaminated soil as well as human program of a unique, interpretive, shaded gathering area. Right: A perspective diagram showing the wetland and it’s system of stormwater retention and purification.
01 INFILTRATION CULTIVATING NATURE_A PORTFOLIO OF WORKS
POLLUTANT PRECIPITATION
JAMES RYAN HUNT
Right: A perspective showing the proposed textile heritage walk that interprets existing infrastructure as sculptural artifact and educates on the bleachery’s past industrial processes.
CONTAMINATED SOIL CAP STORMWATER FILTRATION
WETLAND SYSTEM
ACCELERATING DECAY: REVERSING INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
02
CLEMSON DOWNS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA 2009
The retirement community of Clemson Downs while successful at housing its residents, lacks the type of environment that stimulates community among residents and a more active lifestyle. The entire neighborhood was divided among the studio, and a large, open, and central space became the site I focused on designing. Because of the site’s central location within the neighborhood and its location between single-family homes and multi-family apartments, the site was programmed to be the central hub of the community in terms of pathway connection, communal space, and outdoor activity. With public input from the community, the design offers space for an already-proposed additional apartment building, open green spaces for a variety of activities, multiple loops of pathways offering ample safe connections throughout the neighborhood, several meeting points, a network of outdoor exercise equipment, such as ellipticals, offering active recreation, more intimate spaces for passive recreation such as bird watching, a playground for visiting grandchildren, and a putting green offering practice for golfers.
Master Plan
Top Left: Points of interest and amenities Top Right: Walkability hierarchy and entrances Bottom Left: Site connectivity Bottom Right: Exercise loops
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Top: Outdoor exercise equipment Bottom: Existing Community Vegetation Map
CLEMSON DOWNS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
03
SILOS ON SOUTH COMPACT COMMUNITY
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 2010
As urban areas continue to grow, it is important to encourage and design for compact growth. Charlotte, North Carolina has been able to begin building these compact communities along the southern gateway into the uptown district of the city. These communities are placed along an existing and successful lightrail system and are called transit-oriented developments (TODs). Given a site of just over 8.5 acres, a compact community is designed with an emphasis on hybridity of space typology. Designing for mixes of proposed use can make the development denser and offer a more thriving and engaging atmosphere for all users of the site. The design offers nine new buildings over four stories tall, 325 new residential units, 26,000 square feet of office space, 42,000 square feet of commercial space, 350 parking spots in an underground garage, and a public park utilizing the existing silos on-site to offer various aspects of human programming for its users such as the back drop for movie screens for movie nights in the park as well as simply serving as a landmark that gives this new compact community identity within Charlotte.
Master Plan
Northwest-to-southeast section showing the relationship of building and space and development to lightrail line.
Southwest-to-northeast section showing the relationship of building, streetscape axis and business park and garage.
Perspective showing small transit plaza, larger sheltered public space and central streetscape through the site.
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Perspective showing the proximity of the lightrail to commercial storefronts and silo park.
Perspective showing the secondary streetscape that borders residential units and semi-private greenspace.
SILOS ON SOUTH COMPACT COMMUNITY
04
SENECA CENTRAL PARK AND PLAZA
SENECA, SOUTH CAROLINA 2008
In an effort to create a corridor connecting the business and commercial downtown area of Seneca to its residential areas, the design for a Seneca park and plaza offers many different programmatic elements for its users. Whether on a lunch break, or just spending the day downtown, the design provides a space to enjoy downtown Seneca. As the corridor represents a transition between central business district and residential communities, the design proposed a transition in both program and form. Towards the downtown area, the program is more catered to people coming to take a break and relax from downtown activities. The main elements are seating for such relaxation, large trees to provide shading, and a large water wall to spark visual interest and to screen noise from downtown traffic. On the residential side of the site, the space has been programmed as a park offering a large field for various active recreational pastimes, a playground for younger children to play, smaller more intimate spaces for more passive recreation, and an amphitheater to provide seating and space for future downtown concerts and other events.
Master Plan
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JAMES RYAN HUNT
Left: Perspective of central plaza Top Right: North-to-south section of central plaza Right: Perspective of community amphitheater Bottom: North-to-south section of entire site
SENECA CENTRAL PARK AND PLAZA
05
YORK AND LANCASTER RECREATIONAL NETWORK
YORK AND LANCASTER COUNTIES, SOUTH CAROLINA 2009
The York and Lancaster Recreational Network was a group planning project including myself and two other members. We based the design of the network on the use of GIS data to gather the most suitable areas for recreational opportunity. We defined recreation by distinguishing four different types of recreation: environmentally-active, environmentally-passive, culturally-active, and culturally-passive. Environmentallyengaged recreation would be considered taking part in more environmentally focused pastimes that would take place outdoors. Environmentally active recreation could include mountain biking and hiking while environmentally passive recreation could include fishing and bird watching. Culturally-engaged recreation would be considered taking part in more culturally focused pastimes that could take place in more urban areas. Culturally active recreation could include shopping while culturally passive recreation could include dining. In the group, I was responsible for helping run the suitability analyses, creating conceptual sections, and creating final boards. I did not render the final plan.
Top Left: Suitability for cultural-active recreation Left: Suitability for cultural-passive recreation Top Right: Suitability for environmental-active recreation Right: Suitability for environmental-passive recreation
Network Plan
Section of Lake Wylie Esplanade offering variety of interation and engagement with water.
Section of urban areas offering cuiltural recreational opportunities.
Section of Discovery Drive offering multi-modal scenic corridors.
05 CULTIVATING NATURE_A PORTFOLIO OF WORKS
JAMES RYAN HUNT
Section of Western York Eco-trail offering mountain biking and passive pedestrian pathways.
Section of The Edge Active Park providing infrastructure for many different kinds of active recreational opportunity.
Section of Catawba Wildlife Park offering environmental-passive recreation such as wildlife observation.
YORK AND LANCASTER RECREATIONAL NETWORK
06
PIAZZA DI SARZANO REVITALIZATION
GENOA, ITALY 2011
The revitalization of Piazza di Sarzano was the project proposed for a studio abroad in Genoa, Italy in the spring of 2011. The goal was to unify a currently disconnected linear piazza. First, the entire piazza was made exclusively pedestrian. Then the concept was derived from four systems of order. A repetition of paving strips creates continuity throughout the space. A sequence of benches creates a more abstract order that reads throughout the space. A grid is used to place ambient lighting posts at the intersections that create an interesting atmosphere. Finally a system of unity is created by manipulating topography to create interesting landform that reads throughout all of the vegetative areas Certain programmatic elements were also considered such as creating an outlook bridge that captures views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Porto Antico that have been lost since the development surrounding the piazza. Within the site, existing infrastructure such as an existing subway stop and historic well was preserved and accentuated. Creating communal spaces for a nearby university and a church on-site was important.
Concept
REPETITION
SEQUENCE
INTERSECTION
UNITY
Section
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JAMES RYAN HUNT
Master Plan
PIAZZA DI SARZANO REVITALIZATION
07
BURNS RESIDENCE PLANTING PLAN
SUNSET, SOUTH CAROLINA 2010
This was a residential design project that was for a problems in the landscape course in the spring of 2010. It was a group project for which I was responsible for designing and rendering the master plan. Although the focus was mainly on the plant material, some programmatic elements were also implemented in the design. Some aspects included were a fire pit, a small lawn area, and a rain garden. Because this home is on Lake Keowee, but is in more of an Appalachian climate zone, the plant material and form was less formal and manicured. Some already existing elements to the site were the newly constructed home, the driveway, the retaining walls, the pool, patios, outdoor structure, and dock. The use of plant material was imperative to create an inviting space and a more complex design while using mainly native vegetation. Some of the trees used include serviceberry, deodar cedar, eastern redbud, eastern dogwood, Arizona cypress, sour gum, white pine, emerald arborvitae, and chaste tree. Some shrubs and grasses used include cast iron plant, beautyberry, prostrate plum yew, red twig dogwood, and switchgrass.
Master Plan
08
RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
GRAHAM KIMAK LANDSCAPE DESIGNS INTERNSHIP 2010
In the summer of 2010, I was fortunate enough to intern with Graham Kimak, a landscape designer, and Clemson graduate. Kimak is owns a design-build firm in which he designs all of his plans and subcontracts the installation while managing the construction process. In this internship, I improved hand graphics by drafting all of his master plans and compiling sheet sets with their respective construction details and completing plant lists. I went to meetings with Graham and developed an understanding of the designer-client relationship. I worked with him to measure our sites and then would come back to the office and draw the base plans. I also got to see designs from my plan drawing to completion on-site. Although I did not complete any of the designs, I did get an introduction into how residential landscape architecture works as a process from initial site visit to final construction. I also got a better understanding of how construction documents really work, how details and plant lists relate back to the plan. Overall, the internship was well worth the experience as Graham hired me on for the fall before travelling abroad.
Master Plan
Residential landscape master plan Typical Plant List
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Residential landscape master plan
RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
09
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING
2010
In the Fall of 2010, I took an architectural graphics class mainly so that I could create an illustrative final board shown on the next page. However, my overall graphics drastically improved as I considered texture and contrast more. I learned to work with the permanence of pen. I also learned that when sketching, sketchy is good. This course helped me develop sketching skills that allow me to quickly sketch with good graphics that will convey the character of the subject. Also I improved my skills at drawing buildings and understanding how their shadows work. Along with the improvement of graphic ability, the final board also challenged me to think about composition. It was a challenge to lay out the drawings and figure out how to blur their edges to create a single composition that read well. For the final board, we chose a building that we liked, in my case a contemporary rustic cabin, and rendered three separate landscape scenes that showcase the building and its surroundings. Initially we drew these scenes separately as we perfected their composition. Then for the final board, the composition of the three created an art form.
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GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS
10
SKETCHING EUROPE
STUDY ABROAD
2011
In the Spring of 2011, I was allowed to study abroad in Genoa, Italy for four months. In that four months, I built a sketchbook of over fifty sketches from over eight different countries visited. It was great to sketch from a more architectural perspective to capture the essence and atmosphere of a space. Almost all of the sketches were completed in pen with a few exceptions in watercolor and colored pencil. Sketches included largescale landscapes, single buildings, sculptural pieces, and small details. The course emphasized creating the best sketch possible in the quickest fashion. The course required fifty total sketches, some to be completed on daytrips and others during independent travel to different destinations of choice. More important than the requirements for the course was the collection of sketches that represent and illustrate a journey through Europe. These sketches represent another aspect of ability to represent a space graphically, on-site sketching. From the pages of a Moleskine and a pen, a four month trip across Europe could be illustrated and frozen in time. This is just another aspect of a great trip abroad.
Piazza San Lorenzo
Left: Powder Gate, Prague, Czech Republic Right: Dancing House, Prague, Czech Republic Bottom: The Villa, Genoa, Italy
10 CULTIVATING NATURE_A PORTFOLIO OF WORKS
JAMES RYAN HUNT
Top: Piazza di Ferrari, Genoa, Italy Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic
SKETCHING EUROPE
TITLE OF FOLLOWING PROJECT IN ALL CAPS