KATIE DAVIS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
The design on my cover page is my interpretation of the landscape at Arches National Park. I wanted to incorporate the design along with this background photo to emphasize where my journey as a landscape architect began.
Traveling to the National Parks out west greatly influenced my passion and values for landscape architecture. I became very interested in how the parks’ surrounding environments shaped the design of the developed landscape. This sparked a passion within me to create designs that reinforce a location’s natural features and history.
Our world is composed of such remarkable landscapes, and it is selfish to take away what makes them so special while designing.
Permanent Address: 3102 Brownsboro Vista Drive Louisville, KY 40242
Personal Email: katiemd242@gmail.com
Phone Number: 502-939-5729
EDUCATION
Bachelor’s Of Science In Landscape Architecture, University Of Kentucky
» Graduation Date: May 2023
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
2019-2023
Student member of the American Society of Landscape Architects
2019-2023
Student member of the American Planning Association
REFERENCES
Ned Crankshaw
» Professor and Acting Dean of the UK College of Design
» ned.crankshaw@uky.edu
Cindi Sullivan
» Executive Director of TreesLouisville
» cindi@treeslouisville.org
Kristin Booker
» Principal of Booker Design Collaborative
» kbooker@booker-design.com
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
» 2018 Participant in the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts architecture program
» 2021 Received Honorable Mention in the Oswald Research And Creativity Competition
» 2022 Received nomination and became member of the International Honor Society of Landscape Architecture Students, UK Alpha Mu chapter of Sigma Lambda Alpha
» 2022 Landscape Architecture representative for the College of Design Student Council
» 2022 Nominated as student representative to participate in the UKLA Advisory Board
EXPERIENCE
Waterfront Botanical Gardens
May 2020 – August 2020
Summer Horticulture Intern
» Maintained gardens on main site by planting, weeding, watering, pruning, and removing pests.
» Provided some input on designs/layout of planting features.
Trees Louisville
June 2020 – August 2020
Summer Intern
» Used GIS to record tree inventories for various sites.
» Designed tree planting guides.
The Kentucky Arboretum
June 2021 – August 2021
Walk Across Kentucky Summer Intern
» Maintained the Walk Across Kentucky Trail by planting, weeding, mowing, watering, pruning, and removing pests.
» Designed and proposed a plan of a rain garden to aid in flooding problems on site.
» Learned the importance of natural and native planting methods.
Booker Design Collaborative
May 2022 –August 2022
Landscape Architect Summer Intern
» Rendered site plans using AutoCAD and Photoshop.
» Created perspective renderings and 3D models using Sketchup, AutoCAD, and Enscape.
» Put together InDesign packages for client meetings.
» Used AutoCAD and InDesign to create planting plans and palettes.
» Made changes to construction documents from mark-ups.
University of Kentucky
August 2021- Current
UKLA Undergraduate Teacher Assistant
» LA11-Living On the Right Side of the Brain with Dr. Ryan Hargrove
» LA105- Intro to Landscape Architecture with Jordan Phemister
» LA161- Graphics 1 with Carolina Segura-Bell
» Student Intern for Dr. Jayoung Koo
CULTIVATING CARROLTON
Located halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati, Carrollton is a small Kentucky river town of 3,895 people. Like many small towns in America, Carrollton is faced with environmental, social, and economical challenges. What was once a recreational hot-spot, is now a declining city defined by neglected green space, lack of community, and vacant storefronts.
Unlike other struggling small towns, Carrollton has a prime location adjacent to many unique features such as General Butler State Resort Park and the confluence of the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers. This studio project explored various data collection techniques to ultimately discover that the lack of connection to these unique features plays a vital role in Carrollton’s decline. Instead of viewing the city’s lack of connection as a restraint, improvement upon this was seen as an opportunity for the future growth of Carrollton. The proposed design improves upon these connections while also creating new nodes of activity, education, and income.
Learning Outcomes:
» Understanding design process for urban design scale
» Collaborating and dividing work
» Utilizing community input for the proposed design
» Improving skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and GIS
A B C
200 400 800 N SCALE: 1:400 A B C
AND BIO-RETENTION WETLAND
PHYTOREMEDIATION
PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE TRAIL
WILDLIFE OBSERVATION DECK
CONNECTING COOLAVIN
Coolavin park is located within an urban neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the park is adjacent to apartments, restaurants, and a community college’s athletic facilities, it is barely utilized by the public. The park appears to be hidden within the neighborhood as it does not have a defined, welcoming entrance. In addition to the site’s lack of connection to its surrounding community, the park lacks connection within itself as well. The absence of paved pathways makes it difficult for potential visitors to navigate to the site features.
I wanted to create a space that provides guests with a sense of community and unison. Implementing defined paved pathways and entrances will help connect the design elements and bring visitors from surrounding areas into the site. The memorial gardens located at the entrance will draw in and encourage guests to discover more about the park’s natural elements and history. The bio-swale and bio-retention wetlands will help with drainage, create educational opportunities, and provide biodiversity.
Learning Outcomes:
» Becoming familiar with key standards relating to site protection and demolition, erosion and sediment control, and utilities and lighting
» Understanding and applying standards for developing a schematic design into a construction package
BASEBALL FIELD
BIKE POLO COURTS
TENNIS COURTS
PAVILION
COMMUNITY GARDENS PLAYGROUND
PARKING
MEMORIAL GARDENS
WETLAND BOARDWALK
OUTDOOR EXERCISE TRAIL
BASKETBALL COURTS
Hand rendered concept plan.
Boardwalk section.
SCALE 1:40
Planting construction document.
LIMESTONE COMMONS
The site is currently a McDonald’s parking lot and has a poor amount of shade, drainage, and connections to its surrounding areas. It is located along a very busy road and is across the street from UK’s campus dorms and adjacent to many popular shops, restaurants, and bars.
Surrounding the site, there are very few green spaces for shoppers and residents to take a break. The goal for this project was to create a space for the surrounding community members to sit and hang out. It was important to include green spaces and lots of trees within our design to provide an “oasis” for residents living in such a harsh, hard scape environment to escape to.
This project received an honorable mention in the University of Kentucky’s annual Oswald Research and Creativity Competition. The photo-shopped site plan was created by me. The Lumion model perspectives were a collaboration between me and my partner.
Learning Outcomes:
» Collaborating and dividing work with a partner
» Understanding and designing a space for surrounding community
» Improving skills in small scale urban design
BIO-RETENTION SWALE
NATURAL LAWN
A
B
TRELLIS WALKWAY
D C
MANICURED LAWN ROCK GARDEN
5 10 20 SCALE 1:40
SEATING AREA
View A: View of the transition from the stairs to the wetland from the sidewalk.
View C: Transition from eating area to rock garden.
View D: Comfortable seating area from micro
View B: Entry near natural lawn.
micro climate created from the canopy’s shade.
COLORBLIND PLANTING DESIGN
For this project I was tasked with creating a backstory for my clients to influence the direction of the proposed design. In effort to challenge my understanding of planting design, I decided that one of the clients would be colorblind. Specifically the client has Protanopia, causing difficulty in distinguishing the difference between reds and greens. Because of this, it was important to design the landscape in a way that will be enjoyable for both clients.
Since the color of planting materials will be altered for the client, I thought about other qualities that he will be able to experience. For example, feeling the textures, smelling different scents, and hearing the wildlife the plants will attract. Another method used for this project was using a lot of contrast within the planting plan. Placing plants that are contrasting in texture, height, and color next to one another creates an interesting display that does not just rely on having aesthetically pleasing colors. This contrast also makes it easier for the client to understand what he is looking at.
Learning Outcomes:
» Using new plants outside of Kentucky’s hardy zone
» Analyzing ecological and horticultural considerations to inform plant selection and design decisions
» Thoughtfully select and arrange appropriate plant species that best align with desired functions and characteristics
SPRING EPHEMERAL TRAIL
SPRING
PLATFORM
BOSQUE YOGA
ZEN GARDEN
EPHEMERAL
TRAIL
PLANTER
HERB GARDEN
BOX
5 10 20
COVERED WALKWAY CREEK
SCALE 1:40
NAT 22 POP 4 DAP 4 SNE 5 SPW 6 ARF 6 BGA 6 CAR 6 NAT 7 LAV 4 RUS 6 ARF 5 SJC 3 POP 3 BGA 7 PP 1
COMMON NAME LATIN NAME SIZEROOTNOTES DECIDEOUS TREES PS9 Autumn Blooming Cherry Prunus subhirtella "Autumnalis" 10 GAL B&B Pink Blooms AJ3 Dwarf Japanese Maple Acer japonicum 5 GAL CONT. Interesting leaf shape QR1 English Oak Quercus robur 10 GAL B&BProvides good amount of shade AP2 Japanese Maple Acer palmatum 5 GAL CONT.Interesting leaf shape AG4 Paperbark Maple Acer griseum 10 GAL B&BPretty bark PT17 Quaking Aspen Populus Tremuloides 10 GAL B&B Yellow leaves in fall EVERGREEN TREES PP11 Dwarf Japanese Stone PinePinus pumila 'Blue Dwarf' 1 GAL CONT.Dwarf variety PI1 Japanese Black Pine Pinus thunbergii 10 GAL B&BDwarf variety LG5 Little Gem Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' 10 GAL B&BMulti‐stemmed, pink flowers JS14 Sky Rocket Juniper Juniperus scopulorum 5 GAL CONT.Cool toned color SHRUBS APA7 Apache Plume Fallugia paradoxa 5 GAL CONT.Unique flowers RHO2 Azalea Rhododendron spp 5 GAL CONT. Bright flowers HAR3 Havard Agave Agave havardiana 1 GAL CONT. Winter tolerant LIN9 Lindheimer's Beeblossom Oenothera lindheimeri 1 GAL CONTSmall white flowers SJC15 Shore Juniper Juniperus conferta 1 GAL CONT.Low, spreading shrub PERENNIALS SNE5 Autumn Stonecrop Sedum 'Night Embers' 1 GAL CONT.Pretty dark maroon color POP7 Beardtongue Penstemon 'Onyx and Pearls' 1 GAL CONT. White flowers against red leaves LAV11 English Lavender Lavandula angustifolia 1 GAL CONT.Nice scent ANT7 Field Pussytoes Antennaria neglecta 1 GAL CONT. STA3 Lambs ear Stachys byzantina 1 GAL CONT.Soft touch MST5 Ostrich Fern Ma�euccia struthiopteris 1 GAL CONT.Delicate leaves DAP5 Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea 1 GAL CONT. Unique flower shape AQU43 Rocky Mountain ColumbineAquilegia caerulea 1 QRTCONT. RUS11 Russian Sage Perovskia 'little spire' 1 GAL CONT. ARF17 Silky Wormwood Artemisia frigida 1 GAL CONT.Unique light color GRASSES BGA19 Blonde Ambition Blue Grama GrassBouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' 1 GAL CONT. Pretty *flower* features CAR19 Evergold Sedge Carex hachijoensis 1 GAL CONT.Varigated color SPW5 Giant Sacaton Sporobolis wrightii 1 GAL CONTLarge in height and width ERI13 Indian Rice Grass Eriocoma hymenoides 1 GAL CONT. NAT29 Mexican Feather Grass Nassella tenuissima 1 GAL CONT.Soft touch GROUNDCOVERS PHY11 Creeping Phlox Phlox stolonifera 1 GALCONT.Pretty white flowers THY9 Creeping Thyme Thymus spp. 1 GALCONT.Bright pink colors in spring RHU7 Gro‐Low Sumac Rhus aromatica 'Gro‐Low' 1 GAL CONT.Red Winter Color HEC9 Hens and Chicks Sempervivum Tectorum 1GAL CONT.Turns red in winter, spreads
SYMQTY
Before colorblind effect.
After colorblind effect.
BOOKER DESIGN COLLABORATIVE WORK
Photo-shopped site plan for the Ochoa residence (Summer 2022).
Rendering of the Ochoa residence using Sketchup and Enscape (Summer 2022).
Color coded planting plan for the Howard residence (Summer 2022).
Rendering of the Bennett residence using AutoCAD, Sketchup and Enscape (Summer 2022).
PERSONAL WORK
Perspective drawing of proposed cafe using the drawing app procreate (Fall 2020).
Ink pen sketch of abandoned house near my neighborhood (Fall 2018).
An oil painting from my high school senior art portfolio concentration (Spring 2019).
Pen ink sketch of Arches National Park before it was rendered an altered for the cover page of my portfolio (Fall 2018).
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.”
Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
