PORTFOLIO
LAURA LIU
PROJECTS / 2021-2023
CONTENT
01
THE LOST FORESTS
1
2-7
Old growth forest reseach in British Columbia
02
IN·TER·TWINE
8-11
Shoreline re-imagined at Lost Lagoon
03
WOVEN TABLE Embodiment of Past and Future at Columbia Park
04
GREEN RAINWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TOOLKIT Implementing GRI at Broadway Subway Plan transit sites
05
CHAPTERS OF RESONANCE THROUGH TIME
12-17
18-21 22-23
Remaking an artifact that tells the spatial story of a heterotopias space
06
TECHNICAL DRAWING SETS Blue Residence & Site 01 & The North Park
24-29
2
01. INFO
Location
The Lost Forests Old growth forest reseach in British Columbia
British Columbia, Canada
Duration
December 2021- January 2022
Type
Landscape ecological research
Professor
Self-directed
Programs
ArcGIS, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp, V-ray for SketchUp
All pieces of work in this project are done independently by myself.
British Columbia’s old growth forest is known as the “white rhino of old growth forests”. Heavy industrial logging have left a deep scar in B.C.’s old growth forest, leaving the remaining forest stands at great risk. Many efforts were made by B.C. government yet challenges still exists. Currently there’s still a huge increase in old growth logging, and the recent flood events and landslides happened across B.C. once again proves the consequence of forest removal. This project delivers my definition of old growth forest and calls for forest stewardship to be put into action and provide transparent open data open to the public.
It took over centuries and millennia for forests to develop. As a forest stand ages and experiences disturbances, it change in structure and leave legacies. Before the arrival of Europeans, the First Nations people used the forests for homes, canoes, tools, fuel and clothing. Today, the forests remain an important part of the First Nations’ economy and culture.
Technological innovation lead to the increase of logging efficiency, working spead and volume of timber that could be logged.
3
The B.C. Forest Act was established in 1912, the Forest Practice Act was introduced in 1995 to set more strict regulations on harvesting and replanting, and a old forests strategic review was brought out in 2020.
The valuable ecosystem functions provided by old growth forests are crucial for adapting and mitigating climate change. Increased disturbances cuased by climate change: wild fire, floods, landslides, pests, etc.
Many NGOs and protesters calls to slow the ongoing destruction of valuable forest habitat. Reports and strategies are broght outt while implementation is the biggest obstacle.
CURRENT STATUS OF B.C. OLD GROWTH FOREST & LOGGING PLAN 4
Prince Rupert Moisture regime: moist to very wet Temperature regime: cool to cold Major forest ecosystems: Boreal White and Black Spruce, Coastal Western Hemlock, Interior Cedar-Hemlock, and Sub-Boreal Spruce zones.
Prince George
Layer 1: Lidar base map
Moisture regime: moist to wet moisture Temperature regime: cool to cold Major forest ecosystems: Boreal White and Black Spruce, Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir, Interior CedarHemlock, and Sub-Boreal Spruce zones.
Vancouver Moisture regime: moist to very wet Temperature regime: warm to cool Major forest ecosystems: Coastal Douglas-fir, Coastal Western Hemlock, and Mountain Hemlock zones.
Cariboo
Layer 2: Low productivity Oldgrowth forest distribution
Moisture regime: very dry to wet Temperature regime: warm to cold Major forest ecosystems: Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir, Interior Cedar-Hemlock, Interior Douglas-fir, Montane Spruce, and Sub-Boreal Pine-Spruce zones.
Kamloops Moisture regime: very dry to wet Temperature regime: hot to cool Major forest ecosystems: Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir, Interior Cedar-Hemlock, Interior Douglas-fir, Montane Spruce, and Ponderosa Pine zones.
Nelson
Layor 3: Overlapping data points from GIS data
Moisture regime: very dry to wet Temperature regime: warm to cool t Major forest ecosystems: Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir, Interior Cedar-Hemlock, Interior Douglas-fir, and Montane Spruce zones.
Did not have significant changes in diversity before and after harvesting.
S
Maintained the same level of diversity through natural and artificial regeneration.
Significant decreases in the proportion of monoculture forests due to natural and artificial regeneration.
Has not exhibited any significant increase in the proportion of monoculture stands since before harvesting.
Maintained relatively similar levels of diversity as a result of natural regeneration.
An increase in the proportion of forests that are monocultures.
E W
5
Percentage of forests that are monoculture before logging
Low ProductivityA Small Treed Old Growth Forest in BC
Approved Cutblock Portions Overlapping Old-Growth Forest (April 30, 2020 to April 26, 2021) Percentage of new forest are monoculture 5-15 years before logging
Higher Productivity Big Treed Old Growth Forest in BC
Approved Cutblock Portions Overlapping Old-Growth Forest from April 30, 2019 to April 29, 2020
OLD GROWTH REGENERATION NATURAL CYCLE VS. POST LOGGING 6
Natural Disturbance
Early Stage of Regeneration
Middle Stage of Regeneration
After natural disturbances such as large forest fires, there were often many biological legacies: some living and many dead trees, typically large in size. These legacies contributed substantially to biological diversity in the regeneration of forest.
At this stage, tree density may be very high with more foliages, which results in a closed forest canopy with little light reaching the forest floor, little vegetation on the forest floor, and forms poor habitat for animals. The forest self-thins, and result in a very low biological diversity.
Forest matures and tree density decreases, trees started to be more affected by disturbance agents (wind, insects, and diseases). Broken tree tops, dead decaying snags and logs appear and gaps are created by dead fallen trees.
50M
50M
50M
40M
40M
40M
30M
30M
30M
20M
20M
20M
10M
10M
10M
0M
0M
0M
0 Year
100 Year
200 Year
REAPPEARANCE OF SPECIES Old Growth Forest Development
Clear-cut Logging
Gaps in the forest stand allow shade-tolerant species start to grow faster, some eventually become very large. There is a high diversity of mosses, lichens, and other plants that grow on the surface of living trees and shrubs, and dead wood.
Industrial logging causes much different results from natural disturbances. There is few living or dead trees even with selectively logging strategies. Residual trees become vulnerable and often will wiped out by disturbances, and creating a uniform single species forest stand with trees of similar size.
Natural Disturbance
7
ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
western larch (Abies balsamea)
Early Stage of Regeneration jack pine (Pinus banksiana)
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
balsam fir(Abies balsamea)
50M
50M
40M
40M
30M
30M
Middle Stage of Regeneration western hemlock(Tsuga heterophylla)
black spruce (Picea mariana) 20M
20M
10M
10M
0M
0M
Old Growth Forest Development western hemlock(Tsuga heterophylla)
western redcedar(Thuja plicata) 300 Year
Clear-cult logging destroys high-valued habitat and results in a less sustainable and less biobiodiverse forest stand regeneration.
8
02.
In·ter·twine Shoreline re-imagined at Lost Lagoon
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Duration
November- December 2022
Type
Biocentric Water Feature
Professor
Sara Jacobs, Tatiana Nozaki
Programs
AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino 3D.
All pieces of work in this project are done independently by myself.
Although Lost Lagoon is pre-dominantly used by humans, supurisingly, birds have also played an important role in its time and space. Other than sunbathers and outdoor enthusiasts, the site is particularly favored by birdwatchers. Some of the sightings include Canada and cackling Geese, American coots, gulls, crows, pigeons, great blue herons, and a wide variety of ducks, while some are very used to people and frequently swim close to the shore of the lagoon or walk over the trail that surrounds it.
Facing the increasing threats of habitat loss, Lost Lagoon plays an important role for not only resident but migratory birds as well. My intervention is to develop a biocentric design that facilitates wildlife and biodiversity at Lost Lagoon, as the first step to start rewilding the area. My purpose is to create a space that not only better supports the water birds but also encourages the coexistence of human and non-human. This target design aims to build a space that dissolve the boundary between human and birds, creating a more intimate relationship between human and nature, at the same time serves as a buffer zone to protect the space from pollutants runoff.
9
Ways to appreciate nature’s ecosystem
Section A - A’ (1:50) front view of the intervention depicting how human and birds utilize the space.
0
0
1
1
2
2
4
4
Section B - B’ (1:50) side view of the intervention showing different functional areas and how people move through the space.
6m
6m
Harmonious Relationship Between Human and Non-Human 11
Perspective in a human angle, looking at the circular elevated platform. Built structure is blended with the natural environment.
Perspective in a bird angle, looking at the bird blind structure, how there’s a new world behind the regular sightlines.
12
03. INFO
Woven Table Embodiment of Past and Future at Columbia Park
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Duration
February - April 2023
Type
Urban Park Redesign
Professor
Daniel Roehr, Maren McBride
Team
Kevin Wong, Kylie Ip
Programs
SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, hand sketch.
Work done by Teamates are labeled in the caption.
Columbia Park stands as an urban park in Vancouver, British Columbia, is facing numerous changes caused by the redevelopment of the oakridge neighborhood. This park emerges as a place of cultural intersection and natural beauty, offering an opportunity for both the local community and visitors to engage with the land in a mindful and respectful manner. Woven Table will be an innovative space where community impact has power to radically change the par kscape at any point in time. It will be a place of dynamic vision and fle xible connection, addressing ecology in an increasingly dense and urban neighbourhood.
Birds Current ongoing developments
W 44th Ave
User group: baseball player
Single family housing
W 42nd Ave
Low density dwelling User group: dog walker User group: walking & resting
Wading pool
Children’s play facility
User group: Parents with kids
0
5
10
20
40 m
SECTION LOOKING NORTH AND WEST
Section by Kylie Ip.
PLANTNG PALLATE DESIGN 15
Draft sketch made to subcategorize the park into 6 zones based on their characteristics.
N 0m
25m
50m
Indoor planting mix
Rescue planting mix
Pollinator planting mix
Edible planting mix
Modules planting mix
Native grass mix
Natural planting mix
Bioretention - zone 3
Bioretention - zone 2 Bioretention - zone 1
Finished planting plan, composed of species in 10 categories, attached with a detailed planting list.
RENDERED PERSPECTIVES WITH HAND DRAWN TEXTURE
Model by Kevin Wong, assets drew by myself, Kylie Ip, & Kevin Wong.
RENDERED PERSPECTIVES WITH HAND DRAWN TEXTURE
Model by Kevin Wong, assets drew by myself, Kylie Ip, & Kevin Wong.
18
04.
GREEN RAINWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TOOLKIT Implementing GRI at Broadway Subway Plan transit sites
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Duration
May- August 2023
Type
Urban public space
Mentor
Ruotian Tan, Sheri DeBoer
Programs
Autocad, Rhino 3D, SketchUp, Illustrator
All pieces of work in this project are done independently by myself.
GRI offers a holistic approach to urban stormwater management that aligns with environmental, social, and economic goals. This project aims to envision a toolkit of GRI typologies that are suitable for rapid transit station locations, thus creating a more resilient transit infrastructure that promotes climate change mitigation, rainwater and localized flooding treatment to increase the overall public experience and wellbeing. Typology Pre-Setting
RAINWATER RUN-OFF Overbuild
PROGRAMMING Transportation Opportunity Circulation Entrance
TEMPERATURE Heat zone Cool zone
MOVEMENT Arrival zone Circulation pattern
01 Bioretention 19
02 Bioswale
03 Slope planting
04 Tree trenches
05 Bosque
06 Pervious Paving
07 Water feature
08 Ground planters
09 Green furnitures
10 Green canopy
Illustrative Site Plan
Site Axonometric
Illustrative Site Section 21
Site Perspective
22
05. Location
CHAPTERS OF RESONANCE Reconstructing heterotopia space
British Columbia, Canada
Duration
September-December 2023
Type
Conceptural design
Professor
Goli Jalali
Programs
Rhino 3D, Photoshop, Illustrator, Handsketch
All pieces of work in this project are done independently by myself.
Deconstruction
My intent is to investigate the interplay between various forms of musical performance in Chinese history, inspired by Chinese artworks that depict music-related engagements, and to establish connections between these activities and the physical environments in which they unfolded, exploring potential associations with historical Chinese social hierarchies. Consequently, my goal is to envision a landscape influenced by the juxtaposition of traditional Chinese musical performances and their connection to nature. Such a space would serve as a communal hub, fostering interaction among musicians, performers, and music enthusiasts through a diverse range of programs and subsidiary functions tailored to meet various needs.
23
Layer 1
Layer 2
24
06.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS Blue Residence & Site 01 & The North Park
Project
Blue Residence
Location
Belgium
N
Architecture Wim Goes Architectuur
Duration
July-August 2023
Type
Revit exercise
Professor
Roy Cloutier
Programs
Revit
Blue residence is a recovation and extension of the Castle de Motte. Originally the site contains one of the best preserved ice cellars and a pavilion on top. Wim Goes saw the combination of the romantic nature of the trees and the pavillion, being as a symbol of possibility and destination, with the function provided by the ice cellar, the architecture wished to embodies the same idea but in a more contemporary way. The grey-blue steel, which is the major material used for the construction, meant to highlight the difference between architecture and nature, showing how nature will grow over and take over the space, blur the boundary over time.
2 A2.13
3 A2.23
1 A2.12
Spatial Relationship: Axonometric view and exploded elevation 25
Spatial Relationship: Section looking North & East
Rendered Perspectives 27
Site 01 Course
Landscape Techologies
Professor Stephen Wilkinson
Duration
January-April 2023
Team
Narita Ico, Kai Qiu, Kaity Windrem
Programs Autocad & Illustrator
Type
Grading exercise
0 HWL: 13.0
LEGEND (18
SYMBOLS: )
(00)
EXISTING 5.0M CONTOUR
(00)
EXISTING 1.0M CONTOUR
) (18
00
BOT: (17.23)
BOT: (16.47) BOT: (16.1) BOW: 15.90 TOW: 16.50 BOW: 15.99
(16.31)
(16.20)
2% 2%
BOTTOM OF STAIR ELEVATION HIGH POINT ELEVATION
LP: 00.00
LOW POINT ELEVATION
(15.81) TOC: (15.81) BOC: (15.77)
(13.60)
2%
TOC: (15.99) BOC: (15.75)
2%
(15.80)
2%
ME
(15.75)
EXISTING TREE TO BE REMOVED
(15.99)
BOC: (15.93) TOC: (16.13)
AVERAGE ANNUAL HIGH WATER MARK FOR OPEN BODIES OF WATER
(15.98)
LP: (15.99)
LP: (15.72)
2%
1%
BOT: (15.3) TOC: (16.01) BOC: (15.81)
SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE PIPE (16)
LP: (17.37)
3%
BOT: (15.36)
(17.36)
CATCH BASIN FRENCH DRAIN
(13.40)
TRENCH DRAIN 1%
3%
PRE-SLOPED TRENCH DRAIN RAIN GARDEN
2
2.8
(16.26)
ME
FFE: 17.43
(17.17)
DP
2.5%
3%
7 FFE:
(17)
BOTTOM OF WALL ELEVATION
TOS: 00.00
TOP OF STAIR ELEVATION
BOS: 00.00
BOTTOM OF STAIR ELEVATION
3%
17.3
(16.77)
7
3%
ME
EE
Section 2
15
15
.35
.35
.39
.40
15
15
FFE:
path
15
LOW POINT ELEVATION
17.1
(16.62)
(16.74)
06
drawing title:
sheet name:
.85 13
.00
MAIN ENTRANCE EMERGENCY EXIT FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION OVERFLOW
10m
20m
SITE LAYOUT PLAN 1 of 5
L-100 .08
.90
parking lot
16
.90 15
15
16
16
.00
.10
13
water w ter wa
12 .60
5m
site number:
sheet AVERAGE ANNUAL HIGH WATER MARKnumber: FOR OPEN BODIES OF WATER
ME EE FFE OF
1:200
2m
0m
ABBREVIATIONS:
17
16
scale:
(16.55)
EXISTING TREE
BOC: (16.49) TOC: (16.69)
3
EE
Section 1
north:
BOC: (16.49)
PERCENTAGE SLOPE, ARROWS POINT DOWN SLOPE
18
13
HQ, KW, LL, NI
checked by:
EXISTING TREE TO BE REMOVED
deck
14
07 APRIL, 2023
drawn by:
TOC: (16.69) CENTRELINE, SLOPE, AND DIRECTION OF DRAINAGE
(16.72)
(17.09) (17.13)
LARC 4/531 GRADING & DRAINAGE
print date:
HIGH POINT ELEVATION
CENTRELINE(16.62) OF ROAD 00.0% 00.0%
(17.21) (17.08) (17.25)
project name:
(16.72)
EE 16
path swale
111
15
20
revision:
21 19 21 18 21 17
27 MARCH, 2023
drawn by:
HQ, KW, LL, NI
road
parking
12
21
21
21
20
15
1:50
13 1m
2.5m
5m
.00
0m site number:
06
drawing title:
SITE SECTIONS
sheet number:
1 of 1
sheet name:
21
.35
.35
.39
15
deck
13
17
checked by:
17
.19
13
177 .22200
.32
.39 17 .09
path
.07
sidewalk
17
.15 17
17
17 path
17
building
.27
.33
.37 17
.37
16
LARC 4/531 GRADING & DRAINAGE
print date:
scale:
14
18
17
path
15
19
15
.40 15
Section 2
Section 3
project name:
16
20
.85
21
17
(16)
17
TOP OF WALL ELEVATION
.28
(17)
(18)
17.3
TOP OF CURB(16.86) ELEVATION BOTTOM OF CURB ELEVATION
3%
(16)
FFE:
EE 18
DP
PROPOSED BASE OF TREE ELEVATION
BOW: 00.00
HP: 00.00
(16.96)
(17.33)
(17.37)
EXISTING BASE OF TREE ELEVATION
TOW: 00.00
LP: 00.00
(17.23)
ME
PROPOSED SPOT ELEVATION
TOC: 00.00 BOC: 00.00
(17.01)
(17.33)
ME
19
EXISTING SPOT ELEVATION
00.00
3%
3%
(17.37)
3
(16.96)
3%
(00.00)
.98
2% .50 16
.12 16
.92 15
.92
(17.21) (17.08) (17.25)
PROPOSED 1.0M CONTOUR
15
3 L-20 0
2%
.98
2.5%
(15)
17.1
DP
2.5%
(14)
FFE:
20
(16.96)
PROPOSED 5.0M CONTOUR
00
BOT: 00.00
(17)
(12)
(13)
.05 16 9 W: 16.5 0 BO W: 15.9 T O W: BO
(10)
(11)
ME
3% HP: (17.22)
15
.92
.92
15
16
15
.08
.90
.90
15
(16.88)
(17.09) road
(17.13)
(17)
3%
2%
16
15
.15
.28 16
.10 16
(17.01)
EXISTING 1.0M CONTOUR
00
(17.10) 2% BOT: (00.00)
(17.06)
(17.17)
2%
EE
(16.96)
(16.78)
EXISTING 5.0M CONTOUR
(00)
.92
ME
6
2%
path
15
HP: (18.48)
MAIN ENTRANCE EMERGENCY EXIT FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION OVERFLOW
revision:
(00)
3%
TOC: (17.47) BOC: (17.27) (16.88)
(16.84)
BOT: (15.43)
SYMBOLS:
3%
(16.78) 2%
6.7
15
(17.16)
TOC: (17.26) BOC: (17.06)
1 E: FF
(14)
.00
2%
(15)
2%
16
2%
(16.60) 3% % (16.66)
swale
LP: (9.60)
(16)
EE
parking lot
(17)
(16)
5
16
2.5
(11)
BOT: (15.62)
(12)
17
ME EE FFE OF
LEGEND
6.6
(13)
18
(16.76)
3%
(16.52)
(17)
3%
(16.45) (16.25) (16.55)
9 6.5 :1 W .59 BO : 16 .45 W 3 TO W: 1 BO
BOT: (15.31)
(16.40)
DP BOT: (14.55)
1 E: FF
4 3.3 : 1 .65 W 16 5 BO OW: : 16.6 T W BO
BOT: (16.95)
ABBREVIATIONS:
TOC: (16.57) BOC: (16.37)
ME
BOT: (17.16)
Section 1
(16.45)
2%
3% % (16.55) 2.5 (16.65)
CULVERT & RIPRAP
16
BO TO W: BOW W: 15 15.35 : 13.4 .35 0
3%
2%
(14)
15.35 15.35
(16.51)
5%
(15)
BOW TOW : 15.35 BOW : 15.35 : 15.10
(16)
0
EE
L-20
L-200
water w ter wa
.92
(16)
2%
15
15.80
EXISTING TREE
15
(15.80) EE
2%
BOW TOW : 15.80 BOW : 15.80 : 14.3 0
FFE:
(15.77)
PERCENTAGE SLOPE, ARROWS POINT DOWN SLOPE
1%
2%
LP: (15.74)
(15.80)
BOT: (16.29)
00.0%
HP: (17.53)
BOW: 14.90 TOW: 16.50 BOW: 15.99
(15.86)
(15.77)
(15.93)
CENTRELINE OF ROAD HP: (16.13)
BOW: 15.30 TOW: 16.50 BOW: 16.06
1%
TOP OF STAIR ELEVATION
HP: 00.00
(17)
2.5%
(17)
(15.98)
(16.00) BOT: (16.23) 2%
(16)
(15.85)
) (15
(16.03)
2%
(14)
(15.89)
(14)
(16)
2%
(16.08)
BOTTOM OF WALL ELEVATION
BOS: 00.00
1%
TOC: (16.01) BOC: (15.81)
(15.81) 2%
1%
(12)
LP: (10.88)
(15.95) (16.13)
(11)
(13.40)
(13)
) (12
1%
BOT: (16.33)
(16.15)
DP/SWALE
TOP OF WALL ELEVATION
TOS: 00.00
1%
) (13
(16.26)
BOTTOM OF CURB ELEVATION
BOW: 00.00 )
)
(16.05)
(16.28)
TOP OF CURB ELEVATION
BOC: 00.00 TOW: 00.00
(14
(16.15)
(16
(16.30)
BOT: (16.06)
.15
(16.31)
PROPOSED BASE OF TREE ELEVATION
TOC: 00.00
BOW: 15.90 TOW: 16.50 BOW: 15.99
) (15
(16.10)
LP: (15.99) BOT: (15.9)
BOT: (14.89)
BOT: (14.26)
1 L-20 0
(16.36)
DP/SWALE
) (16
(17)
1%
EXISTING BASE OF TREE ELEVATION
BOT: 00.00
LP: (17.37)
) (17
1%
(16.44)
(16.49)
PROPOSED SPOT ELEVATION
BOT: (00.00)
16
(16.50) (16.30)
EXISTING SPOT ELEVATION
00.00
BOT: (16.92)
.60
(16.44)
PROPOSED 1.0M CONTOUR (00.00)
1 11
(16.59)
PROPOSED 5.0M CONTOUR
00
road
The North Park Course
Landscape Techologies
Professor Katya Yushmanova
Duration
September-December 2023
Team
Hoi Ying Ng
Programs Autocad
Type
Technical drawing exercise
www.linkedin.com/in/laura-yumeng-liu
THANK YOU