PO R T F O L I O
CEP 473
M A DELINE MCCO RT
BIO I am a senior at the University of Washington studying Community, Environment, and Planning with minors in Urban Ecological Design and Environmental Studies. My interests include sustainable urban planning and how natural and urban systems interact. I want to create stronger communities and more resilient cities through ecological design and planning.
C O N TA C T Phone: 303-378-0666 Email: mmccort@uw.edu
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S A1 A2 A3 A4 A5
circulation diagram axon view Plan Infographic Edited Scene
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A1 Circulation Diagram Find at least two precedents of circulation diagrams of a visual or graphic style that you would like to emulate. One of the precedents can be from class slides. Post your precedents to Miro as well as a citation or web address. Write (narrative form), using descriptive and professional language, what your diagram is going to communicate graphically. The narrative must describe more than simply what the graphic is (representation of information), but should capture why the graphic is important (analysis of information). Use this text as basis for the title and caption for your finished diagram. Sketch your diagram on paper. Create your diagram in Adobe Illustrator, if it is helpful, you can upload a photo of your sketch into the drawing to use as a background. Use an artboard that is 8.5” x 11”. Annotate your diagram. 1
PRECEDENTS
DRAFT
NARRATIVE
My diagram focuses on the downtown Ballard area of Seattle. The graphic communicates automobile circulation and congestion in this well trafficked area. This information is important because it demonstrates how circulation through a space is inherently connected to the speed at which that movement occurs. The traffic both reflects human patterns of use, and influences how the area is used and experienced. The pandemic has shown us how changing traffic patterns, like converting parking spaces to restaurant seating and streets to pedestrian only, can dramatically impact our experience in that environment, and this diagram reflects that. 2
A2 Axon View Select a place in your study area to focus on for your axon view. Your view should show a minimum of two city blocks and one intersection. Find two precedent images of 3D urban design views that you would like to emulate or draw inspiration from in your assignment. Write a few sentences describing this area and at least five key features you want change or add for your design. These can be features that actually exist on the site already, or proposals for features you would like to add/change. Import the base model into SketchUp as shown in class. Set up your view and save it (camera tool) so that you can focus your modeling efforts within the visible area only. Edit and clean up the buildings, sidewalks, and other imported features within the visible area of your view. 3
PRECEDENTS
DRAFT
NARRATIVE I chose to focus on the two blocks of Ballard Ave NW between 22nd Ave and NW Vernon Pl, but altered it to depict a shared street. I show the sidewalks on 22nd Ave but deliberately omit them on Ballard Ave. Shared streets have no separated space for pedestrians, bikes, and cars, but rather one flat road that welcomes all. Although the brick spans all the way across to the faces of the buildings, trees, restaurant seating, and planters push out into the road making only enough space for one car to fit through the middle, and slow automobile traffic. Because there is no curb, I depict two raised stone strips that act as rumble strips to allow visually impaired people to safely walk along the sides. Lastly, I depict awnings on the buildings.
BALLARD AVE: A SHARED STREET
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A3 Plan
Find at least two precedents of plan views of a visual or graphic style that you would like to emulate. Write (narrative form), using descriptive and professional language, your design intervention that you will be showing in the plan (2-5 sentences). Use LayOut and add your model to create a plan using a typical architectural or engineering scale. It is recommended you include a site that allows you to show some detailed elements, around 1/16”=1’ is usually pretty good on an ARCH D 24”X36” sheet of paper. Sketch your design intervention on trace paper over your base view. Use SketchUp 3D Model and SketchUp 2D LayOut tools to model or draw your design intervention. Use LayOut to add annotation and/or a legend to identify or highlight the key ideas identified in your narrative from step 2. 5
PRECEDENTS
NARRATIVE
DRAFT
In my plan I represent Ballard Ave again, reimagining it as a shared street for all uses including pedestrians, bikers, and cars. I chose to add bioswales to this design because Ballard Ave is a brick road, and I have experienced how slippery it gets when it rains. Bioswales could absorb and filter rain water to keep it off of the road, and create a safe place for pedestrians and bikers. The bioswales also function as another traffic slowing measure, along with the restaurant seating, benches, and planters. I show boardwalks over the bioswales at the entries to some buildings. So although cars can access this road, it would be less convenient for them as a through street and more pleasant for pedestrians.
BALLARD AVE REIMAGINED
MARVIN’S GARDEN PARK
MADDIE MCCORT
SHARED STREET
CEP 473
22ND AVE NW
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PROJECT
A3 Plan
CLIENT
'-2
66
RESTAURANT SEATING
N
0’
60’
120’
Ballard Ave Reimagined Maddie McCort
BIOSWALES
A.01
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A4 Infographic Pick a topic and data set that is of interest to you and immediately available to include in your work. It does not need to relate to your study area, but it should relate somehow to urban design and planning. Find and use a minimum of three data sources in your research. Cite your sources. Find at least two precedents of data visualizations of a visual or graphic style that you would like to emulate. On a piece of paper (not in the computer), do a quick layout of what graphs and icons you plan to create for your infographic. Make sure that you have selected charts that are appropriate to your data type. Create graphs (2 minimum) using methods covered in lecture. Use at least two different ways of representing data. Add symbology, graphics and/or icons (2 minimum) using Adobe Illustrator. Add text as needed to clarify the information. (Use your precedents for inspiration in typography.) 7
PRECEDENTS
DRAFT
NARRATIVE My infographic calls attention to many cities’ reliance on cars for transportation as a result of urban sprawl. I include graphs and charts that describe statistics on this, and on the air quality impacts. I felt this related to my other projects where I focused on traffic and shared streets, and it is an important topic because ubiquitous unsustainable transportation is a design flaw. We can alter our reliance on vehicles through better pedestrian and bike friendly design and accessible public transportation.
a car-centric society
as cities continue to grow we can no longer rely on or design for unsustainable modes of transportation
air quailty and the consequences of urban sprawl
traffic congestion and air pollution from driving contribute to 900,000 fatalities per year worldwide.
“Commute Mode Share: 2015.” Commute Mode Share: 2015 | Bureau of Transportation Statistics, www.bts.gov/content/commute-mode-share-2015.
Matthew R. Fisher, Editor. “Environmental Biology.” Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-monroe-environmentalbiology/chapter/17-3-the-impacts-of-urban-sprawl/.
1/5th of all U.S. emissions come from cars and trucks
91% of the world’s pop. live in places where air quality exceeds healthy limits
suburban residents drive 3x as much as urban drivers
maddie mccort “Fast Facts on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 29 July 2020, www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions.
“Urban Health.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/health-topics/urban-health.
Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-02/inside-the-new-suburban-crisis.
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A5 Edited Scene Find at least two precedents of vignettes of a visual or graphic style that you would like to emulate. Write, using descriptive and professional language, what your vignette is going to communicate graphically. Building on your previous steps, select a base photo from your study area. If you don’t have one, use a Google Street View image. Sketch your intervention on trace paper over your photo. Scan or take a photo (from your phone is fine) of your sketch. Adjust and improve base image and remove elements that are distracting using tools covered in lecture. Replace or add a at least one material in the base image that will support your intervention. Examples include replacing building siding, replacing sidewalk concrete with stone paving, or adding awnings to storefront entries on a building. Add people and/or elements (minimum 2) to your image. Elements may include trees, street furnishings, etc. Export your work and upload to Miro. 9
PRECEDENTS
DRAFT
NARRATIVE
Ballard Ave: Reimagined Maddie McCort
My vignette represents Ballard Ave as a shared street. This is important because the beautiful brick road in the historic downtown area is currently devoted tto cars, and I imagine what it would look like if the brick extended to the edges of buildings creating a space for pedestrians, bicycles and more. Cafe seating pushes into the street which slows traffic, and 2 strips of raised bricks could serve as rumble strips for visually impaired users. 10
