Mary Keyser University of Melbourne Landscape Architecture Porfolio

STUDIO WORK

Project: Urban Wildlife Park, Galada Avenue Reserve

Subject: Designing Living Systems

Year: B.DES - Second Year Semester 2, 2020

Tutor: Wai Kin Tsui

This design aims to engage urban dwellers to interact with the parkland in a more meaningful and multi-functional way in which native flora, fauna and visitors of the park can sustainably co-exist.

The design aims to provide the blue-banded bee, the eastern spinebill and the silver banksia with suitable habitat to thrive in. Ecological diversity and regeneration of native flora and fauna in the park is reflected in the foundations of the design as well as the visitor experience one can engage in. The concept of golden wattle structure reflected in the overall site plan and its individual parts reflecting a meaning/purpose of an area in the site.

Guiding Concept

Guiding Design Concept

Karrank TunlineGolden Wattle

Golden wattle plants planted at one of the main exit/entry points of the site to reflect the guiding concept upon entry.

Spectator deck/view ing deck of the oval for sports games and other events - not de signed differently from the other circular deck platforms in order to enhance consisten cy within the site and maintain the golden wattle flower effect guided by the main design concept.

Stem

The central path Nodes

The connection points Flowers

The play, pause and interac tion places/platforms

Design Intent

Golden Wattle nal form

Signi cant to Wurundjeri people and a native plant that thrives in Victoria

The integration of the Golden Wattle flower branch structure, known as the Karrank Tunline in Woiwurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri people, serves as a guiding concept for the design and layout of this site. The golden wattle flower is a significant symbol of Victorian flora, historically used by First Nations people for hunting tools and medicinal purpose and is recognised as an iconic Australian flower. Its significance to the area and its people paired with its form guide the design in a physical and representational way.

The integration of the Golden Wattle flower, known as the Kar rank Tunline in Woiwurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri people, is a guiding concept for the design of this site. The golden wattle flower is a significant fea ture of Victorian flora, indigenous culture and is recognised as an iconic Australian flower. Its signif icance paired with its form guide the design in a physical and representational way.

Playground

Bee hives/nesting blocks

Seating

Rubbish bins

Children’s play area, mimicing circular + organic forms of the site placed flush with the board walk for easy access from the main path of the site as well as the eastern road access. The design of the playground will include undulating terrain in coloured tar to create a play ful yet integrated play space.

Garden beds placed in re taining walls around may of the circular deck platforms are designed as hubs for the blue-banded bee and east ern spinebill to collect nectar from nectar rich plants such as wattle and grevillea.

Original boundary Shrub/grass

Silver Banksia

Manuka

River Red Gum

Weeping Grass

Black Wattle

Common Heath

This design aims to engage urban dwellers to interact with the parkland in a more meaningful and multi-functional way in which native flora, fauna and visitors of the park can sustainably co-exist. The design aims to provide the blue-banded bee, the eastern spinebill and the silver banksia with suitable habitat to thrive in. Ecological diversity and regeneration of native flora and fauna in the park is reflected in the foundations of the design as well as the visitor experience one can engage in. The design concept also aims to intergrate the importance of the traditional owners of the land, the Wurundjeri people. The concept of golden wattle structure reflected in the overall site plan and its individual parts reflecting a meaning/purpose of an area in the site.

Cop Wattle

Coast Banksia

Golden Wattle

Grevillea

The perimeter of the site is lined in trees to create a sense of privacy and peace in the park. The increase in trees will also con tribute to enhancing the habitat for Eastern spinebills as there a more trees to collect nectar from and the park acts a biodiverse and safe hub.

Blue-banded bees re quire decomposing sandstone to nest in in a solitary manner. There fore numerous nesting blocks (pictured above) will be placed in circu lar patterns to mimic the traditional form of a beehive. These beehives will enhance the breed ing opportunity, nesting quality and encourage pollination as presence of blue-banded bees will be increased.

Tree-lined perimeter also protects spine bills from their biggest predator the feral cat. It creates a baricade and the undulating terrain, dipping in the central axis of the site underneath the cir cular deck platforms makes it difficult for predators to domi nate.

Net hammock

Clay beehives

Seating/tables

Bin Bin

Code

SIL Silver

MAN

RIV

BLA Black Wattle

WEE

HEA Common Heath Epacris impressa 3

HOP Hop Wattle Acacia strict 3

COA Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia 15

ACA Acacia pycnantha Golden Wattle 10

GRE Grevillea Grevillea 2

Detailed Plan

Shrubs/grasses

Path to access bee nests Platforms (the flowers of the wattle)

The nodes (connection paths/points) Blue banded bee nests

Main path (the stem of the wattle)

Netted suspended + intergrated seatingsee image below

Seating Flower beds

BACHELOR STUDIO WORK

Project: Post-industrial parkland

Subject: Designed Ecologies (Landscape Architecture Capstone)

Year: B.DES - 3rd Year Semester 2, 2021

Tutor: Elliot Summers

The post-industrial parkland located on the E-gate site in Melbourne’s CBD nods to the original context of the site, an old railyard. The exisiting industrial remnants on the site such as shipping containers and abandoned railways were utilised to form the vision for the project. The vision was guided by the theoretical position of the site’s design which was ‘the ecology of aesethetics’. This positioning ensures the design displays the post-industrial aesethetic guiding the site’s ecological processes on multiple scales. The ecological processes include self-seeding and colonising planting which enables the process of ‘wilding’ and succession to take place on site. These processes would be guided by the intervened topography, exisiting remnants and overtime how patrons would interact with and move through the site. Ecological succession is a key process on site as it allowed the selected self-seeding plants to interact with the containers and create a unique inner-city parkland.

Succession on site overtime

Detailed Plan

Ecology of aesthetics on site

‘goats trails’ form on site between containers - ecology guided by remnants

containers rust and patina over time - displays temporality of the site guided by ecology (planting and weather)

MASTERS STUDIO WORK

Project: High Speed Rail Integrated Urban Forest

Subject: Landscape Studio 4 / Strategies

Year: M.LARCH - Semester 2, 2022

Tutor: Christopher Newman

The second part of the semester project explores the mapping software of ArcGIS Pro and how it can be applied in a landscape planning context. The project the LGAs inclusive from Melbourne to Torquay and based on data collected places a high speed rail corridor connecting these locations. Specific to my project, I have prioritised maximising forest coverage along this route by unpacking the process of integrating self-seeding species, the concept of wilding and examining existing EVC, waterways and biodiversity. The integration of the forest corridor aims to combat the economic, social and encironmental strain the lack of canopy coverage has on this region of Victoria. The project shows a selection of maps created in GIS from data collected from government databases and displays a cost past analysis reflecting the most suitable least cost route of travel to maximise on these contributors of a thriving urban forest.

HSR

integrated Urban Forest

Vision statement

The project’s intention is to create a high speed rail corridor with the aim of having an adjacent forest ecosystem which impacts are broad reaching. The forest will be shaped by species selection with focus on self-seeding varieties which will allow for the forest footprint to expand in ecological succession overtime. The forest will combat growth areas, residential areas, waterways, hotspots of energy consumption and pre-existing EVC’s to allow the forest to enhance and combat these elements of the greater Melbourne area. With the maximisation of forest footprint, a multitude of positive changes will occur for the local government areas adjacent to this corridor. Economic, social and environmental impacts will be prominent with intention of adapting to the climate, economic and wellbeing crises ahead.

Combatting climate patterns and energy consumption ($)

Vegetation cover and coinciding biodiversity

Water for Forest Growth

Cost-path analysis / corridor - HSR

The cost-path analysis doubling as the high speed route maximises on the urban growth areas, vegetation and tree dense areas, optimises on self-sowing species rich areas and combats the high energy consumption hotspots of this study area. This will ensure that the forest will combat high energy prices causing high temperatures and UHI enhance wellbeing with denser forest coverage in growth and residential areas as well as maximise forest growth. The maximisation of forest growth is determined by species selection which are fast growing, native to these LGA’s and fit within the original EVCs. The selected plants are all native also encouraging self-seeding and biodiversity which allows forests to thrive. The intention of successive planting will allow the forest to grow successfully and ensure its longevity.

Urban Forest for the People

Self-sowing and native species selection for thriving forests

Species of importance

MASTERS STUDIO WORK

Project: Williams Landing - Exploring the Town Centre

Subject: Landscape Studio 3 / Speculations

Year: M.LARCH - Semster 1, 2022

Tutor: Morag Ritchie

This project explored the revitalisation of the suburban development of Williams Landing. After site visits and analysis, it was determined that an emerging identity occured in Williams Landing after residents had spent greater time developing community relations and attachment to place during covid. Through exploration of time place attachment theory and also what the shortcomings of the urban amenity were, this project aimed to provide a community centre which serviced both public and private activity within a cohesive town centre space. This space aimed to connect residents to the wetland, provide community gathering spaces, access to activities whilst emulating a campus like feel. This space encouraged young families, students and retirees to engage in social activities. The theoretical standpoint was to bridge the gap between the public and private through a campus experience much like that of RMIT or University of Melbourne which welcomes all.

PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE (GROUP WORK)

Project: Birkdale Community Precinct - Heritage & History Vision Board

Firm: CUSP Landscape Architecture + Urban Design

Year: Janurary 2021

Firm contact details: Daniel Wright (Director) - dwright@cusp.net.au

I have taken part in a range of projects with smaller roles at my time at CUSP however the Birkdale Community Precinct bid for the Redlands Council was a project I was involved in the early contextual research stages and graphic work. This project was an insight into how a proposal evolves, what it means to explore a theme in relevance to the site and how the composition of a design like this takes place. The vision board was guided by historical elements of the original site and translating this to graphics was apart of my task as well as selecting key words and

OTHER WORK

Project: Sketchbook - Eltham drawings

Subject: Intepreting Australian Landscape Design

Year: B.DES - Third Year Semester 2, 2021

Drawings exploring the architecture and landscape architecture of Eltham, specifically the work of Alistair Knox and Gordon Ford. The drawings aim to display the overall ethos of the Eltham Community in the early to mid-1900’s when Eltham was becoming an alternative community attracting creatives and environmentalists. The drawings display the rich Australian bush planting mimicing the surrounding Eltham landscape and focus on large windows and natural materials in the housing and built forms in the landscaping.

Eltham Sketches

Alistair Knox’s English House, Eltham. Built in 1958.

63 Batman Road, Eltham. Designed by Alistair Knox, built in 1950.

Alistair Knox’s Busst House, Eltham. Built 1948-1949, garden by Gordon Ford