Matt Mitchell Professional Portfolio

DESIGN THEORY

Landscape architecture is the art of molding environments through the synthesis of form and function to create beautiful and often usable spaces that provide a sense of place and purpose. To me, the function side of this duality means having spatial design goals with the end user in mind. It is an attempt to facilitate and at times modify behavior and tendencies to create dynamic spaces that people love and enjoy. A functional overlay combined with thoughtful site programing gives the design a strong backbone on which to stand and provides a path for how a space might shape behavior and feelings in addition to being an artistic expression. Without this key element all that remains is form; and to me, form without “function” is merely art. While art is nice, we are in the business of constructing spaces that facilitate one’s experience and provide enjoyment while respecting its environment both ecologically and culturally, in addition to responding to the owner’s specific requirements and goals in both purposeful and creative ways.

APPROACH

I find enjoyment in the collective craft of landscape architecture more than in any of its individual parts. In addition to having a creative, problem solving mentality it is critical to do things the right way, which means using the correct medium and tools (including software) for any given task and having the knowledge and experience to utilize one’s tool set in the most proficient way possible. I pride myself on my digital rendering expertise and my drafting speed and efficiency in addition to being a well-rounded project manager and communicator. I am eager to join a firm with a collaborative studio environment that encourages creativity and critical thought while working to design and manage complex multi-faceted projects with end products that make an unmistakably impact on both end users and clients.

MATT MITCHELL

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The Battery Atlanta

ATLANTA | MIXED-USE | HGOR

Tower Square (675 W. Peachtree)

MID-TOWN ATLANTA | OFFICE | HGOR

Lanier Technical College

GAINSVILLE, GA | MASTER PLANNING / HIGHER ED. | HGOR

4 Avalon

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ALPHARETTA, GA | MIXED-USE | SITE Solutions

Sugarloaf Walk

DULUTH, GA | MULTI-FAMILY | HGOR

Marcus Jewish Community Center

DUNWOODY, GA | MASTER PLANNING | HGOR

Celebration Pointe

GAINESVILLE, FL | MIXED-USE | SITE Solutions

Camden Paces

ATLANTA | MULTI-FAMILY | SITE Solutions

Bridging the Divide

ST. LOUIS | DESIGN COMPETITION | Matt Mitchell

overall development rendering done by others

event space adjacent to food & beverage and stadium

The Battery Atlanta

MIXED-USE | ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

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The design creates a sense of place throughout the development with unique features, functionality, comfort and flexibility to create a more intimate and interesting environment. The design inherently centers around socialization – a key trend in sports anchored mixeduse developments. The 60 acre development consists of retail (350K sq. ft.), office (330K), the Omni Hotel, and a 3,600 person music venue in addition to Truist Park.

view from Ponce de Leon Ave.

OFFICE AMENITY SPACE Tower Square

Icahn Properties purchased 675 West Peachtree (former Bell South/AT&T building in Atlanta, Georgia) and began the process of re-positioning the soon to be vacated building. The 50-story, 1.4 million sf complex was opened in the early 1980’s and provided a large plaza area in front of the building built directly over the existing MARTA tunnel. The existing plaza was a harsh, sun soaked, space devoid of any meaningful activity. The new design creates a programmable space with

walkway through the central quad schematic grading plan done as part of the master planning process

Lanier Tech

The master plan for the brand new Lanier Tech campus in Hall County focuses on creating a formal quad at its core while also working to meld the campus with the existing topography and natural environment on the north portion of the 85 acre property. The design team worked with stakeholders to develop a plan that both solved for their current needs and allowed future growth to occur within the master plan rather than be an appendage stuck on the periphery.

BUILDING USE LEGEND

Avalon MIXED-USE

spacial & amenity comparisons to highly successful “precedent” projects such as The Grove and Santana Row were utilized throughout the visioning and master planning process

Avalon’s ownership group tasked the design team with creating the finest mixed-use retail destination in the south. With highly successful high end developments such as The Groove, Santana Row, and Americana @ Brand in mind, Avalon was born in the heart of Alpharetta, an affluent tech-driven suburb of Atlanta. Avalon creates a unique work / play / eat / shop environment that promises to change the way developers think about providing amenities and ambiance in order to develop a highly desirable destination where upfront costs reap long term benefits.

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sketchup perspective with plant merging and fountain done in photoshop

MULTI-FAMILY Sugarloaf Walk

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Zoning overlays for this suburban multi-family project required ground floor retail on a portion of the site creating the need for typical multi-family components to be blended with commercial areas. Typical multi-family details and amenities were provided while also allowing a portion of the project to have properly designed ground floor retail that allowed for a successful leasing environment.

existing conditions openspace vs parking diagram proposed openspace vs parking diagram showing parking realignment and improved entry sequence

PARKING: 549

MJCCA

MASTER

PLANNING

MJCCA had a parking problem and hired the design team with a directive to design a plan for putting tennis courts on the top level of a deck structure that would also provide more parking below. After delving further into their goals and needs it became apparent that a radically different solution would not only solve their problem but would provide numerous other benefits in addition to being more cost effective. MJCCA concurred and re-tasked the team with creating a revised master plan for their property that built on the insights provided through the teams outside the box thinking.

Celebration Pointe

town center perspective showing reflecting pool, proposed tenant space, and the grand lawn in the fore ground

celebration green perspective showing reflecting pool, lounge area under trellis with festival lighting and play mounds beyond

October 1, 2014

Gainesville, FL

celebration green plan

Celebration Pointe

MIXED-USE

tech park plan, hotel indigo above with office over commercial below

main street rendering, ground floor commercial with apartments and office space above

initial leasing office concept model done in sketchup and presented during the design development phase

final concept showing curving walls and mounded planters creating a crescendo effect and replacing the water feature

Camden Paces

Camden Paces is a 381 unit multi-family development in the heart of Atlanta’s posh Buckhead district. The pre-existing low density apartment community came with dense “old growth” tree coverage and was to be replaced with high end rental units including a 7 story post-tension building, a 3 ½ story stick build structure, and twenty townhomes. Atlanta’s strict tree save ordinances created the need for creative thinking on the part of the design team in regards to minimizing fees and penalties while also allowing for a high density development that created value for the owner. The undulating site that includes three distinct on deck amenity areas, two pools, and a variety of outdoor spaces, created the opportunity for many unique design solutions.

original existing conditions photo taken from an adjacent residence’s backyard

photoshopped image showing the same view post-construction with proposed structures shown accurately in perspective

EXISTING CONDITIONS

image w/ proposed structure along with additional plant material photoshopped in demonstrating the screening potential by utilizing newly planted trees

SIGHT LINE

ADJACENT PROPERTY

sight line study done in photoshop with sketchup building rotated to match view

The Paces

Atlanta, Georgia

evergreen screen 6’ screen fence

UNDISTURBED BUFFER

LANDSCAPE BUFFER

BUILDING SETBACK

Camden Paces

three board spread produced for competition

Bridging the Divide

URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION

Developed for the 2010 Steedman Competition, the multi-faceted design concept would reconnect downtown St. Louis with a revitalized riverfront while also helping heal the division between St. Louis and its impoverished crime-ridden neighbor, East St. Louis, which lies just across the river in Illinois. The design concept utilizes numerous elements including physical connections between the two areas, while also addressing the distinct functional needs facing each community.

The standard-bearer for the rebirth and revitalization of the St. Louis Riverfronts and downtown areas will be the Gateway City Footbridge. Crossing the Mississippi River in a single span, the suspension bridge will link a proposed development in the old Laclede Power building and newly constructed park to its north with the newly conceptualized East St. Louis TOD (Transit Oriented Development).

from the west river bank

MacArthur Bridge Pedestrian Thoroughfare and Lift

Saint Louis, MO

MacArthur Bridge Pedestrian Thoroughfare and Lift

the future Chouteau Island traffic due to the Chain of fashion an intimate and direct west bank, the lightweight powered “power stations”, Island then on to Chouteau Mosenthein Island between the two

from the west river bank

the future Chouteau Island traffic due to the Chain of fashion an intimate and direct west bank, the lightweight powered “power stations”, Island then on to Chouteau Mosenthein Island between the two

The MacArthur Bridge Pedestrian Thoroughfare will be an integral southern “anchor” for the downtown “loop” or trail network that will be a major draw for locals and tourists alike, in addition to the added mobility it provides for downtown residents. Currently the bridge serves as an active railroad bridge with a second level, decommissioned vehicular platform that has been

The MacArthur Bridge Pedestrian Thoroughfare will be an integral southern “anchor” for the downtown “loop” or trail network that will be a major draw for locals and tourists alike, in addition to the added mobility it provides for downtown residents. Currently the bridge serves as an active railroad bridge with a second level, decommissioned vehicular platform that has been unused for years. Relying on uniquely designed dual counterbalanced open air platforms stabilized by brass coated support poles and cable with manually operated gates and automated and pressure sensitive safety features, the rehabilitated rustic railroad bridge will be a recognizable architectural banner for the new downtown biking and pedestrian system enhancements. Future improvements could see the bridge transformed into a lush gateway linking the Mississippi’s banks complete with trees, vines, and other plant materials entangling themselves within its oxidized steel frame.