landscape/planning portfolio Sketchup designs for town revitalization 2 Place-making through custom lighting/monumentation 3 Bringing barren drainages back to life 4 Building a community sculpture 5 Foundational planning for a historic site 6 Telling the story of a changing river through hand graphics 7 Siting utilities and managing resources 8 Landscape and architectural drafting 9 Photorealistic simulations 10
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My initial role in developing a master plan & way forward for the dilapidated pueblo of Fronteras, MX, was to interview residents (in Spanish) regarding public works and land use, re-site utilities, and get community buy-in for pedestrian use of the town’s historic canals. I then built a Sketchup model of the town’s topography and buildings. Furthermore, I redesigned the town’s commercial center, designed a riverside equestrian center/ecolodge, and translated these conceptual proposals into Sketchup for presentation graphics. This project was awarded the ASLA-AZ Student Award of Excellence (Group, 2010).
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My primary contribution to a master plan for a new childrens’ hospital was the design of place-making monumentation inspired by the graceful form of sideoats grama. These dynamic sculptures move with the wind by day, and change color when a young patient approaches them by night, introducing a playful, soothing, and regionallyappropriate form to this award-winning master plan (University of Arizona Design Excellence Group Award, 2010). I first mocked up this concept in wire and beads, then modeled it in Sketchup, and finally rendered scenes using Illustrator and Photoshop.
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Tasked with producing design guidelines for riparian restoration and recreational use within detention basins of the Pima County Regional Flood Control District, I synthesized concepts of hydrology and hydraulics, soil science, desert botany, urban form, and passive recreational design. Using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, I created a manual illustrating a method of green infrastructure design, which was later incorporated into the County’s Drainage Criteria Manual. I applied these principles to the conceptual design of a 22-acre riparian mitigation area, which was constructed in 2011. This research gained the Desert Studies Award (Garden Club of America, 2009), as well as the University of Arizona’s Dept. of L.A.’s Outstanding Thesis Award (2010).
Seeding, 2011
Grading, 2011
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As-Built, 2012
While an MLA student, I designed, built, and installed a traffic circle in my neighborhood under the supervision of the City of Tucson DOT. This effort involved the design of a flamencoinspired sculpture, Sketchup rendering, community association charette, fabrication oversight of a metal-worker, development of grading, planting, and hardscape plans, and installation.
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As the lead researcher and author of a cultural landscape inventory of Tumacacori National Historical Park, I was responsible for all facets of production of this 273-page historic landscape architecture document. Research included: digitization and analysis of historic photos, land records, and site drawings; review of archaeological and biological reports; aerial photo timeseries interpretation; interview of previous landowners, NPS employees and stakeholders; delineation of historic, modern-era, and contemporary landscape features; and comparison of historic site evidence to known technological and environmental history. Presenting this history chronologically and thematically through written explanation and multiple graphic types, this document has been referred to as an “encyclopedia” of the park’s history by the park’s chief of resources, and has served as a knowledge base for such efforts as the park’s 2012 restoration of CCC-era pathways surrounding the mission.
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My submittal for a design competition for the Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center was a conceptual master-plan celebrating the survival of the Rio Grande. Re-directed river flows, and a procession of land-art installations interpret the “control” and “flow” of the riverine system. Utilizing on-site materials, including jetty-jacks, these sculptures and earthworks tell a story of both the harnessed and unrestrained power of this life-giving river. In order to keep the design of individual installations open to interpretation, I hand-sketched a master plan and installation vignettes, rendered these with marker, Photoshop, and InDesign to form a consistent visual language, and organized them in the form of a “walking tour” map.
inlet
air-space flight backwater basin narrows
apron
snag
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As an environmental planner at Transcon Environmental and EPG, LLC, I analyzed impacts to land use and biological, cultural, and visual resources caused by utility and roads projects. In this role, I categorized landscapes, built GIS models, strategically sited facilities to reduce impacts, created public communication materials, and wrote technical reports.
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I am proficient drafting with AutoCAD 2012, Civil 3D, Revit, and Solidworks. Using these programs, I have prepared planting and hardscape plans (below, student), sized/laid out drip irrigation lines and laid out sidewalk expansion joints (right, EPG, LLC), and created detailed architectural elevations (above left, student), among others. I have also produced 3D models by importing .dwgs into lasercutters and Sketchup (above right, Design Collaborations, Ltd).
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Civil 3D: Draping Project Features
3ds Max: Matching the scene & rendering
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At EPG, LLC, I created legally-defensible photorealistic simulations showing “before” and “after” conditions of power-line proposals. In each of these, I began by photographing the viewpoint and measuring features of the scene with a GPS. Using Civil 3D, I draped structure models onto a DEM, connected them with 3D conductors, and graded building pads. I then used 3ds Max to match the perspective of the .dwg to that of the photo, apply materials to the model, accurately light the scene, and render .pngs. I then used Photoshop to stitch in these renderings, and modify vegetation in the right-of-way. Precise rendering of this sort demonstrates both individual and cross-platform software proficiency.
Photoshop: Stitching & Blending