Landscape Architecture Graduate Portfolio by Melissa.N.Brown

Landscape Architecture Design Portfolio

Melissa Brown

Melissa Brown

brown.melissa.n@gmail.com· LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melissa-nicole-brown/

EXPERIENCE

Summer 2023

Intern, Talley Associates

Spring 2022 - Present Institute of Urban Studies, University of Texas at Arlington

Spring 2020 - Fall 2021

Graduate Research Assistant

University of Texas at Arlington

May 2014 - August 2019

Gardener

Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

2008 - October 2010

Senior Horticulturist

Sea World Orlando Florida

EDUCATION

Graduated 2024

Master of Landscape Architecture University of Texas at Arlington

Graduated 2017 Bachelor of Arts University of Texas at Arlington:

Graduated in 2008

Associate of Science

Valencia Community College, FL Horticulture Degree

Graduated in 2001 Associates of Arts

Tarrant County College, TX

SKILLS

VOLUNTEER

Horticulture

Experience with and knowledge of Texas & Florida native, adapted and ornamental plants

Presentation

Written and Verbal

Fall 2021- Summer 2023

Student Chapter of ASLA Vice President

April 2013 - 2014

LBJ Wildflower Center, Austin Texas Volunteer & Intern

2007 - 2010

St. John’s River Water Management District

Watershed Action Volunteer

INSTALLATION

HORTICULTURE

My passion has always been in gardens and gardening; especially when am able to create gardens or educate people about durable plants which will benefit local fauna. was able to do this at the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival as a volunteer for Rainbird, at the LBJ Wildflower Center, the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens and surprisingly even while working at Home Depot.

In the fall of 2021 helped to complete a project that SASLA began in 2019. We installed plants in the Bel Air affordable housing development in Arlington which were chosen for their drought tolerance, attraction to pollinators and seasonal interest. It was rewarding to see a project had helped design to completion.

2 3

Software

MELISSA BROWN

brown.melissa.n@gmail.com (407) 446-8439 Arlington, TX LINKEDIN: LINKEDIN.COM/IN/MELISSA-NICOLE-BROWN/ June, 2024

Re:

Sincerely, Melissa Brown

4 5 Contents

Urban Design...............................................................................................................................................................................................6-9

Internship..................................................................................................................................................................................................10-11

Master’s Thesis.........................................................................................................................................................................................12-17

Site Planning & Analysis

.........................................................................................................................................................................18-19

Design with Native Plants.......................................................................................................................................................................20-21

Urban Master Plan...................................................................................................................................................................................22-23

Construction Document Details ...........................................................................................................................................................24-25

Sketches........................................................................................................................................................................................................27

MLA last month

my thesis: Landscape

that Enhances Socialization

Community Through Climate Resilience, Guidelines for North Texas

worked in landscape maintenance,

twelve years

like to meet

discuss

firm. am looking for a position at a firm which is climate conscious and seeks to create spaces that enhance social and environmental benefit. I am a lifelong gardener and am always looking to learn and grow.

can provide any more information regarding my background, I would be happy to do so. appreciate your time in reading the attached resume and portfolio and look forward to continued conversation.

Landscape Design Position Dear Hiring Manager: graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with my

after completing

Design

and

Universities. Before started

master’s degree,

and have

of horticultural experience. would

and

opportunities

your

The Market Lewpss

The goal of the project was to create a mixed use urban hub near the growing medical district in south Dallas. The site is located near the historic floodplain and because of this it includes green infrastructure along the roads and a linear park with a detention pond to retain and filter water after heavy percipitation events.

To maintain a calmer environment and to prevent traffic there is no road connecting Medical District Drive to Market Center Blvd. One can easily traverse the site on foot or by bike. Continuing an existing trend of skywalks at UTSW there are two interior bridges connecting the proposed buildings on the east and a pedestrain bridge over the rail tracks to facilitate movement across the site. Tree and shrub lined walkways shade users and provide an environment that encourages users to spend time outdoors.

A large portion of the existing site trees were preserved to better combat the urban heat island. White roofs and a large amount of green space also help to reduce ambient temperatures.

6 7 Environment •A Space for Children to •Wide Tree Lined Sidewalks Encourage Active Living •Nature Views to Reduce Stress •Enhances the Medical District •Multiple Housing Opportunities at All Income Levels •Mixed Use Commercial Spaces to Drive the Local Economy •Blue Green Infrastructure •Preserved Tree Canopy •Increased Biodiversity •Mitigate the Urban Heat Island People Environment Healthy Systems Preserved Site Trees Green & Open Space Blue-Green Infrastructure Pedestrian & Bike Infrastructure Buildings & Structural Parking Roads & Surface Parking Ecological Core Commercial Pedestrian Focus & Accessibility Water Filtration to Trinity River Children

Live-Eat-Work-Play-Shop-Sleep UTSW Medical District Dallas, TX

10 8 7 9 6 5 4 3 12 11 2 1 Existing Buildings Parking Garages Proposed Buildings & Skywalks Surface Parking Legend 1. Children’s Hospital 2. Play Berms 3. Accessible Playground 4. Protected Bike Lanes 5. Pedestrain Bridge 6. Crosswalk 7. Detention Pond 8. Mixed Use Residential & Office Space 9. Sky Bridge 10. Dallas Market Hall 11. Renaissance Hotel 12. Trinity Rapid Express Railline

8 9 Protected Bike Lane Children’s Hospital Sidewalk Play Berm Play Berm Pedestrian Bridge Sidewalk Sidewalk Sidewalk Sidewalk Sidewalk Existing Trees Detention Pond Park Path Mix Use Commercial Retail Mix Use Residential Bioswale Bioswale Bioswale Renaissance Hotel Existing Parking Lot Dallas Market Hall Protected Bike Lane A1 North South Section through proposed retail, railroad and Dallas Market Hall

View east across nature park and detention pond with the Renaissance Hotel on the right.

View south east from play area Proposed Vehicle Circulation View south east from play area of enhanced transportation A

View from the sky-walk west across the nature park with the Renaissance Hotel on the left and the Children’s

Hospital

the right

As an intern at Talley Associates collaborated with my coworkers to render design images for a proposal, conducted a site visit and meeting with the lead contractor. helped to create a plant palette for sites in Florida, Hawaii, Arkansas and Texas. worked in AutoCAD primarily but also Photoshop, Excel, and Blue-beam.

For this project went to the site with one of my coworkers to update the tree survey which had been provided to us and tag the trees. We updated the survey with trees that were no longer there or were not marked and wrote the name and species of the tree on the survey. was able to use my plant knowledge to identify the trees. Later transfered this data to the site plans and removed those that would not fit with the proposed design.

For the Trellis on the right was given several images like the one above which used to create the construction document which could be used to create a pattern which would look as though they were randomly placed. The labels with the terms for the parts were made by my coworker.

This was a collaborative effort. On this project developed the plant palette,added the plants to the CAD document created by my coworkers, updated the planting plan and building footprint as needed based on updates from the lead contractor.

10 11 DINI RO 10 STAI ST1 FITNESS 1047 IL-F.3 184 TRASH 1024 LEC. 1027 RASH RESIDDENT STORAGE 1026 IL-G.4 195 JAN. 1025 IL-G.2 197 IL-F.4 182 CORRIDOR CORRIDOR IL-G.3 180 SCALE: 1/16" 1'-0" 1 POOL & SCULPTURE COURTYARD FP 13 FRP 10 SP FRP WP HLO 12 FP 16 FP HLO FRPPM2AIBTBPFPSHTAGDABDWFPXBTGWFPHCMWF

Internship Talley Associates

SCALE: 1/4" 1'-0" 6 NORTH POOL CANTILEVERED TELLIS PLAN 6'-0" 4'-0" 6" O.C. TYP. 1'-0" O.C. TYP. 1/2" X 11'-0" 4" STEEL PLATE CROSS BEAM 2" ANGLE IRON SEE LEGEND FOR LENGTH 2" ANGLE IRON LEGEND 12'-0" 36'-1" 1'-0" TYP. 11'-0"

Masters Design Thesis

University of Texas at Arlington Landscape Design that Enhances Socialization & Community Through Climate Resilience; Guidelines for North Texas Universities.

My thesis gave me a great opportunity to explore several topics that am passionate abouts; landscape maintenance, research based best practice methods, designing spaces people will enjoy spending time in, sustainability and unusual design solutions.

The University of Texas at Arlington is a great university, but the landscape does not reflect that. Often plant species are chosen which are not able to withstand weather extremes which we face. In addition, increased average temperatures make it uncomfortable to spend time outside.

To achieve the goal of creating a landscape which would be resilient to climate change challenges I created the Socially Active Climate Resilient Matrix which would help professionals and laypeople identify and design spaces which users would want to spend time in

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EXISTING PLANNED Design 1 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Spaces at Building Entrances to Study & Socialize 0 2 2 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Shade plants, Structures, or other methods to cool users 0 2 3 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) ADA Accessible 1 2 4 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) The Space is Well Lit at Night 2 2 5 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Adequate Wayfinding 2 1 6 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Walkways Accommodate Pedestrians & Other Modes of transportation 2 2 7 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Space is Large enough for events but Does not seem empty Otherwise 0 2 8 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Eye catching feature or Focal Point 0 2 9 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Multiple events Can Occur at once such as studying, recreation and socializing 1 2 10 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Seating Options Away From Main Path 0 2 11 **** CPTED Safety: Visibility 2 2 12 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Walkways follow the natural desire to Take the quickest route 2 2 13 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Indoor Spaces Coordinated with the Outside Landscape to Provide a Visually Pleasing Connection 0 2 14 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Informative Educational Signs 0 2 15 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Plan for postoccupancy evaluation 0 *Too Early 16 (Marcus & Francis, 1998) Can the budget maintain this space? 0 *Too Early TOTAL 11 *27 CITATION METRIC SCORE DESIGN & HUMAN

Category Score Poor/None 0 Partial/Adequate 1 Existing/Good 2 *Too Early Rating System

BEHAVIOR

14 15 Current Condition Site Analysis Legend 1. Bioswale 2. Linear Fountain 3. Berm 4. Trellis Courtyard 5. Pollinator Garden 6. Fountain 7. Walkways

Hardscape with Tables & Benches

Artful Skatepark 10. Open Lawn 10 8 7 9 6 5 4 3 2 1 COOPER ST. UTA BLVD ERB Nedderman Hall Entry Points Pedestrian Route Roads Unpleasant View Trees Vehicle Drop off Art Gateway Parking Lots Tables Adirondack Chairs UTA Tower

16 17

Artistic Metal Grate Skatepark with artistic ramps to give campus skaters a space and activate the space Linear Fountain Bioswale

JJ Culberson Fountain

The city of Paris Texas wanted to activate their historic town square. The design was created with consideration for their budget and maintenance abilities. Existing benches were several feet from the sidewalk and not ADA accessible. The proposed design features more seating options with some clustered near the fountain to encourage socialization. Along Main Street there is a brick space with seating. There is no shade and the brick is not flush and could pose a trip hazard. An arbor was proposed to provide shade without hindering the view of the fountain. The brick should be relayed with concrete for stability and to lead users from the seating area to the fountain. There are potted plants throughout the city center, but many were struggling or not well designed. The design included suggestions for low-water, hardy plants and guidelines on how best to arrange them.

18 Maxar, Microsoft 165 Legend Zoning Attribute Indivd. LCAD Parcels ZONING2 FAMILY FAMILY AGRICULTURE COMMERCIAL C&LI CENTRAL AREA GENERAL RETAIL HEAVY INDUSTRIAL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL MULTI FAMILY MULTI FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES OFFICE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC LANDS SINGLE FAMILY SINGLE FAMILY SINGLE FAMILY other values> Limits Paris Paris_2_Mile_ETJ

Site Planning & Analysis

Legend 1. Grouped Potted Plants (Succulents) 2. Benches 3. Painted Fence Around Electric Box 4. Seasonal Bulbs 5. Wooden Arbor 6. Pump Access Cover 7. Flowering Native Shrubs 8. Seasonal Annual Planting 9. Possumhaw Holly Trees 10. Desert Willow 11. Brick and Cement Walkway 10 8 8 7 9 6 5 4 3 11 2 1 Pedestrian Flow U.S. 82 Bus Grand Ave/Clarksville St. 1st St. Main St. Live Oaks Cross Signal Trash Can Shrubs Fountain Pump Access Street Light Electric Box Hardscape Historic Marker Steps Clock Existing Bench Thin Grass

Planting Design

Arlington Museum of Art Kinetic Garden

Gene Allen Park, located near the downtown Arlington library and adjacent to the Arlington Museum of Art does not reflect the artistic nature of the museum and does not get much foot traffic. The design challenge was to create a landscape filled with predominately native plants which would be attractive year round, enhance the museum and attract more visitors.

The landscape design was inspired by the works of Alexander Calder and his kinetic sculptures. The pink triangles illustrate where sculptures would be placed in the landscape. Placing artwork - whether permanent or something that would be changed periodically - would increase the museums footprint and alert passersby to the nature of the building. Many of the plants were chosen for their airy form which would move in the breeze similar to a kinetic sculpture.

20 21 CommonName Botanicname Spring EarlySummerMidSummer LateSummer EarlyAutumnLateAutumn Winter Notes Daylily Mix with Spiderwort & Gaura Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns' 2/5, Tradescantia humili 2/5, Gaura lindheimeri Berkeley Sedge & Daylily Stella d'Oro Carex divulsa, Hemerocallis 50/50 Gulf Muhly Muhlembergia capillaris Giant Coneflower Rudbeckia maxima Mealy Sage Salvia farinacea Yarrow Achillea milifolium Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia Existing Echinacea Echinacea purpea Bloom/Fruit Interest Chitalpa Chitalpa tashkentensis Structural Interst 10 Eve's Necklace Styphnolobium affine Foliage Interest 11 Pond Cypress Taxodium distichum Dormant 12 Crepe Myrtle Lagerstroemia indica 13 American Elm Ulmus americana 14 Juniper Juniperus virginiana 15 Red Oak Quercus shumardii 16 Habiturf Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua dactyloides Hilaria belangeri 17 Little Gem Magnolia Magnolia grandifolia 'Little Gem' 18 Bulbine Bulbine frutescens 19 Red Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora Bloom/Fruit Interset Foliage Interest Dormant Structural Interest Existing CommonName Botanicname Spring EarlySummerMidSummer LateSummer EarlyAutumnLateAutumn Winter Notes Daylily Mix with Spiderwort & Gaura Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns' 2/5, Tradescantia humili 2/5, Gaura lindheimeri Berkeley Sedge Daylily Stella d'Oro Carex divulsa, Hemerocallis 50/50 Gulf Muhly Muhlembergia capillaris Giant Coneflower Rudbeckia maxima Mealy Sage Salvia farinacea Yarrow Achillea milifolium Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia Existing Echinacea Echinacea purpea Bloom/Fruit Interest Chitalpa Chitalpa tashkentensis Structural Interst 10 Eve's Necklace Styphnolobium affine Foliage Interest 11 Pond Cypress Taxodium distichum Dormant 12 Crepe Myrtle Lagerstroemia indica 13 American Elm Ulmus americana 14 Juniper * Juniperus virginiana 15 Red Oak * Quercus shumardii 16 Habiturf Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua dactyloides Hilaria belangeri 17 Little Gem Magnolia * Magnolia grandifolia 'Little Gem' 18 Bulbine Bulbine frutescens 19 Red Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora Bloom/Fruit Interset Foliage Interest Dormant Structural Interest Existing

16 2 19 7 15 16 10 8 7 9 6 5 4 3 17 19 13 18 12 14 11 2 1 1 Existing Friendship Monument Proposed Ar Installation Arlington Museum of Art

Community Based Master Plan

Polytechnic

Heights, Fort Worth Texas

The Polytechnic Heights Master Plan was created as a collaboration between Dr. Im’s landscape architecture studio IV students and Professor Chiessa’s architecture students. Through several meetings with the community and with surveys from grade school kids the design goals were visual enhancement to increase sense of pride, utilize vacant land through pop-up parks and increase connectivity. The renderings for the master-plan was designed by Josiah Miller, Lauren Wardwell and myself.

We each focused on a portion of the project and my focus was road improvements. I created the perspective, street plan and section on the next page. The design on the right illustrates how residential roads could be closed to create a third place for neighborhood parties or other local events.