CONTENTS TEACHING EXPERIENCE
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
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RESEARCH
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GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO PROJECTS
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE DESIGN COMMUNICATION 1 & DESIGN COMMUNICATION 2
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esign Communication 1 began with the fundamentals of graphic technique including hand lettering, sketching tutorials, hand drafting and rendering as well as effective layouts and presentations. The course was structured lecture presentations were followed up by demonstrations in drawing and lettering conventions, sketching with pencil and pen with the goal that students would demonstrate potential to communicate effectively by the semester’s end. Once a week class was held outside at unique locations around campus so students could practice drawing the landscape
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tudents were assessed on their grasp on hand drafting and rendering techniques through design projects. The example shown below is a revision of a derelict site within the city of Gainesville. Requirements included a complete plan drawn to scale, rendering, with sections and perspective sketches.
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n Design Communications 1 students were also introduced to the design process. In this project shown, students were given a small section of an urban area and tasked with deconstructing it through site analysis, land use analysis, and then recreating the site plan with either hand or digital graphics. This was a group project that was completed in phases throughout the semester and served as the final assessment.
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hese are examples of in-class assignments completed by students in the follow-up course, Design Communications 2. Students were required to create a digital graphic libraries with plan and elevation objects including trees, shrubs, vehicles, humans and site furniture. This served as a way to introduce them to basic Photoshop techniques. I created learning modules that progressed in complexity from creating simple sections and rendering perspectives to using blending modes to create rendered elevations and plans with a sense of depth and dimension.
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LAA 2376c Design Communications 1 TEAM PROJECT
FALL 2011 Instructor: Meredith Leigh
Problem Statement: The city of Gainesville has agreed to pursue efforts to increase the city’s tourism revenue dollars by creating a true destination spot near downtown. Your task as a group is to propose a viable design solution. The city has debated and narrowed down the choices to: 1) A new mini theme park, similar to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Miami’s Jungle Island (AKA Parrot Jungle) or Monkey Jungle, or Fairchild Botanical Gardens, an Aquarium 2) A new multi-purpose entertainment complex similar to Universal’s CityWalk, Downtown Disney, or Channelside Entertainment Complex in Tampa. 3) A new resort (Gainesville’s first!)
REQUIRED Program Elements for each concept: RESORT
SMALL THEME PARK
A Guest Hotel for up to 1100 visitors A 50 Unit Condominium
YOU MUST CHOOSE A THEME FIRST! Dining
50,000 SF of On-site retail (including a grocery store)
At least 5 rides and/or showcase features
On-site Parking facility Dining
Retail space One centerpiece (think “The Tree of Life” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, for example) Exhibition Space
Pool(s) 3000 SF Spa/Salon
ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX A Music Venue A Multiplex Movie theater with IMAX 50,000 SF Shopping/retail space (must include a food/grocery store) 20,000 SF dining space At least 3 new nightclubs, 5 new bars A main promenade Green space reserved for a small park for gathering, outdoor music performances and relaxing
YOUR MISSION: Choose a concept and develop it from site analysis to master plan. Because of the scope of the course objectives, your goal will be to produce high quality landscape architectural graphics while you have a go at design conception. Your grade will be contingent upon the degree of thoughtfulness and creativity of your design concept and the completeness of the graphic quality as well as finished presentation of your proposal. This is a semester long project and will be taken through the design process and work flow from site analysis, conceptual design, Illustrative master plan, layout in AutoCAD and a 3-D model. This is a group project. Everyone in the group will receive the same grade. Each team needs to choose a Team Leader who will act as spokesperson and coordinator. Being a team leader does not exempt you from hands on work. It only means you are the communicator or ambassador of the team. Your job is to communicate any issues your team confronts with the Instructor and to lead in presentations of the group’s work. THE PHASES: PHASE ONE: ANALYSIS
100 Points
Due date: Friday, 9/16
Each team will be provided a base map of the site and will need to conduct a thorough analysis of the site. Your submission and presentation will include (on separate layers) the following: 1) Site Inventory 2) Site Analysis (with the appropriate graphic symbols): a. Circulation (pedestrian, bicycle (if any) and vehicular) b. Existing open spaces on site and in immediate (within one block) surroundings c. Built areas (what are the uses of the site’s buildings, what is the surrounding land used for) d. Wetlands (any adjacent) e. Industrial Zones f. Sporting venues, cemeteries, landmarks, etc. g. Good/Poor views, Conflict zones h. Existing Vegetation
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DC 1 PROJECT STATEMENT
1 The Site: The GRU operations site soon to be vacated, from SE 3rd Street to SE 7th Street, and between SE 4th Avenue and Depot Avenue. There is a mix of residential, industrial and civic zoning the immediate context as well as existing urban green space that needs to be considered.
STUDENT WORK
A Nightclub
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LAA 2379c Design Communications 2 Spring 2012 Meredith Leigh Final Project Project Description The objective for the rest of the semester is to pull together everything you have learned and worked hard on between Design Communications and Principles of Landscape Architecture. As you begin working on your University Square project, the scope of your work for the project will incorporate the digital arts to complement your hand graphics from the studio. In the end, you will create a book, actually, a portfolio, showcasing your design and supporting graphics for University Square as well as some of your selected works from the past two semesters. The intention of this project is to further develop your digital graphic communications skills as well as test your abilities to put together a strong composition. With this project, you will work in AutoCAD, SketchUp, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. What follows is the scope of work for the rest of the semester. Deliverables: 1. Site Analysis/Synthesis diagrams a. Your studio diagrams will be recreated in Illustrator and presented as exploded axonometric diagrams b. Diagrams will include an aerial image of the design site 2. Design Development a. Three perspectives will be rendered in Photoshop or Illustrator. The 3 renderings will be added to the portfolio. You can use SketchUp to set up the perspectives – which will make creating believable perspectives renderings a bit easier. b. Photoshop section renderings of the hand drawn sections you will complete for the University Square project will be required so that you will have Photoshop renderings and hand renderings for each of your sections. c. Your concept diagrams and plan view renderings will also be included 3. Selected works of your own choosing from your collection of projects (Yes, you may include D1 projects) 4. Portfolio layout requirements: a. Sheet size: 8.5”x11” b. Orientation: either c. Paper Quality: Bond, white (Producing portfolios is a very expensive undertaking – you may print your portfolio on regular printer paper for this
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he major project assigned during the second semester of Design Communications integrated the major project from their concurrent studio course Principles of Landscape Architecture. Whereas hand graphics are emphasized in the studio, in DC2, students are challenged to complete the design package by drafting the project in AutoCAD, rendering it in Photoshop, and creating a 3D model in SketchUp.
CONCEPT
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The city of Gainesville is for a looking for a park/plaza that will stimulate interest in the midtown district. In order to create a such a space, analyzing the site and it surround provides the necessary information for its concept. Thus, through the observation of three major zone which centralize the site, Residential, Institutional, and Commercial, converge together in the of an Oak Tree to create “Community”
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n DC2, part of their major semester project was to recreate their Principles of Landscape Architecture Site Synthesis in a layout created in Adobe Illustrator.
Figure/Ground Structure
GOAL 1: Emphasize access to the site though the major and minor corridors
The building mass provide emphasize the openness relative of the site.
OBJECTIVE 1: Identify the density of traffic through these corridors. GOAL 2: Create a micro-climates that is suitable for the site and its surrounding. OBJECTIVE 2: Note the mirco climate of Gainesville and it’s relevancy to the site.
Figure/Ground Vegetation The tree mass provide depicts the density of vegetation around the site.
Below is a section through a student’s design created in Photoshop for their final project. Students chose to include these renderings on their final Pin-Up board.
Circulation Primary Secondary Pedestrians N
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OPPORTUNITIES
CONSTRAINTS
The site itself is relatively flat. The is existing vegetation. Within there is a small cluster of palm trees, indications of an oasis.
The Fellowship building adjacent bears a large plain wall. Product of bad economy.
Lot treated as future/existing development of Mixeduse retail/residential.
Vehicular traffic provides the most noise.
The patrons of the commercials can utilized the space when developed. Very accessible.
Florida climate. Hot. Little to no vegetation.
Land Uses Commercial Residential Institutional/Civic Mixed Use Site
The citizens of the residential zone can utilized the space when developed. Very accessible. The students of the institutional zone can utilized the space when developed. Very accessible. Vehicular and pedestrian circulation is heavy. Site frequency is high.
Department of Landscape Architecture Design Communications 2 Applied Exercise
UNIVERSITY SQUARE SITE ANALYSIS SYNTHESIS Gainesville, Florida
Abdias Dalisma 3/28/12
At the end of the semester, students compiled and presented all of their best design work in a portfolio created in InDesign and were also able to use to apply for summer internship.
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
“The Storytelling Tree”, rendering for The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center Open Spaces Sacred Places grant proposal, 2012 13
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THE COTTON CLUB MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER
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s a designer with DR3Design, I created some renderings for clients using SketchUp Models and Photoshop. To the left are renderings for The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center. The design team wanted to show how the funds awarded from the Open Spaces Sacred Places grant would be used to create a butterfly garden and open art space outside Gainesville’s historic Cotton Club and below, a vision for a respite under a grove of southern magnolia trees with rocking chairs looking toward the The Storytelling Tree, a heritage oak tree once used by the local residents as a place were local elders would tell the neighborhood children stories.
TALL PAUL'S BREW HOUSE
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o the right is a rendering for the owners of Tall Paul’s Brew House. They wished to give their vacant side alley a warmer, more inviting appearance with a biergarten theme. With strung lights, climbing vines and reused whiskey barrels, the result is a cozy, warm outdoor room that the clients were very pleased with.
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CITY OF GAINESVILLE SIXTH STREET RAIL TO TRAIL I had the opportunity to work on landscape design concepts for a Public Works project. It was an over two mile stretch of former CSX railroad corridor that has been turned into a recreational trail. I designed a landscape plan that was didactic and modern while respecting the Florida plant palette. I also completed the construction documents for the northern segment of the project. The landscape plan will be installed later this year.
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HERITAGE OAKS COMMON AREA
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eritage Oaks Homeowners Association (Alachua, Florida) asked for a design concept for the large vacant lot at the center of their community. They wanted a family-friendly park setting where people could gather for rest or recreation. The design plan incorporated Florida-friendly plants that shade a strong geometric circulation pattern. A large gazebo and a fire pit provide spaces for gathering. A bocce ball court under a grove of shade trees and a new playground provide spaces for adult- and child-friendly recreation.
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THE MOORE RESIDENCE Ocala Florida The clients strongly desired a tropical landscape for their North-Central Florida home, a task not easily achieved. I used a palette of Florida-friendly or native plants to mimic a South Florida landscape with broad leaf plants, cold hardy palm trees and plants with 20 a rich color range.
THE LEIGH-GREEN RESIDENCE Miami Florida The clients asked for a design that would help them organize their small backyard while giving them a space where they can barbeque with friends and soften the look of the wood fence that encloses the yard. The perspective renderings were modeled in AutoCAD 3D and finished in Photoshop.
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INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
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As an intern at EDSA (Fort Lauderdale, Florida), I was able to work on several great projects including the conceptual master plan for East Lucaya resort on Grand Bahama (top left), villa renderings for El Gouna (bottom left) and renderings for marketing materials for a development in Coconut Creek in South Florida (above)
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I interned with the landscape architect at the University of Florida in 2007 where I worked on the design and construction documents of three designs that became my first built projects. I designed and drew up the construction documents for the planting plan for the newly built biomedical building on campus (left) and the planted berm and curtain wall behind Turlington Hall (this page)
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RESEARCH
Dissertation: Beyond the Label: a Typology for Assessment and Mitigation of Disparities in the Urban Food Environment Abstract: In 2009, 15% of households in the United States were considered food insecure and one in four children faced hunger every day (Nord, 2010). Previous research indicated that, in the U.S., access to healthy foods has been a challenge in many urban areas. Researchers have highlighted the effect of the built environment on rates of obesity and obesogenic disease. In predominantly low-income neighborhoods where there is a paucity of quality healthy food outlets such as supermarkets, obesity rates tend to be higher. Evidence also shows that in areas where poverty rates are high, convenience stores and fast food restaurants abound and supermarkets are scarce. This study argues that, in the literature, there is still no consensus on definitions or measurements of disparities in urban food access and contends that not all “food deserts� share the same characteristics, and therefore cannot be served by the same solutions. This study’s aim was to develop a spatial typology for classifying disparities in urban food access in order to move beyond the common labeling of an area as a food desert or food insecure. The study was designed as a quantitative exploratory case-study using GIS to map three spatial barriers (proximity, diversity of availability and mobility) to healthy food access and to compare these spatial barriers to three socio-economic measures (income, age and single mothers). Tampa, Florida was used as the study site. The result was a typology of six scenarios that categorize each census block group based on its healthy food access characteristics. Results of the analysis of spatial barriers and socio-economic data revealed no correlation between any of the spatial factors and income. However, the analysis did reveal that there were a higher percentage of single mothers in neighborhoods with at least one supermarket nearby. There were also more single mothers in neighborhoods where access to public transit and vehicle ownership rates were lower. Householders 65 and older tend to have good mobility and live in areas well-served by a variety of healthy food outlets. Implications for urban planning policy and urban design are discussed as well as 26directions for future research.
Theoretical framework of the major spatial barriers that contribute to unequal access to healthy foods Non-Spatial Factors (from Shaw) Ability Asset Attitude
Spatial Factors Location/Distance Access to Mobility Variety/Selection
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Master’s Thesis: Romancing the Seine: An Exploration into the Experience of Romantic Urban Landscapes 28
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G R A D U AT E D E S I G N S T U D I O PROJECTS
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Cofrin Nature Park memorial landscape design, Gainesville, Florida, 2009
Saint Augustine AIA promenade and visitor center, Saint Augustine, Florida, 2009 31