landscape architecture portfolio
I am a Brisbane based Landscape Architecture student about to spend my 7th semester at the Queensland University of Technology at Gardens Point. I will be Minoring in Architecture and Graphic Design, as these are two key areas of the design world that I also have a passion for. I am inspired by interactive spaces that encourage movement and can manipulate the way a place is viewed. In my work, I put an emphasis on sketching and model making right from concept development through to the final stages of a project. Digital visualization is also a key tool that I use to my full extent. Constantly developing and experimenting with this type of media will always be at the forefront of my work as it so important to communicate and visualize ideas in the most understandable way possible. Within the first three years of studying Landscape Architecture, I have had my work chosen for the QUT End of Year Design Exhibition (2013-2015) and have been awarded with the QUT Best Construction Work Across All Years (Sponsored by Vee Design). Following that, I was chosen as one of the 2nd Year Students to represent QUT Landscape Architecture at the Brisbane Powerhouse Exhibition (2015).
Nathan J. Merlano
nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
nathan merlano
about me
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CURRICULUM VITAE NATHAN JOSEPH MERLANO
information
d. m. h. a.
17/11/1994 +61 431 380 286 (07) 3376 2405 5 Sutherland Court Mount Ommaney e. nathan.merlano@hotmail.com w. issuu.com/nathanmerlano /docs/portfolio_2
education
02/2013 Present
QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Bachelor of Design (Honours) Majoring in Landscape Architecture Minor in Architecture Minor in Graphic Design GPA 5.5 on a 7 point scale
2000 - 2012
st johns anglican college high school Forest Lake, Brisbane Graduate (2012)
experience
08/2015 Present
cactus & Hill landscape architects Junior Landscape Architect Work included schematic design, design development, construction documentation, construction observation, administration, graphics creation and presentation preperation.
July 2016
DAN YOUNG LANDSCAPE architect Landscape Work-experience Work included schematic design, assistance in vegetation selection, and manual labour services.
awards & recognition
2014
2014
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QUT Best Construction Work Across All Years Recognizes students with outstanding shcematic and development design abilities within a construction based unit across all years at the Queensland University of Technology. QUT 2nd Year Representative for Powerhouse Exhibition One of 12 students who had their work selected as representitives for QUT Landscape Architecture to showcase at a Brisbane Powerhouse Exhibition; later to be followed up by an appearance in the Courier Mail.
references
continued. . .
2015
living classroom honorarium Recognizes students who achieved a high level of performance in the DLB500 2015 unit and encouraged them to continue work on their selected project.
2013 - 2015
QUT End of Year Design Exhibition The QUT end of year exhibition showcases and highlights student work of the highest quality across all years and across all seven design disciplines studied on campus.
professional skills
Adobe
Claudia taborda - academic Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture QUT Gardens Point • claudia.taborda@qut.edu.au • +61 452 641 712 • dan young - academic Landscape Architect Dan Young Landscape Architect • dan@danyounglandscape.com • +61 405 571 598 •
Indesign Illustrator photoshop bridge premiere pro
autodesk
autocad 3ds max
google mircrosoft office
sketchup word excel
hand
drafting & drawing modelling basic
intermediate
advanced nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
nathan merlano
about me
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table of contents
quiltscape
NATHAN JOSEPH MERLANO
LOWER CRESSBROOK SOMERSET DAM
GOODWILL BRIDGE QUT GARDENS POINT SOUTH BRISBANE
CONSTRUCTION
ASHGROVE GOLF COURSE BREAKFAST CREEK
QU
EE
NS LA ND W WA SOU LE TH S
NE
MEMORIAL SCAR TRAIL BINGARA NEW SOUTH WALES
LIQUID TACTILE
ADELAIDE STREET, BRISBANE
contents
goodwill bridge 2014 Place Design Intervention • Debra Cushing + Dan Young
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14 QUILTSCAPE 2016 Landscape Planning & Urbanism • Debra Cushing + Abbie McKean
liquid tactile 2015 Landscape Construction • Tom Lenigas
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Memorial scar trail 2015 The Living Classroom • Debra Cushing + Kaan Ozgun
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sample of construction DOCUMENTATION 2015 Landscape Construction • Claudia Taborda
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contents page
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S27° 28' E153° 01' Goodwill Bridge Place Design Intervention
CONCEPT PLAN
_01
Analysis of the site showed confliction between pedestrians and cyclists; due to a dense space that forced both users to cross paths and interrupt each others route of travel. It was a whirlwind of movement that had an interruption of flow. The space encouraged an intervention that would clean up sight lines for each user and provide and element of controlled chaos that would ultimately make this space a landmark and a reference point for its surroundings. 9
SECTION 1 CUT
CONCEPT PLAN
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SECTION 1
1
The long and exaggerated bicycle ramps and the complete open space for pedestrians below will allow users of all kinds to navigate the space with ease.
2
Splitting cyclists and pedestrians through the use of layered levels and paths will prevent conflict by opening up the space and providing longer decision making time for both users.
3
The design will make the existing site a point of attraction and a central node for the area as it is not only a connection to QUT but a connection to the rest of the CBD.
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The gorgeous fig trees and the rivers edge are what make this site so special. The design aims to highlight these elements and allow users to experience them in a way that was never possible before by creating different spaces and rooms against the canopy of the fig trees.
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GOODWILL BRIDGE
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Spatial divergence is evident in the site with pedestrians and cyclists converging on common decision points found within the chaos infused space. The network of paths leading into the site plays on the spatial form and function of a ‘whirlwind’, dragging you in to a central point; twisting, winding and pushing you out in another direction. The numerous leveled paths promote depth and speed while organizing the chaos and allowing all users to move through the space freely. The presence of a ‘whirlwind’ creates a subjective experience for each user; cyclists whip around the paths above while pedestrians find themselves in the ‘eye of the storm’ below.
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CONCEPT MODEL PHOTOS
CONCEPT MODEL PHOTOS
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GOODWILL BRIDGE
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S27° 05' E152° 27'
PERSPECTIVE 1
Quiltscape Landscape Planning & Urbanism
_02
The Greater Brisbane Region will see an estimated population increase of 195% by 2056. With an influx of people this large there needs to be a better understanding of Food Security and Food Production to combat this rising issue. Within South East Queensland 51% of current agricultural land use is dedicated to the monoculture of grazing. Despite a high ratio of land use for agricultural production, much of this space is wasted on single zone production resulting in the degradation of the surrounding biophysical environment; particularly in relation to soil damage and vegetation loss. This project looks at an alternative method to this cultural perception of singular land use and uses the vast amount of grazing land within the Greater Brisbane region as a catalyst for an intensified agricultural system to develop. Brisbane is known for its failing ability to produce soil that has a high productive value. Therefore site criteria resulted in the decision to locate a site with poor soil quality that could, through the continuation of time, eventually become a prosperous space for agriculture to thrive. The valley between Lake Wivenhoe and Cressbrook was chosen due to its poor soil quality and vast amount of open grazing land. nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
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QUILTSCAPE
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OUTLINE OF DETAIL PLAN
SECTION 3 CUT
MASTER PLAN LA
KE
W
IV
EN
HO
E
Road Network New network proposed over site to allow for ease of access to users througout the new system.
Concentric Zoning Using newly developed catchments as anchor points, a concentric agricultural sysem is implemented to harness the new capabilities of te site.
GBR Urban sprawl extent
Forest Fingers. Identifying key existing creeks and overland flow patterns, dense vegation installed to allow the water to become naturally protected.
Forestry Production Utilising space for potential growth, hardwood plantations will be established in areas with good soil quality.
GBR Urban sprawl vs agrictultural land
Meadow Breaking down the site, significant and insignificant spaces have been identified for native grassland and meadow’s to flourish under the new scheme. Fodder Trees Utilising the many strenghts that fodder like trees obtain, spaces with a poor soil quality and spaces within the creeks flood zone will take advantage of this vegetation species.
GBR Urban vs specific agriculutral use
Existing Contours
Water Including current creek systems, Over land flow and proposed catchments. GBR - grazing land with good soil vs grazing land with poor soil quality nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
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QUILTSCAPE
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PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
EXISTING HABITATS Year 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
MATURE BIOMATRIX 7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65
Set-out
ZONE 1
Establish native prairie RIVER
Infrastructure Fodder Trees
Plant
Establish
Allow growth up till 40 years, or till soil is re-astablished. Commence Removal
Meadows
Allow succesional woodland on wet areas, mow dry areas every 3 years
Woodland
Plant
Forestry Production
ZONE 2 DAM
Establish
Allow growth of system for protection
Clearing Establish main arterial roads
Establish native prairie
Set-out
Infrastructure Conctruction of catchments
Fodder Trees
Plant
Establish
Allow growth up till 40 years, or till soil is re-astablished. Commence Removal
Meadows
Allow succesional woodland on wet areas, mow dry areas every 3 years
Woodland
Plant
Forestry Production
ZONE 3 VALLEY
Plant
Establish
Allow growth of system
Establish and complete minor roads Plant
Meadows Woodland
Allow growth of system for protection
Set-out Establish native prairie
Infrastructure Fodder Trees
Establish
Establish
Allow growth up 25 years, thinned and mixed with rotational meadow grazing
Allow succesional woodland on wet areas, mow dry areas every 3 years to maintain prairie Plant
Forestry Production
Establish
Allow growth of system for protection Plant
PHASE 1
Establish
PHASE 2
Allow growth of system for harvesting
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
FODDER ZONE 1 ZONE 2 ZONE 3
FORESTRY PRODUCTION WATER
MEADOW
PROTECTIVE ROAD
EXISTING
SECTION 3 DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT SITE
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Quiltscape is an alternative proposal for an intensified agriculture landscape within the Lower Cressbrook Valley. This proposal looks at utilizing the surrounding poor soil quality and underutilized agricultural conditions and provides a potential model for similar existing sites The soil quality and agriculture output is improved annually due to a successional framework that rotates land use. The succession plan follows an order of meadow and prairie grazing, fodder tree development, forestry plantation with the addition of a zootechnical system. This supercharged agricultural landscape will not deteriorate over time or plateau but in fact provide the landscape with an abundance of ecological energy. This multi-colored Quiltscape is determined by the introduction of 4 water bodies located in the lower valley. These water bodies are the skeleton of the site and inform the concentric layout scheme for the future agriculture development.
SECTION 1 OPEN MEADOW
SECTION 2 FODDER TREES, GRAZING & PLANTATION
FODDER
FORESTRY PRODUCTION WATER
MEADOW
PROTECTIVE ROAD
EXISTING
SECTION 3 CONTINUED
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ISB
BR R IVE
ER AN
DETAIL PLAN
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Suggested grazing pattern is based of a 1:8 ratio. Cows use the fodtder trees and circulate 8 times a year for 8 years while a previously used patch is regenreated for 8 years.
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QUILTSCAPE
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S27° 28' E153° 01' Liquid Tactile Landscape Construction
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_03
Brisbane can be often seen as a city with a very rigid and gridded city structure and those who use the streets follow the path laid out for them. However this is not the case at all, it’s all a facade. There is a hidden layer of the street structure that only those who travel daily would understand. We don’t use the street grid that Brisbane has provided us anymore, we take our own route through the city. We take the shortcut through the arcade, we cross the street through the red light because we already know there’s no cars coming, we J-walk where we want and when we want. We rebel against the fake façade of Brisbane City. Due to the system of the grid, roads can become empty voids of space with minimal cars and minimal traffic. Leaving pedestrians and J-walkers to use these spaces as giant zebra crossing zones. In collaboration with AILA Queensland and the Forecast Landscape Architecture Festival 2014 we were put forth to design a ‘self-guided’ tour of Brisbane City followed with an installation that fits a theme and concept derived from our own spatial understanding of Brisbane City. nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
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LIQUID TACTILE
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The Guerrilla Walkfare tour that was designed by students Nathan Merlano, Alex Robinson & Jared Hall took you on a journey through the grid of Brisbane City, highlighting the shortcuts, the turn offs and how the city should be used. The aim was to celebrate and put on show the underpinning nature of Brisbane City’s J-walking.
Fig 1// Map of Brisbane City - Outline of Guerrilla Walkfare Tour Fig 2// Documentation of previous prototype models Fig 3// Documentation of final tactile shape & measurements
The installation and final product designed for the Guerilla Walkfare tour is called the ‘Liquid Tactile’. It highlights and celebrates the users of the CBD’s nature of J-walking. It’s relation to the concept is that it playfully leaves a live memory/ impression on the ground of a J- Walker. The finished product is envisioned to be self- sufficient and meets industry standards on safety and uses quality materials that are beautifully crafted.
Fig 1.
Fig 2. Concept Development
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Fig 3.
ITERATIONS OF DESIGN PROCESS
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LIQUID TACTILE
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S29° 46' E150° 42'
FINAL MODEL PHOTO
Memorial Scar Trail The Living Classroom
_04
The aim of this project relied heavily on client requirements in order to design a bike trail connecting the township of Bingara NSW to a Memorial site located some 50km away. It was found that there are currently four main bike trails throughout the township of Bingara. Almost all four navigate in close proximity to Bingara; only one trail extends outside of the town. Therefore there is currently no bike trail that connects and links Bingara to any of its greater surroundings. This in turn leaves an opportunity for creation and the chance to appropriately link the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial to the township of Bingara. nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
nathan merlano
SCAR TRAIL
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SIMPLICITY
JOURNEY
Above - Myall Creek Memorial Walk Below - Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe by Peter Eisenman
SPACIAL EXPERIENCE
EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS
PRELUDE TO MEMORIAL
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The simplicity of the current Myall Creek Memorial was an element that I was drawn to immediately; the fact that such a minimalistic design was able to hold and deliver such a strong message to its viewers. This design approach allowed its user’s to connect with the site itself on a higher level and was able to course an experience and a journey onto the public in a way that wasn’t overpowering in it’s surroundings but true. This Memorial was the base of inspiration and forced a focus on similar types of memorial design, in particular the ‘Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe’ designed by Peter Eisenman in Berlin. Eisenman stated early in the project that “the enormity of the crime of the Holocaust is so large that any endeavour to represent this by traditional means of memorial design, would be unavoidably insufficient”. What was taken from this memorial and Peter Eisenman’s view of his memorial was that in order for the proposed bike trail to grasp the attention of its users and ultimately be able to represent the Myall Creek Memorial, it would need to take
the users on a journey or experience that better connected the two on a more meaningful level. The bike trial however would not be designed as a memorial itself, it would act as a prelude before the Myall Creek Memorial; allowing each of the two to play a separate part in commemorating those who were lost during the tragic event. The events of the Myall Creek Massacre were so horrific that a bike trailed designed to connect Bingara to Myall Creek Memorial would need to take its users on an experiential journey. By reinventing a moment of memory through temporary experience of the body in space, the Myall Creek Scar Trail will ultimately highlight the experiences and emotions of the indigenous victims of the massacre. The idea is to use and Manipulate the landscape throughout the bike trail in order to reflect certain experiences and moods onto its users. Creating divots or scars throughout the trail will be a representation of how the European Settlers ripped through the Indigenous culture that once was and allude to the fact that these two cultures juxtapose each other.
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SCAR TRAIL
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RD CO MB E EL
6
5
6
way.
2 1
RD
3 2
THE G LIVIN SROOM S CLA
UM PET CO DAM D ROA
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Official start of Bike Scar Trail at Junction Park. Map of Trail on information board along with other Bike trails. If the Gwydir River water level is too high, you will not be able to pass over to White St. Instead continue over to the Gwydir River Bridge and turn left onto White street to continue the Trail.
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First Scar that you will pass through on the trail. Next to the designed scar will be signage informing users of the rest of the trail.
4
Second scar placed on opposing side of the road to help way find cyclists on their ride and to inform cyclists that they will have to cross the road to continue on the Trail.
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Brief road crossing onto right side of road due to lack of room on left. WH
1 W RD WHITLO Signs and maps guide you along the
ITLO
WR
D
NCU N LA AM AL GH N NI RD
Optional start at The Living Classroom.
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NING CUN ST HAM
MYALL CREEK MEMORIAL
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4
COM BE
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8
RA NG D RD U L DE FOR H AS 3
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Final Scar for the Trial with signage informaing users of the journey back UPPER WHITLOW RD on to Bingara and a brief statement the connection to the Myall Creek Memorial just over the ridge.
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Road crossing to acces the site of the Memorial.
MASTER PLAN
N IO CT SE 1 CU T
DETAIL PLAN
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SCAR TRAIL
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SECTION 1
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SCAR TRAIL
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S27° 44' E152° 96'
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Sample of Construction Documentation Landscape Construction
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The following is a brief selection of construction documentation that was supplied as part of a DLH700 unit studied in 2015. The work provided includes a Landscape Cover Sheet, Legend and Schedules, Set Out Plan, Landscape Plan, Landscape Details and Landscape Sections. The context for the construction documentation is known as the Ashgrove Golf Course adjacent to Breakfast Creek in Brisbane, Queensland. nathan.merlano@hotmail.com 0431380286
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CONSTRUCTION
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CONSTRUCTION
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CONSTRUCTION
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CONSTRUCTION
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thank you,
NATHAN JOSEPH MERLANO
information
m. h. a. e. w.
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+61 431 380 286 (07) 3376 2405 5 Sutherland Court, Mount Ommaney nathan.merlano@hotmail.com issuu.com/nathanmerlano/docs/portfolio_2