RACHEL TAYLOR MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
PORTFOLIO
CONTENTS
STORMWATER STREETSCAPES PEPPER PLACE // BIRMINGHAM, AL
INSPIRING CREATIVE PROCESS D.C. WOLFE SCHOOL // SHORTER, AL
BLUR CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER // COLUMBUS, GA
THE SUCCESSIONAL COURTYARD
surface water
groundwater
ALAAP
soil
JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART // AUBURN, AL
DIRTYBAMA ALABAMA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT // CHILDERSBURG, AL
PLANT SKETCHBOOK AUBURN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS // AUBURN, AL
STORMWATER STREETSCAPES: HYDROLOGIC SYSTEMS AS NEIGHBORHOOD BRANDING Spring 2013 Pepper Place - Birmingham, AL Instructor: Jacqueline Marge s Pepper Place in Birmingham, AL is a highly impervious area. The neighborhood is plagued with compacted soils, extensive asphalt, and drainage problems. However, it is quickly gaining a reputa on as an up-and-coming arts and entertainment district, bringing up the need for some sort of branding or visual iden fier for the area. This design transforms the problema c stormwater issues on the site into an amenity that benefits the residents of Pepper Place through water remedia on, the facilita on of social interac ons, and the crea on of a neighborhood iden fier. This amenity takes the form of a network of red pipes that harvest rainwater from roo ops, infiltra on beds, and a constructed wetland that cleanses water and allows it to recharge groundwater supplies instead of entering the storm sewer system. These pipes also frame the entryways of local businesses, ac ng as metal sculpture art during dry periods and playful water conveyance systems during storm events. The red pipes become a mo f that permeates the area and becomes a branding mechanism that helps to create a unique iden ty for Pepper Place. Integra ng hydrologic systems into social environments makes water processes legible to the public and provides the opportunity for symbio c coexistence between human and ecological processes.
Three linear blocks of streetscape will be retrofi ed with a stormwater conveyance system of red pipes that release water into a series of “stormwater sponges� and a large constructed wetland at the north end of the site. The re-design helps to define the character and heart of the Pepper Place neighborhood.
The exis ng terrain of the decommissioned rail yard forms a natural drainage point. Stormwater runo from the neighborhood’s impervious surfaces accumulates in the depression between two former rail lines. Opportunis c plants have colonized the area, forming a thriving ruderal ecological habitat.
STORMWATER SPONGES A series of stormwater sponges are proposed along the sidewalks of 2nd Avenue South and 29th Street South to soak up runo. Stormwater is collected from the roo ops and conveyed through red pipes into a sculptural water feature made by local cra sman, alluding to the rich history of metalworking in this area. Stormwater planters then receive, filter, and infiltrate the water to recharge the aquifer below the soil surface.
NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY Exis ng traďŹƒc lanes are slightly narrowed to allow for the widening of sidewalks while retaining the exis ng on-street parking. The en re neighborhood of Pepper Place will be transformed into a more pedestrian-friendly area. Red stormwater pipes not only improve stormwater infiltra on, but also serve as entryway markers for local businesses from which signage can be hung. This creates an iden fier for the neighborhood that can easily be extended as the area flourishes under the ongoing revitaliza on eorts.
RAIL YARD WETLAND A metal grate walkway extends between two large buildings and through the abandoned rail yard to connect Pepper Place to the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System along 1st Avenue South. A constructed wetland will be dug between the former rail lines, exaggera ng the exis ng topography and drainage pa erns. The wetland remediates urban runo while providing habitat for wildlife. The view from the site of Sloss Furnace, a Birmingham landmark, inspires the form of the walkway and large red pipe system. The pipes playfully convey stormwater from the large buildings that flank the pathway and serve as sculptural elements during dry periods while runo from nearby asphalt runs underneath the path.
I-85
D.C. WOLFE SCHOOL
HWY
80
INSPIRING CREATIVE PROCESS ADAPTIVE RE-USE IN SCHOOLYARDS Fall 2012 DC Wolfe School - Shorter, AL Instructor: Jocelyn Zanzot D.C. Wolfe School in Shorter, AL is the only elementary school for Macon County, AL. As such, it is an important place in the landscape for many young children. This project explores the possibili es of inspiring crea vity and imagina ve thinking through adap ve re-use of materials and dynamic landscape processes. The current schoolyard contains a prefabricated playground, large playing field, underu lized forested area, and abandoned wing of the building. The goal of this project is to re-think the role of the schoolyard and create a place for crea ve expression, explora on, and playful educa on for the children of Macon County. The themes of adap ve re-use, teamwork, cul va on, and metamorphosis generate elements such as a reclaimed playground, open-air pavilion, building field, vegetable garden, and bu erfly laboratory. This re-imagined schoolyard encourages children to look at their surroundings through new perspec ves and explore crea ve solu ons.
SITE HISTORY The grounds of D.C. Wolfe have a long history of agriculture, a process which involved transi oning from a forested area into fer le farmland. The co on fields were removed and the school was built, and the forest is beginning to return. This process-based thinking of transforma on, growth, and regenera on into a new form is a central component of this project.
INVESTIGATIONS Spending several a ernoons with the students revealed their desire for crea ve expression and explora on within the schoolyard.
“The schoolyard habitat is a dynamic living system that is an ideal theme and seƫng for integrated learning. Nature has a direct Ɵe to the sciences but it also inspires and becomes a great stage for the arts. Examples of applicaƟons seem endless as the habitat environment facilitates scienƟfic experiments or math exercises, inspires nature wriƟng, drawing or mural making, and provides the seƫng for story telling or dance performances” –Lauri Johnson Schoolyard Habitat Design
Reclaimed Playground
Veggie Wedges
Bu erfly Laboratory
Building Field
Learning Pavilion
RECLAIMED PLAYGROUND The unused wing of the school will be deconstructed, giving the opportunity for adap ve re-use of materials. These reclaimed objects will generate a playground that extends into the wooded area behind the school. Re-use of nontradi onal items encourages students to explore the possibili es of u lizing resources crea vely. Turning a “problem� such as the unused wing into a resource for the school inspires children and teachers to look at things from new perspec ves.
INTERLOCKING WOOD
RECYCLED TIRES
ROCKS AND STONES
STRING, ROPE, & TWINE
BUILDING FIELD The building field gives the students of D.C. Wolfe an outlet for crea vity and construc on. By providing materials such as interlocking wooden pieces (similar to giant Lincoln Logs), res, rope, and stackable stones, children will be allowed to construct their own places within the landscape out of unexpected materials. This helps to build teamwork and problem-solving skills, while also allowing them to use their imagina ons and par cipa ng in role play.
LEARNING PAVILION The remaining structure of the deconstructed unused wing of the school will form a learning pavilion. This provides a sheltered space for students to learn about environmental processes, set up concession stands for their annual field day, and even eat lunch outside. The pavilion gives teachers the opportunity to easily take their classes outside to provide be er scope for the imagina on during crea ve wri ng exercises, science classes, or individual reading me.
VEGGIE WEDGES The collec on of wedge-shaped raised vegetable gardens gives students a hands-on learning experience about plant life cycles, pollina on, and agricultural cul va on. However, it also gives children the opportunity to get excited about crea ng and growing things of their own. Through caring for the garden, students can be exposed to the processes that aect the lives of all organisms. The raised beds are constructed from low gabion walls filled with reclaimed materials from the demolished wing of the school.
METAMORPHOSIS The bu erfly laboratory gives students a clear and easy-to-understand example of insect life cycles, especially the process of metamorphosis. The garden could become a se ng for scien fic study and experimenta on, and it also teaches the children to think of the environment as a dynamic cycle that inspires new growth and change over me.
BLUR: DISSOLVING THE BINARIES BETWEEN RIVER AND CITY Spring 2014 Cha ahoochee River - Columbus, GA Instructor: Rod Barne The world is not cleanly divided into separate self-contained en es. Rather, the landscape is comprised of components that overlap, interact, and intermingle with each other, crea ng gradients and ecotones between components. Such is the case when land meets water. The interface between the terrestrial and aqua c realms is infinitely complex, but is o en treated as a hard boundary in urban se ngs. This is the case in the city of Columbus, Georgia. The interface between the Cha ahoochee River and the urban built environment has the poten al to become the hub of social and ecological interac ons in Columbus, yet is treated as a type of no-man’s land, riddled with u lity lines, riprap, and a rarely used pedestrian path along the bank. Analyzing the habitats of dierent life forms, water flow, and sediment deposi on through mapping reveals the true nature of the rela onship between river and city. Ac vity is concentrated where water and land meet, but the division is indis nct, dissipa ng outwards and forming a gradient. Blurring the divisions between rivers and ci es embraces the realm between land and water as a center of ecological and social ac vity. Over me this treatment will become a porous and diverse ecotone where the needs of humans are not valued over those of nonhumans, where the river is recognized as part of the city, and where greater ecological democracy can occur in the landscape. This can be achieved by taking away the physical divisions between river and city, se ng up ini al condi ons for novel interac ons, and allowing the river’s edge to form itself through the accommoda ng fluvial processes.
SITE PHOTOS Several site visits revealed extensive erosion problems along the riverbank. Large walls of riprap are con nually being used to alleviate these problems to no avail, cu ng o people and wildlife from accessing the water. Several of the sandbars in the river contained deposits of bo les, figurines, bricks, and other manmade items. This visual history of humankind’s interac on with the Cha ahoochee River inspired several of the design moves of this project.
HUMAN USE + High density residen al area
FLUVIAL PROCESSES + Upland runo erodes the riverbank
WILDLIFE HABITAT Li le to no riparian wildlife
GENERATIVE MAPPING Dozens of hand-drawn maps were layered to analyze the rela onship between human development, fluvial processes of the Cha ahoochee River, and wildlife habitat. An area of high density human popula ons was found alongside an ecologically dynamic sec on of the river, but li le overlap or interac on occurred between the two. These findings generated the research site for this project.
The design proposal for this site is a set of ini al condi ons meant to shape the self-organiza on of the landscape into a rich ecotone of not only ecological diversity, but social vitality as well. The goal is to generate a blurred region that is neither river nor city alone, but both at once. The edge between terrestrial and aqua c ecosystems will integrate and thicken, becoming a porous, diverse, and ecologically democra c zone where both human and nonhuman systems are treated as one.
YEAR 1
YEAR 10
YEAR 50
The porous nature of gabions allow water runo to flow through, but prevent eroded soils from washing into the river. Soils accumulate behind the walls over me to form varied terrain that can support diverse plant species.
Exis ng onsite riprap, asphalt and concrete reclaimed from the site, and found objects from the river hold a history of interac on with the river and will be used to fill the gabions. Pushing and pulling these materials across the site brings them back to the visual forefront of the landscape and revalues them as part of the river/city system.
RIVERBANK AS ECOTONE Gabion walls are spread across the riverbank to generate a gradual grade change and encourage fluvial processes while allevia ng erosion concerns. Making the river accessible and diversifying the terrain provides opportuni es for human engagement that were previously impossible, such as fishing, swimming, and outdoor learning. The new riparian zone intermingles the river and city into one ecotone with unique quali es that don’t exist in either en ty alone.
ECOLOGY AND EDUCATION Gradual grade changes provide a variety of habitat types for wildlife, restoring the na ve riparian and wetland zones. While the mounds of earth behind the gabion walls are colonized by grasses, rushes, and sedges, the walls themselves act as substrate for the prolifera on of three threatened species in the Cha ahoochee River. Re-opening access to the river also provides educa onal opportuni es for local schools, environmental organiza ons, universi es, and community members to learn about their local environment and share their surroundings with other organisms.
PURPLE BANKCLIMBER This species of freshwater mussel a aches itself to rocky shoals and alluvial deposits. The rocky gabions that gather sediment and runo can act as a substrate for this endangered mussel.
SHOAL SPIDER LILY The bulbs of this threatened flower wedge themselves in the rocky shoals of swi ly moving waterways. The city of Columbus is currently trying to repopulate this species in the Cha ahoochee River.
SHOAL BASS The city of Columbus is currently trying to reintroduce the shoal bass into the main channel of the Cha ahoochee River. Gabion structures provide a suitable surface for spawning and feeding on aqua c insects.
LIVING PARKING LOTS The river/city ecotone extends upland into the Chase Homes community to combine human and nonhuman habitat. Retrofi ng the highly anthropocentric central parking lot into a “living parking lot� reveals the exis ng urban ecology of parking lots and makes them legible to the public. The asphalt of the parking lines is removed, and the exposed soil is seeded with plants that provide a food source for local birds. Nes ng structures are built into the overhangs of the buildings, allowing local ecology to mesh with the fabric of the city and increase biodiversity.
COL LEG E ST REE T
WOODFIELD DRIVE
JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART
THE SUCCESSIONAL COURTYARD A STUDY OF PLANT SUCCESSION AND SPATIALITY Spring 2014 Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art - Auburn, AL Instructor: David Hill The Successional Courtyard is an inves ga on into the life cycles of plants. This study analyzes the changing spa al, seasonal, and successional quali es of the landscape over 75 years. Through examining how the plants themselves grow, decline, and decay, we can design processes and systems that form dynamic landscapes, embracing change and transforma on through me. The species chosen for this study were Co onwood (Populus deltoides) and Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), two early-succession plants that exhibit vigorous growth and reproduc on, have short life spans, and are easily out-competed by other species. Eventually, they will decline and become replaced by mid to late succession plants such as oaks, hickories, and maples. As me progresses, the plants begin to change their surrounding environment. The outdoor sculpture is covered by foliage, then revealed as the trees lose their leaves in winter. The roots of the co onwood trees begin to crack and li the remaining pavement, crea ng a different walking experience and variability of ground plane. The seasonal changes provide a different experience at every me of the year, then new seasonal phenomena take over as different plants emerge.
SUCCESSIONAL STAGES
EARLY
MID
LATE
YEAR 1 SPRING: The study begins with removing sec ons of the concrete path and plan ng several co onwood trees. The rest of the exposed soil is seeded with goldenrod. As the trees begin to grow, their blooms release a sweet fragrance and a ract pollinators.
YEAR 8 SUMMER: Several years into the study, the co onwood trees have exhibited their vigorous growth rate, crea ng a dense canopy that begins to shade out the goldenrod. Root growth extends under the pavement, producing small cracks near the edges. Fluy white seed pods adorn the trees and float in the breeze, ensuring the prolifera on of new seedlings across the site.
YEAR 30 FALL: As the leaves of the co onwoods turn a golden yellow, the roots have created wide cracks in the pavement, allowing opportunis c species to colonize the crevices. The shade generated by the now towering co onwoods provides the shade needed for mid to late succession plants to germinate and begin to grow.
YEAR 50 WINTER: In the cold winter months, bright green moss spreads into the cracks of the pavement as the co onwoods reach full maturity. Other understory species have taken root, compe ng with the co onwoods that have mul plied across the site.
YEAR 75 SPRING: The co onwoods reach the end of their life span, and they begin to decline and decay as they are outcompeted by the nowdominant hardwood species. The pavement below has been li ed, cracked, and colonized by mosses and herbaceous plants. This thick mat of vegeta on generates a living pathway that gives visitors an up-close look at succession and decay in the landscape.
ALABAMA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT
COOSA RIVER
DIRTY BAMA A MENU OF OPTIONS FOR PUBLIC BROWNFIELDS Summer 2013 Alabama Army Ammuni on Plant - Childersburg, AL Instructor: David Hill DirtyBama is an inves ga on into the poten als of public brownfield remedia on. The Alabama Army Ammuni on Plant in Childersburg, AL is a decommissioned TNT manufacturing facility. Located in between a wildlife preserve and the Coosa River, the grounds of this facility are in an ecologically sensi ve area that has high poten al for public involvement. The goal of this project is to create a menu of remedia on op ons for the city of Childersburg. Conven onal treatment method are re-evaluated, and dierent techniques are explored. Cu ng-edge technology, non-chemical treatments, public visibility, and economic value are all inves gated for their merits and drawbacks. The end result is a packet of informa on containing the site history, contamina on risks, and mul ple methods of remedia on that could be given out to the residents of Childersburg. This first step in garnering public support has the opportunity to revalue this long-abandoned facility as an amenity for the surrounding community and wildlife.
original ALAAP boundary
Coosa River Area A
Talladaga Creek
Area B
ALAAP boundary a er 1986
THE DIRTY TRUTH
Tallaseehatchee Creek
The only TNT manufacturing facility in the state of Alabama is the Alabama Army Ammuni on Plant (ALAAP), located four miles north of Childersburg in Talladega County. Built on 13,233 acres of former farmland, woodlands, and wetlands, the plant was opened in 1941 near the junc on of three significant waterways: the Coosa River, the Talladaga Creek, and Tallaseehatchee Creek. The ALAAP’s original purpose was to manufacture TNT and other nitroaroma cs, such as DNT and tetryl. At the end of WWII, the plant was completely shut down and remained rela vely unused un l 1973, when parts of the grounds were sold to various industrial companies. The land that was too badly contaminated to sell remained under government control and was divided into two areas: Area A, the plant’s former storage area; and Area B, the industrial manufacturing facili es. The US Army conducted an environmental assessment of the remaining ALAAP grounds in 1978 and found that the soil and groundwater were highly contaminated by explosives residue, asbestos from building demoli on, lead, and other various metals. The ALAAP facility was added to the EPA Na onal Priori es List in 1987, and the plant was closed off one year later.
recycled acids
toluene nitric acid
nitration process
acid washing
spent acid waste wastewater
crude TNT
water
red water
sellite washing/ purification
sodium sulfite “sellite”
TNT recycled sellite
EFFECTS OF TNT PRODUCTION Produc on of TNT creates a significant amount of toxic wastes, the primary of which is Red Water. These wastewaters are also o en tainted with inorganic salts, lead, nitrates/nitrites, tetryl, and other various metals. Red water can be evaporated and the sediments incinerated, but this disposal method is very cost-ineffec ve. Most o en the red water prior to the 1980s na onal closure of TNT facili es was simply discharged into a nearby water source, such as the Coosa River. These waste disposal prac ces, along with the burning and detona on of explosives on-site, have led to severely contaminated soil and groundwater. The standard method of removing contaminated soils today involves incinera on, producing ash that must be disposed of in hazardous waste facili es. This project aims to find different methods of remedia ng this waste that is legible to the surrounding community.
water
washing
SO2
purified TNT
water
separator
purified TNT
red water
incineration OR
disposal/discharge
drying/ flaking
packaging
finished TNT
07 / northern TNT manufacturing area 25 / battery storage & demolition debris area for dumping construction debris and lead battery casings; still contains batteries to this day groundwater
CONTAMINANT LEVELS
produced TNT and DNT; discharged industrial waste into redwater ditch groundwater soil
Extensive research and mapping revealed the current state of the soils, groundwater, and surface water of the ALAAP grounds. This informa on was then used to create a menu of op ons for publicly visible remedia on.
09 / aniline sludge basin unlined basin for liquid wastes and sludge from the acid & organic manufacturing area; contains water year-round
soil
21 / redwater ditch discharges 17% of all site surface water into the Coosa River; carried redwater from both TNT manufacturing areas; contains flowing water during wet periods
groundwater
surface water
10 / tetryl manufacturing area tetryl production area; high amounts of lead found in machinery and piping groundwater
soil soil
26 / crossover ditch discharges 25% of all site surface water into the Coosa River; collects runoff from areas 03, 06, 17, 18, & 20 surface water
soil
[area A / remediated]
02 / smokeless powder facility
20 / rifle powder finishing area
17 / propellant shipping area
smokeless powder pellets spilled during the loading/shipping process
soil
stored smokeless powder before shipping; contamination from sweeping debris/spills
groundwater
disposal area for building rubble soil
soil
06 / southern TNT manufacturing area
soil
22 / demolition landfill
produced TNT and DNT; discharged industrial waste into crossover ditch
16 / flashing ground series of trenches where trash and explosive materials were burned
groundwater
groundwater
03 / sanitary landfill and lead facility 7.5 acre landfill used for domestic solid waste and building rubble soil
soil soil
08 / acid & organic manufacturing area produced nitrobenzene and other chemicals for the TNT manufacturing process groundwater soil
key: high medium low
nitroaromatics tetryl asbestos lead nitrates/nitrites other metals
Coosa River Area A
Area B
Beaver Ponds
SURFACE WATER CONTAMINATION Surface water flow was the primary method of contaminant movement. However, it was found that a series of ponds created by wild beavers provided natural contaminant removal
MENU OF OPTIONS
surface water
groundwater
soil
ALAAP
This series of possible solu ons aims to re-think conven onal remedia on techniques in order to make these processes more legible and engaging to the public. Several non-chemical remedia on methods are also explored in order to inves gate op ons that benefit local wildlife.
SMOKESTACK COLORATION The smokestacks of the old factory building could serve as signage depic ng the current progress of remedia on eorts.
WILDLIFE WETLAND PRESERVE Allowing the current beaver popula on to expand, along with crea ng addi onal dams and wetlands, accentuates natural wetland filtra on and remedia on of surface water.
PASSIVE/REACTIVE TREATMENT WALLS Permeable treatment barriers stretched across flowing surface water neutralize and break down toxic compounds. Sensors in the water trigger light displays that clearly depict filtra on success.
PHYTOREMEDIATION DEMONSTRATION Several plant species have the ability to immobilize and degrade the toxic compounds associated with TNT. Dierent plants could be removed when the soil is clean, providing an educa onal display of species eďŹƒciency to site visitors.
BIOSLURRY TANKS Bioslurry remedia on is a process in which contaminated soil is excavated and put into a mixing tank with water, nutrients, and microbes. The microorganisms in the mixture break down the toxic compounds, then the slurry is dried and placed back into its original loca on. Tanks with clear walls could easily demonstrate this process to visitors.
SOIL COMPOSTING FACTORY Exis ng contaminated soils are mixed with microorganisms and organic ma er to create compost. A site of this magnitude could produce enough compost to be an economic asset to the community, providing jobs and a sellable product. [Pictured: Vancouver Yardwaste; photo by Michael Levenston]
PERFORMANCE SPACE / FESTIVAL GROUNDS Once surface contaminants are remediated, the remaining factory buildings could be transformed into performance venues that hold music fes vals, fairs, and events. This could be an economic driver for the city of Childersburg and allow visitors to see the amazing poten als of brownfield remedia on. [Pictured: Kasema en in Graz, Austria; photo by Helge O. Summer]
PLANT SKETCHBOOK EXPLORATIONS IN PLANT RESEARCH Fall 2012 - Spring 2014 This plant sketchbook is an ongoing project that carefully examines the characteris cs and details of dierent plant species. Each sketch is an a empt to capture the structure, unique quali es, and ephemeral facets of each species. Growth and habit, texture, flowering, seed produc on, and uses in the landscape are all analyzed through the pages of this book.