Robert E. Barella [ Address ] 5 Wilbur Street Newport, Rhode Island 02840 [ Phone ] 401.662.1436 [ Email ] Robert_barella@my.uri.edu [ Web ] http://www.linkedin.com/in/robbarella [Education] University of Rhode Island - May 2014 B.L.A. Summa cum laude: GPA cumulative: 3.71 Minor in Art University of Rhode Island Dean’s List, Spring ‘11 - Spring ‘14
[Experience] PresentGlen Gate Company, Wilton, CT June 2014 Project Designer May 2014- University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI Sept 2013 Landscape Architecture Dept. Office Assistant Sept 2013- Glen Gate Company, Wilton, CT May 2013 Design Intern Dec 2012Mar 2012
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI Developer for Virtual Arboretum Project
Sept 2012- Preservation Society of Newport County; Green May 2012 Animal’s Topiary Garden, Portsmouth, RI Fine Gardener/ Assistant of Head Horticulturist Sept 2012- Newport City Hall, Office of Planning, Zoning, Jul 2010 Development, & Inspections, Newport, RI Zoning Assistant
[ Résumé ] [Achievements] 2014 RI ASLA Student Honor Award 2014 Undergraduate Research Initiative Grant Award 2013-14 URI ASLA Student Chapter Vice President 2013 RI ASLA Student Design Competition Entry 2013 RI ASLA Park(ing) Day Student Participant 2013 Susan B. Wilson Scholarship Award 2013 Sustainable Homestead Competition Entry 2013 Second Place Newport Flower Show Miniature Landscape Display 2013 SixtyNine-Seventy Design Competition Entry 2013 Sigma Lambda Alpha Honor Society 2012 Detroit by Design Competition Submittal 2012 Teacher Assistant for Plant Identification Course at University of Rhode Island 2012 Third Place Newport Flower Show Miniature Landscape Display 2011 URI Annual Juried Student Exhibition Honorable Mention
[Volunteer] 2014 RINLA Winter Expo 2013 Green Market Festival 2013 East Farm Festival 2013 Boston Flower Show
[Skills] Hand-rendering, AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, SketchUp, Podium V2, Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, Land surveying, & Photography. Currently training in Revit.
[ Contents ]
Rethinking...
The Newport Waterfront Location: Newport, RI Prepared For: Richard Sheridan, Town of Newport
At the edge of Newport lies a community filled with rich history and culture. In recent years, this coastal community has experienced disastrous flooding, and is in need of a resilient change. The focus of this design is set in the small site of Storer Park. This park is located on the Narragansett Bay and is the only land that protects a dense historic community from the waters edge. Residents in the area want to hold on to their waterfront properties, but it is time for Newport to consider a way of redesigning how they use their coast. This design of Storer Park is intended to redefine the term “park�. It explores the idea of sacrifice versus loss, and serves as a conceptual way to think about the use of coastal development. Storer park will become a precedent model for how the Newport coast can accommodate expected sea level rise.
[Master Plan]
[Design Features] 1. Elevated Pier 2. Ecology education center Native wetland vegetation aims to create a natural wildlife habitat while educating the public of the previous ecology seen in Newport before development. 3. Newport Harbor Walk 4. “The Point” Due to low elevation, “The Point” will act as a levee to protect the surrounding neighborhoods from sea level rise. The interstitial space between houses will become established wetlands. 5. Oyster Reef Aside from filtering water, shellfishing is a tradition in Newport that must be preserved.
Proposed Section
[Conceptual Sketches]
Aerial View of Proposed Storer Park Connection to “The Point” Community
Existing Site
Sea Level Rise + 5’ MHHW
Meadow Brook Park Location: Richmond, RI Prepared For: Will Green, Town of Richmond Team: Ramon Ibarlucea, Dennis Station, Allison Desbonnet, Heather Hussey
Richmond, RI is a small woodland town that is home to nearly 8,000 residents. There are several community parks and areas of woodland trails, however the town lacks a central community hub. The town came to URI’s Landscape Architecture students requesting designs for such an area that would include a community center, a library, and athletic facilities. This design aims to capitalize the location of the design through a woodland restoration project. The primary focus is to support wildlife habitat, while also fostering community development. It promotes discovery and encourages creativity for the citizens of Richmond without disturbing the richness of the site’s natural features.
[Aerial View] (Above) Aerial View of the Site Site topography was a constraint during the design process. The steep slope provided an opportunity to create a series of tiers which would have carefully placed athletic facilities. These tiers would follow natural contours to reduce the amount of cut-and-fill. The spaces inbetween the athletic courts would have minimal disturbance, and appear natural to the site. Conceptual Sketch
[Skating Track] Plan Rendered By: Ramon Ibarlucea
[Summit Yoga]
Water Flow Location: Kingston, RI Prepared For: Richard Sheridan, The University of RI
The University of Rhode Island contains a strongly utilized drainage feature that can be seen at several areas throughout the campus. One of these areas is located at the heart of campus in a high foot traffic area. The purpose of this project was to design a drainage feature that would efficiently collect water from pipes and runoff, while educating students and visitors about the flow of water and its impact on the environment. This design encourages the public to experience the site in a different way. A series of collection basins will be used to raise awareness about the use of sustainable design in the landscape and how it can positively impact the natural environment. Native vegetation will create selective viewpoints of surrounding elements, and provide the community with a relaxing and enjoyable retreat.
[Section]
Carex pennsylvanica 1. Onoclea sensibilis Leucothoe axillaris
alnifolia 2. Clethra Fothergilla major Andromeda polifolia Spiraea tomentosa Polygonatum biflorum
3.
Carex stricta Typha latifolia
[Concepts] [Master Plan]
[Textures]
Westerly Streetscape Location: Westerly, RI Prepared For: Richard Sheridan, Town Planner Marilyn Shellman
Westerly, Rhode Island is a shoreline community that serves as a popular tourist town during the summer. Downtown Westerly features some of the town’s most popular attractions such as the library, the old town post office, the railroad station, and historic Wilcox park. The main street running through the town is bordered by historic granite buildings which host a variety of small shops, restaurants, and places of gathering. During the summer, the streets suffer from severe traffic congestion. Road widths are currently at their minimum and sidewalks are uncomfortably narrow. This streetscape plan aims to create welcoming, easily accessible sidewalks, planted areas to collect run-off water, and sculptural elements which will accentuate Downtown Westerly as an Art District.
[Textures]
[Master Plan]
[Construction Detail] CU-Structural soil is used to bear required pavement load while still allowing sufficient space for root growth and water perculation.
High Street - Canal Street Intersection
[Trellis Structures] These structures will replace the need for trees in areas where fallen limbs could cause potential damage. Vines growing up the trellis help create a shaded canopy as well as bring color into the site. Since the structures are “windswept� towards the road, the shops will still be able to receive sufficient light.
Resilient Shores Location: Misquamicut Beach Westerly, RI Prepared For: Richard Sheridan, Town of Westerly Team: Allison Desbonnet Misquamicut Beach holds an established coastal habitat with a valuable environmental heritage that we see diminishing throughout New England. Between climate change, rising sea level, and excessive storm damage, Southern Rhode Island is in need of a resilient reclamation through the use of its coastal resources. This design demonstrates the multifaceted changes that society will need to make in response to the environment, illustrating some of the strategies to be considered locally, regionally and globally. This design balances the impact of human development without compromising natural features. Misquamicut will continue to serve as an area of relief and retreat, while setting a bold example of how other communities on the coast can cope with the anticipation of sea level rise.
[Master Plan]
[Design Features] 1. Receeded Community Besides the risk of sea level rise, current residential development is in a high storm surge area. By receeding the development, the community will be able to safely continue to live in the area. 2. Wetland education center 3. Terraced Coastal Buffer Tiers will create a reinforced barrier between the pond and the ocean. This buffer allows the community to access the ocean while also having their residences protected from storm surge. 4. Temporary Collapsable Housing
5’ Sea Level Rise
Section of Terraced Coastal Buffer
5. Protected Wetlands
[Conceptual Sketch]
Steel shipping containers have been modified to house residents. When needed to collapse, the two ends close inwards so that the front and back can be pushed together. The compact size allows for many units to be transported and stored in a small, confined area. These units will replace permanant structures that are at risk of future storm damage and sea level rise.
Section + 5’ Sea Level Rise
Sustainable Homestead Location: South Kingstown, RI Prepared For: Beth Kirmmse RLA, Will Green
The Sustainable Homestead is located on a 2 acre residential lot in South Kingstown, RI. The goal of the design was to use sustainable practices that will serve the needs of the residents and set an example of sustainable awareness for the surrounding community. Nearly all materials used are either recycled and/or locally sourced to reduce the need for importing. A series of spaces have been created; some of which have noticable human impact and others that appear fairly natural and organic. The site provides residents with ample food production opportunities and educational resources. The design will have a minimal disturbance on the environment, and embraces the site’s natural features.
[Master Plan]
[Design Features] 1. Permeable Driveway Porous pavers help reduce surface runoff 2. Native Meadow Self-sustaining meadow that provides a healthy habitat for birds and wildlife 3. Vegetable Gardens Gardens are supplied by rich organic compost collected on site 4. Orchard Serves as an educational resource while providing the community with fruit 5. Sustainable Forest Forest is grown to be used for lumber for property needs
[Concept Plan]
Timbercrib walls The design becomes more woodland and natural as one would travel away from the house. The patio area contains built-in planters of native vegetation and grasses to help use some of the rainwater which would collect on the decking. Paths would be mowed areas with vegetative edging and, in some areas, have a layer of locally collected quahog shells.
Sustainable Forest
View of back yard area; Reclaimed silo is incorporated into the house and reused as a cistern
Vegetable Gardens
Private Residence
Native Meadow
Sustainable Suburban Design Competition Keene, New Hampshire Hand-rendered view
Related Work Community Planning Attached Housing Development Construction Documents Horizontal Alignment Construction Details Internship Glen Gate Company Hand-Rendering 69|70 Competiton 9/11 Natick Memorial Sustainable Suburban Design Competition Ashaway Free Public Library Personal Work Newport Flower Show
Community Planning - Attached Housing Development
Cedar Woods Attached Housing aims to accommodate its residents with easy accessibility and recreational needs, while preserving the site’s natural beauty. The design aims to have a minimal impact on the environment by clustering homes and providing minimum impervious surfaces.
Construction Documents - Horizontal Alignment
Construction Details
Internship - Glen Gate Company
Wilton, CT
[Planting Design]
After
These projects were completed while interning at Glen Gate Company under the supervision of design professionals. They gave me the opportunity to receive first hand experience in the field responding to the client’s needs. These projects demonstrated proper botanical knowledge and computer aided design skills.
[Construction Details] Construction details helped improve my skills of designing for real life requests. Through these projects, I was able to gain the knowledge of seeing the design process from the conceptual phase to the finished product.
Before
After
After
Hand-Rendering
Elevated walkways for 69 | 70 Competition
Plan for proposed 9/11 Memorial in Natick, MA
Backyard design for Sustainable Suburban Design Competition
Terraced retreat for Ashaway Free Public Library
Personal Work - Newport Flower Show The Newport Flower Show’s horticulture division consists of various entry levels such as Miniature Landscape Design. These entries consist of predominantly live plant material, and all hardscape materials were hand-crafted.
Chinese Scholar Garden 2013 - Second Place Winner Team: Allison Desbonnet
Spanish Courtyard 2012 - Third Place Winner
Robert E. Barella Contact Information 5 Wilbur Street Newport, Rhode Island 02840 [ Address ] 401.662.1436 [ Phone ] Robert_barella@my.uri.edu [ Email ] http://www.linkedin.com/in/robbarella [ Web ]