Contents Introduction
Community Design
Hand Graphics
Personal
My First Produce Stand June 1991 - 7 years old
Introduction I realize more and more every day that I am just the kid who grew up and never stopped believing he could change the world. With each passing day, I feel a greater urgency to listen and learn as much as possible so that I may have the tools to make a difference on our planet. Coupled with my love for the outdoors and strong analytical skills, I believe that my fierce work ethic and positive attitude are qualities befitting a career as a landscape architect, and will enable me to be successful as I continue to learn. My ultimate dream in life is to have a positive impact on our planet through the creation of timeless interactive landscapes. This dream stems from my undying passion for nature, a sense of community, and the desire to help people live happier healthier lives. Combined with my previous experience in the golf and real estate industry, I feel that a degree in landscape architecture will provide me with a unique set of tools that will enable me to affect positive change throughout my life. A career as a landscape architect will open vast windows of opportunity, any one of which could positively affect the lives of countless people and our environment. For me, that it exciting! I decided long ago that I would always think with my head, follow my heart, and do something that I know and love. Previous experiences in both work and school have taught me many invaluable lessons, including what it will take to become a successful landscape architect, and I am truly excited to see what my future holds!
- Adam S. McCollister
Rendering by Spine3D
Centro de Convenciones Amador
Ciudad de Panamá
Panama’s national bird is the “Aguila Harpía” (Harpy Eagle). It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas, and one of the largest extant species of eagles in the world. As mentioned in the national anthem, “Y que adorne el azul de tu cielo”, the Harpy Eagle takes to the blue skies. Portrayed on the flag, Panama's national symbol can be seen flying over land that connects two continents, creating a link or connection between them. The giant majestic bird spreads its wings to create an area where people can come together to share ideas and experience the culture of Panama. Located at the point of connection between North and South America, the Centro de Convenciones Amador promises to welcome visitors from all around the world. The convention center will include a hotel, multiple banquet halls, a three-story theatre, and convention hall space, all surrounding a large outdoor plaza and amphitheater. The design also suggests plans for future expansion into the surrounding parcels to include mixed-use retail and condominiums, a cruise ship terminal, water park, and water taxi with service to downtown Panama City and the international airport.
Centro de Convenciones Amador Ciudad de Panamรก
With the guidance of the project team, I was personally responsible for the illustrative site plan, marketing poster, and the final concept book, which totaled 115 pages upon completion. The President of Panama, the Minister of Tourism, and several other high-ranking officials were responsible for reviewing the deliverables and making the final decision. Our small team was going up against a couple of the top architecture and engineering firms in the world, but after three months and countless man hours, we were successful and won the competition. The project is currently under construction and is estimated to open in 2015. I am extremely proud and honored to have been a part of this competition and I look forward to watching it develop over the coming years.
Rendering by Spine3D
SketchUp by Ross Jermano
Community Design
Everyone has a favorite place where they grew up, but many of us tend to forget about these places as we grow older, and we forget what made it so special in the first place. I love the moment in community design when you ask a resident, “What’s your favorite place, and why?” A community should evoke the character and history of that place, as well as it’s people, that is why community based design is especially interesting to me. Every community is unique from the people and their land, to the endless stories that tie it all together. Trying to create unique spaces that hold true to the cultural heritage of a place can be challenging, but the benefits of a well-designed community, in which its people feel connected and supported by one another, cannot be expressed solely in words.
“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.� -Kurt Vonnegut
Carver Neighborhood: A Community Revitilization White Springs, Florida
The banks of the Suwanee River around White Sulfur Springs have been a place of refuge since the days when it acted as a border between the Timucuan and Apalachee Indians. When the Spanish arrived in the 1530s, they learned that warring tribes could come to bathe and drink the healing waters while putting their differences aside. In 1835, Bryant and Elizabeth Sheffield bought land for a plantation in the Suwanee River Valley Region, including most of what is now White Springs. After building a log hotel for visitors next to the springs, Florida’s first tourism attraction was officially open for business. Unfortunately, due to development in the surrounding area, White Sulfur Springs is no longer active, and the once beloved attraction is now merely a memory for those who were lucky enough to enjoy its blessed waters. Although the springs have taken a turn for the worse and the city is in an economic depression, the culture and sense of community is as strong as ever.
STUDENTS Stephanie Bou-Ghannam Johan Bueno Viviana Castro Kaymonisha Coker Bryn Coubrough J Craig Handley, Jr. Mark Koenig Adam McCollister Belinda Nettles Jared Prentice Joshua Roedell Laura Snider Christopher Stidham Aaron Wiener Tracy Wyman Theresa Wymer
FACULTY & PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS David Armbruster - Senior Partner, EDSA Maria C. “Tina” Gurucharri - Department Chair Kevin Thompson - Associate Professor Chris Lathrop - Adjunct Professor Amy Wagonfeld - PhD, OTR/L, CAPS John Paul “JP” Weesner - Doctoral Candidate A SPECIAL THANKS TO: The city and residents of White Springs Dr. Helen Miller - Mayor “Teddy Bear” Marshall - Resident Celebrity Chef
Carver Neighborhood: The Group Design Charette
This semester long project is the culmination of efforts between the city of White Springs and the University of Florida’s Department of Landscape Architecture. White Springs Mayor, Dr. Helen Miller, is particularly interested in an area on the east side of town known as the Carver Neighborhood. The site was once a thriving hub of activity with the Carver School at the very center of it all. After the desegregation of public schools, the Carver School shut it’s doors and were to never reopen again. To this day, the original school buildings stand as a constant reminder of what once was. Over the course of a three day design charette, the group was divided into four teams. Each team completed a site analysis and produced development concepts for White Spring’s historic Carver neighborhood. An oral history film was also recorded in order for the group to gain a better understanding of the history and culture in White Springs. The initial community workshop really set the stage for an amzing semester’s outcome.
Carver Neighborhood: Individual Design
The primary goal for my individual design was to revitalize the existing Carver neighborhood and reconnect the community to the rest of the city of White Springs. I was able to do this by reconfiguring some of the area's transportation network which helped to break down some of the physical barriers. Another key element of my design proposal was the inclusion of community gardens throughout the neighborhood and K-12 charter school. These gardens, with the help of the community center, will serve as a vehicle to bring the community closer together while also restoring their pride in this beautiful and historic landscape. Another major consideration for my design was environmental education and responsibility beyond the garden. The main backbone of my envi community design is an environmental education trail system which doubles as the community's stormwater conveyance system. This area utilizes innovative planting design and topography to slow down stormwater to help reduce flash flooding while removing harmful pollutants and heavy metals before it can reach underground aquifers.
Roadway Easements
Neighborhood Community Garden
Carver School and Community Center
Carver School and Community Center
Hand Graphics
Samples of work produced during my internship with Canin Associates in Orlando, Florida.
The Reserve at Minneola Community Pool Conceptual Design
Design by Bill Poulin Graphics by Adam McCollister
The Town of Nocatee Town Center Concept Design by Bill Poulin Graphics by Bill Poulin and Adam McCollister
University Corner
When most people think about the center of Gainesville, they think of the corner of University Avenue and 13th Street. This “100% corner� is the perfect place for a multi-use park where students and the public alike can come to unwind after a long stressful day. My concept for the design was based on the contrast between the ordered routine of the classroom and the hectic college lifestyle that takes place in between. Starting in the northeast corner, the custom seating elements are arranged freely and tilted on multiple axes to provide a sense of disorganization and hectic student life. As you move toward the southwest corner, toward the University, the tilting and arrangement becomes orderly and controlled, much like the classroom atmosphere. Also included in the design is a large projector screen, attached to the adjacent building, to provide ample entertainment opportunities throughout the year.
Framing Plan
Oklawaha County Center for Boy Scout Education From the stories of the people who live there, you can tell that Oklawaha County is a rural precinct in north central Florida. Yet, you will not find it on conventional maps. It exists outside ordinary time and space, the creation of Florida troubadour Gamble Rogers. This recreation center is intended to be a multi-use space for public use during select times, but its primary use will serve as a Boy Scout educational facitlity. As a former Boy Scout myself, desigining this project was especially fun for me. With that in mind, I created a contrast of space types throughout the site to provide a variety of choices and opportunities for the users. Each space features unique elements to provide a sense of place and a distinctive experince as you move through the site.
Analysis
Key elements include a pine harvest grove where users can learn about the unique pine savannahs of Northern Florida, controlled burning, as well as a functioning white pine stand for harvest. Additional key elements include a council ring with fire pit, and a large wooden deck which may be used as additional event space. The overlook to the fire pit creates a nice ambience in the evenings as well.
Bird’s Eye Perspective: Rear
Planting Design
Bird’s Eye Perspective: Wood deck
Seating Detail
Post / Beam / Footer Detail
Isometric View
Road Alignment & Stormwater Management Plan
Just For Fun
I love staying active and keeping my mind engaged with new and exciting things. This is part of why I love landscape architecture so much; there is always something new to see. I am passionate about everything I do, even building sand castles. This project was part of the sand castle competition during the 2012 LAbash Conference in Miami Beach. My studiomate, Joshua Roedell, and I teamed up against several other universities for a two hour sand castle build off. Our drip style sand castle is abstracted as a quarry (indicative of Florida) that has been transformed into an "Urban Oasis", the theme for LAbash 2012. The stalagmite forms act as abstracted buildings surrounded by lush plantings. We also created a small lake by digging down to the water table, after consulting the local tide chart of course. All materials were found on the beach or along the adjacent Sea Walk, an easy way to connect our design to the urban oasis context known as Miami Beach.
My classmates and I were pleased to see that our studio had its own private balcony looking out over the southeast side of campus. The views are nice but it did not take long to notice the uncomfortable afternoon microclimate. The balcony and glass façade of the studio faces due south, which has the greatest amount of sun exposure here in Florida. Again, it was my classmate Josh Roedell and I that devised a plan to improve the space once and for all. We decided to “greenâ€? the balcony to improve the overall aesthetic while promoting urban agriculture and other landscape architecture practices. We collected a variety of plants and tapped into the rain gutters of the Architecture building to collect rainwater in a homemade cistern. Over time, our balcony has matured into a very pleasant space that acts as a respite from the hectic studio life inside. The local fauna have also taken a liking to us with the addition of a bird feeder and several fruit and vegetable plants.
Adam S. McCollister Education
1826 NW 38th Street Gainesville, FL 32605 Shooter1484@yahoo.com (334) 790-4136
August 2010-Present University of Florida - Gainesville, FL Anticipated Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Spring 2014 GPA: 3.95 - President’s List - Dean’s List 2009-2010 Santa Fe College - Gainesville, FL Associate of Arts Degree GPA: 3.90 2004-2005 San Diego Golf Academy - Myrtle Beach, SC Associate of Applied Business Degree Golf Complex Operations and Management GPA: 3.71
Work Experience May - December 2012 Canin Associates - Orlando, Florida Landscape Architecture Intern My primary role was working with the Landscape Architecture Studio as an intern designer while also assisting both the Planning and Architectural Studios when needed. Through a wide range of projects, including one successful international design competition, I was tasked with producing work through a number of means including hand drawings/renderings, computer aided design, model construction, and proposal writing. 2009 – 2011 Publix Supermarkets, Inc. – Gainesville, Florida Customer Service Associate Assisted in the daily operation of a first class grocery supermarket while providing premier customer service to all customers. Various tasks included food preparation and demonstration, cash office management, register operation, and daily cleaning/maintenance. 2007 – 2008 West Bay Beach & Golf Club - Estero, FL Apprentice Golf Professional I performed a wide variety of tasks to support the daily operation of a high-end 18-hole private country club. My tasks included things such as group and individual golf lessons, club repair services, tournament operations, tee time management, and working directly with the merchandiser to promote retail sales and increase inventory controls.
References Robert R. “Bob” Grist, FASLA Associate Professor University of Florida Department of Landscape Architecture Office: 446 ARCH (352) 392-6098 ext. 323 / grist@ufl.edu Maria C. “Tina” Gurucharri Chair, Associate Professor University of Florida Department of Landscape Architecture Office: 431E ARCH (352) 392-6098 ext. 328 Jeff Raimer, PGA Honorary President, South Florida Section Director of Golf West Bay Club 6600 West Bay Boulevard Estero, FL 33928 (239) 465-9441
Awards Gilkey Third Year Professional Planting Design Award Paul Verlander Award Fisher House Design Competition (3rd Place)