Aubrey Olson Landscape Architecture Portfolio

AUBREY OLSON SPRING 2022 MLA CANDIDATE

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

952.484.2378

student works

olsonaubrey@gmail.com

STUDIES/ EXPERIMENTATIONS

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MODEL MAKING Various iterations of same design, through different model mediums.wax, felt, plaster + cotton, paper + wood, plaster, and plaster + paper. Using the inherent qualities of the modeling material to interperet the design.

In this project, my texture inspiration I was using to reference was the texture and pattern of snow.

Spring studio, 2020

Using the physical models and digitally editing perspective views through photoshop to make designs, and sense of place through scale objects spring studio, 2020 3

modeling the three crusts

chemical

biological

biological

Biological crusts are primarily formed by algal growth and occur when ponded water stands and retreats on soils with low permeability.

physical

Autumn 2021 studio, focusing on the Salton Sea, provided many opportunities to understand the site through modelling. My project partner and I decided early on that we wanted to focus on the crust on site.There are three types of crust, and in order to understand them betterI took initiative to model them in plaster. This page shows those explorations.

5-7 years (50 years to mature)

no direct physical contact between people and biological crusts

chemical

byproduct of evaporation

Chemical crusts are the result of encrusted salt on soils in arid or semi-arid regions.

physical

Physical crusts are the result of structural degradation of the surface soil and may be classified as structural or depositional.

Physical crusts are primarily composed of clay, salt, calcium carbonate, or some mixture thereof (Gillette et al., 1982).

kick around, but not airborne

byproduct of evaporation

With use, openings would allow fine particles to become airborne

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vegetation Thiese are a selections of work from the Vegitative Imaginaries Spring 2021 Seminar.

Through this course we read from a variety of scholars trying to understand plants, their role in our culture, as well as their importance in life on Earth.

Below are two sets exploring my understanding of vegetation.

Diagramming Seed Dispersal of Articum plants move in different ways than humans. They also have drastically different time scales- moving a few feet could take generations. This was an empathy exercise to move like the seed dispersal of Articum species CLAMOR In the final project, we worked on an animated narrative of a specific genus, I chose Phalaenopsis.

Through this project, I creating a potential future, where the orchid genus has more agency in our world and life, through a defence mechanism agaisnt humans. This possible fututre and understanding of plant agency and the role of plants in our lives.

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collage Using both digital and physiscal methods, I find that collage allows for an imaginative way to create and visualize an interaction, experience, or space. left: In order to understand the layered history of Northeast, Minneapolis, I used collage of details, communities, and institutions that represent the site. In the context of rapid gentrification of the site, how does one connect with landscape, community, and place?

Right: the imaginative plant created to understand that there are evolutioinary stories to plants. In this assignment, we were prompted to create a new plant by splicing together botanical drawings. Then we created backstories to the plant.

Below: To further understand the Salton Sea, I spliced together moments and highlights parts of its recent history with people.

Then, I made another collage as a way to propose a new way to understand the site through crusts found on site. This was a challenging exercise, as there is just so much material and aspects to the site, that finding a clear story and consice concept proved to be a challenge.

Imaginative plant Vegitative Imaginaries, Spring 2021

above: capstone, Spring 2022 below: The Salton Sea Story + Perspective Futures Salton Sea Vertical Studio, Autumn 2021

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STUDIO WORKS

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SPRING 2021

diagramming JXTA youth programming

diagramming GND social outcomes

ice

Ice piles and spills out of my apartment’s downspout.

I find the dynamic between water in the form of liquid and solid interesting in that the liquid movements shape the solid form naturally- or in this case retained, pushed, and formed by the metal downspouts ENCLOSURE

as a solid, ice has the ability to support and hold up other material like snow. This ice spilled out amd snow had fallen on top of it- something that water and steam cannot do SCALE

water travels in thee path of least resistance- I wonder why icicles form in these community formations? How in the freezing process does it create these multiple paths?

SEASONALITY

This downspout protects, forms and guides the water, while keeping it hidden I honestly don’t know if it’s frozen inside the drain pipe, then it is released and gravity takes to molding this solid HIDE & REVEAL

snow

Snow is enclosed by residential housing on either side.

Some of it is piled up on either side high on the garages.

Some is compacted againest the roughly paved road.

After a big snow, it’s fun to see the paths of people, critters, and cars.

ENCLOSURE

Light shining on the texture of the snow highlights the This image trace highlights the different textures and movement throughout this alley- cars pulling in and out, levels of compaction found in the snow. the whole frame is snow, yet where there is car traffic, it’s completely foot traffic, dogs on their walk, etc. compressed. foot prints show where people are walkingshowing that most people walk in car path, or enclosed notice the shadow of the tree mutes the snow’s texture between the two tire tracks TEXTURE LIGHTING

steam

This series of photographs is overlayed in order to show the spread of steam coming out of this house. Due to the wind pushing the water particles around, it moves in every which direction- almost creating a sphere around the chimney before it evaporates SCALE/SPREAD

from watching the steam forms float in the air- steam is only visible in higher desities- when density goes super high, it becomes water. In a way, it’s kinda magical to catch water momentarily in this state FORM

The video I have linked showes the movement of steam how it maintains a malliable collumn before it disintegrates into the vastness of the open air This happens when it is significantly colder outside.

MOVEMENT

mapping micro climates

The fourth semester Spring studio was part of the Green New Deal National Superstudio. Diagramming and using values of the Green New Deal to drive the design of a local site. The local site, Juxtaposition Arts, located in North Minneapolis, has its own set of goals and values. Trying to futher the values of both, understanding the overlap, and designing a space that would allow for a greener site, as well as a community hub and gathering space, in an equitable an sustainable mannor.

GND superstudio + JXTA

section through back plaza, installation to expore microclimates

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AUTUMN 2020

GARDENS OF PAIN + JOY LAIRS of DEVIATION the Autumn 2020 option studio, Gardens of Pain and Joy, instructed by Rebecca Kinke, explored the deep connections landscapes and sites have with individual and collevtive emotion and memory.

In my progect, I attempted to change the narrative of parking structures. A place that is inherently distopian, a desolate, cemented place for cars, not people, plants, or gathering.

With parking structures taking much space in our urban environments, and the rise of automated vehicles or drop off services such as lyft or Uber, there use is dwindeling .

This post industrial project takes an underground parking structire, bringin in light, vegetation, wildlife, and community in an adaptive reuse of the site.

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SPRING 2020

Sustainable Forestry

Thinning

Planting

Flooding event

Flooding

New Growth

The second semester studio explores iteration of path and place. This studio was sited at Black Dog Lake, a site that experiences dynamic water levels.

Our final project was to design a path through the site considering ephemerality. My teammember and I chose to highlight the charismatic Cottonwood tree. The species in notorious for fast growth, fluffy seeds, noisy creaks, and falling branches. We chose to design a dynamic path that would grow and change based on a sustainable forestry cycle, and highlight different paths based on water levels. here are a collection of some of my contributions, including diagramming flooding of the site, and a variety of perspective collages.

BLACK DOG LAKE STUDIO

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AUTUMN 2021

SITE INVESTIGATIONS

SALTON SEA VERTICAL STUDIO Soil, water, nutrients, and organic matter make up what is below our feet, it is what keeps us upright, and not sinking into the earth. Crust is the dry coat that protects the vulnerable substrate. Due to the influx of agricultural runoff and organic matter in the water, it is a hotspot for salt and gypsum crust formations, creating a thick layer on thoroughly evaporated surfaces. This prevents the playa from becoming airborne and scarring the environment as well as the local community's health. This crust starts to inform a new landscape as the Salton Sea inevitably dries up, and it will also inform how people and wildlife will use and navigate this renewed space.

Crust development here is inevitable - how we curate it matters. We are proposing a way to set up a structure and pattern for future use and programming.

What we understand from visiting the site is that around the Sea there are different thicknesses and geometries of the crust that vary because of different microclimates and contexts around the body of water.

barnicles

UNDERSTANDING KEY CRUST FEATURES BIOLOGICAL

HEALING during October through May DECAY during June through September

MAINTENANCE PLAN

Biological crust cannot be interacted with as it needs to remain in tact for long period of time to experience any environmental benefit

WATER INFLUX rain

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algal blooms temperature CRUST DURABILITY WEATHERING evaporation

CHEMICAL

MAINTENANCE PLAN

HEALING during May through November WEATHERING during December through April Chemical crust is determined by water causing it to be variable and not a stable source for interaction.

moments of interest J

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HEALING flooding canals WEATHERING impact from rain modular//crunch// small chunks _walkable

CRUST DURABILITY

sonny bono

small chips top//breaks//fine dust under _walkable, but would need repair

old mud pots

PHYSICAL

Physical crust heals easily allowingfor human interaction

HEALING rain HEALING sprinkler system solid//lacking nutrients//bulbous forms _walkable

salton city

MAINTENANCE PLAN

HEALING during October through April TRAMPLING during May through September

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TRAMPLING CRUST DURABILITY

top cracks//completely damp_mud// _not walkable

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AUTUMN 2021

CRUST OVER TIME BIOLOGICAL

phase1

phase 2

phase 3

2030

2040

biological crust

DESIGN PROPOSAL

outcomes

While currently much of the site is covered in water, causing it to be a hotbed for cyanobacteria we want to take advantage of the biological crust as long as we can- when it no longer becomes sustainable to pump all pools with h2o for the crust, there are three outcomes: 1. stop pumping h2o, let that area turn into physical crust 2. edge areas could encourage plant growth, extending Sony Bono 3. reach a healthy equilibrium with h2o, encouraging bio crust EXPANSION PRESERVATION

EVAPORATE CHANGE FORM

EQUILIBRIUM

physical crust chemical crust biological crust

CHEMICAL

phase1

flooddry

vegetative growth canal water system

phase 2

phase 3

2030

2040

chemical crust phase 1: adjust topography and canal system that is advantageous for chem crust phase 2: as sea shrinks plan and maintain new areas for chemical crust phase 3: continue planning areas to the extent of our site

DRY

FLOOD

PHYSICAL

phase1

trampling

CRUST

phase 3

phase 2

physical crust MAINTENTANCE +GROWTH

OUTER BIOLOGICAL CRUST DRIES TO PHYSICAL

led

phase 1: maintentance + growth of existing tramp

phase 2: as sea shrinks plan and maintain new areas for physical crust

area

Nature will inform itself when we layer the important factors of this site on top of each other - this is how we will break down nature into its appropriate uses. As designers we must become very familiar with the area through the analysis of soil, climate, hydrology, vegetation, etc. to define problems of modern development, and present a methodology or process for prescribing compatible solutions.

WETLANDS EXTENTION

phase 3: continue planning areas as well as maintain and transform physical crust expansion from bio crust

SPRINKLERS

CRUST

RECEDING SHORELINE

PLANNED EXPANSION

EVAPORATION

PLANNED EXPANSION

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TECHNICAL SKILLS gis rhino innovative materials

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GIS Through this project for a Geospatial Information System for Design course, I used ArcGIS to gain a thorough understanding and context for the site I had chosen, Frogtown Farms. Through this exercise I was able to map and visualize data and gain an greater understanding of who the users of this space are, how they get to this space, and possibly what some of their needs may be. Though this class and project proved to be a challenge while doing school remotely in autumn of 2020, I learned how to comfortably use ArcGIS in a way that would benefit design and supplement outreach.

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GIS + DESIGN Taking the spatial information from arcGIS, I was able to further understand slope, transportation, water access, and transportation to Frogtown Farms. In the three design concepts, I decided that just the entry up to the park needed a redesign.

As it is now, the park is hidden up high, surrounded by trees. Through my three design concepts, I was able to create a transitional space from transportation streetscape, up to this wonderful garden on top of the hill. The three concepts focus on three different key features found in the GIS mapping, fertile soils, water for growth, and community gathering around water.

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Original Site Envelope

Site Plan Projected onto Surface

Exploded Axon

2020.02.25

part I_Surface Development

ViewCaptureToFile - Naked Edges

ViewCaptureToFile - Topographic Surface - Raytraced

View 1

View 2

View 3

View 4

03_Surfaces+Elements

AUBREY OLSON

Rhino + Design above: I have learned a lot about my design process with Rhino. I have learned that it is always best to start with a solid framework through line work of the basic concept of the design of landscape, concept, or feature. After a solid foundation of linework, I move on to creating a system of parts. In this practice above, it is easiest to section off what areas go up and what go down. left: From a Rhino model it is extremely convenient to make a variety

of digital and physical models to construct and further understand aspects of space. This project happened during March 2020, and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore I didn’t have access to laser cutters to physically construct these models of this surface, but the framework is there. right: I can take this model even further and understand an exploded axon and a perspective shot from Rhino and bring it into Photoshop to give it texture and a sense of path and place to understand the different components of space and scale in this digital model.

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innovative materials

FAST FASHION + the landscape

FAST FASHION DENIM MATERIALITY

innovative materials

catwalk

THE ISSUE

WHERE DO OLD CLOTHES END UP?

FAST FASHION KEEPS PEOPLE BUYING -micro seasons industry pumps out 100 billion garments/year

18.6% incinerated 4.3% exported

-greenwashing leading people to ‘feel good’ to consume more

14.5% recycled

79% cotton

2wks fast fashion stores

19% polyester

62.5% landfill

WASTE IS CREATED AT EVERY STAGE OF THE PROCESS -35% of waste before a garment is bought -brands destroy or ship unsold garments abroad -tiny plastics embedded in the garments leach into water systems

for this project I will be looking at fast fashion jeans

-consumers purchased 60% more in 2014 than 2000, ankept the garments for half as long

It is now more than ever that we must consider the materiality of our designs, as well as the greater systems at play when constructing our designs. This project, part of Tech IV: construction detailing course, aimed at finding a current waste stream and finding a way to responsibly respond to it through detailing in the landscape.

consumer source: @CHNGE

FAST FASHION BRANDS

6mo

2% elastane

landfill

As a self-proclaimed fashionista, I chose to take a closer look at the fast fashion waste stream. This is a huge scale, which has deep roots in much of consumerism today. By taking a large chunk of this waste, and using it for capping, water retention, and seeding of contaminated sites, which unfortunately are all too common.

THE OPPORTUNITY

FAST FASHION ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS, CREATING CONTAMINATED SITES -contaminated soils can leach toxic chemicals into nearby ground or surface waters.

-contamination in soil can be further distributed through wind-borne dust.

While in no way does it solve all issues at hand, nor is it a perfect process (with all the chemicals and ‘stuff’ in fast fashion clothing) it was a good practice to incorporate into the design process. What is the current norm, and how could it be improved, and healthier for the environment and us?

USING THE WASTE PRODUCT AS A WAY TO MEAND THE LANDSCAPE -Use the waste fabric to cap contaminated soils from leaching into waterways and air -Using fast fashion waste toassist in remediation and healing of the soil for a more environmentally healthy space for people and wildlife

just to name a few...

source: EPA aubrey olson tech IV innovative materials autumn 2021

sheet 1

QUALITIES OF THIS FABRIC

‘fluid’ molds to form of solids

absorbant

CONTAMINATED SITES

Contaminated soils can leach toxic chemicals into nearby ground or surface waters, where these materials can be taken up by plants and animals, contaminate a human drinking water supply, or volatilize and contaminate the indoor air in overlying buildings. source: EPA

break apart.deconstruct.unweave

before

1/2” 80% cover HYDROSEED SPRAY 1/8” shredded >80%cotton fabric biodegradable binder native perennial seed mix

after 6 months

4” topsoil

source: EPA

HOW FABRIC WOULD INTERACT WITH THE LANDSCAPE Waste fabric is shredded and mixed with a biodegradable binder + seed mix 2:2:1 ratio of 80% cotton: biodegradable binder seed mix

capping

Capping involves placing a cover over contaminated material such as landfill waste or contaminated soil. Such covers are called “caps.” Caps do not destroy or remove contaminants. Instead, they isolate them and keep them in place to avoid the spread of contamination.

treating

through phytoremediation plants will absorb harmful chemicals, and heal the contaminated landscape biodegradable binder will dissolve cotton will aid plant growth by storing water and holding soil cotton fibers will break down in approx. 6 mos.

compacted subgrade 1”

impacts SYSTEMS THINKING

contaminated sites leach harmful chemicals into the earth, water, + air

sheet 3

aubrey olson tech IV innovative materials autumn 2021

sheet 4

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sloped

flat

humidity/fog

sound

odor

dust

filter

snow

buffer

capture

permanent

water

earth/soil

inorganic

lumber

LANDSCAPE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

herbaceous wind barrier

wildlife enhancement

odor minimizatoion

alley cropping

cross wind trap strips

Professor Jessica Rossi-Mastracci February 2021-May 2022

surface covering

berm

cross wind ridges

surface roughening

clod tilling

4x

x 4x

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win

root/earth cellar

sound buffer

temporary wind barrier

fog harvesting

50

ft

living snow fence

artificial ground barrie

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CATEGORY: AIR LAND BASED INFRASTRUCTURE Phase 1: Create a taxonomy of Air, Water, Land, and Fire low tech and land based infrastructures and organize based on relationships and interactions with dynamic phenomenon which are drastically altered with global climate change.

My main undertaking has been the AIR research, taxonomy, + section. After extensive research, using Rhino and the Adobe suite to organize the different types and uses of land based infrastructures that interact with AIR

PART 1

PART 2 Phase 2: This work plans to “dissect” typologies from Step 1 into the simplest form(s) or components. The goal is to understand how specific typologies function on a material and formal level, including material assemblies, change over time, and response to different water conditions, including scarcity and inundation/flood. This will be used to inspire new landscape and urban infrastructural typologies. This will be explored through iterative drawings and models to see what new potentials, form, material assemblies, and function can emerge.

Again, I focused on AIR. Specifically looking at the infrastructure of a cross wind trap strip, what functions does it boil down to, and how to iterate and transform it to change the outcomes. (This is an ongoing project and continuing phase two is to make itterative sketch models as well as another rhino model and a new view, or use, or understanding of this intervention with air, whether through scale, context, etc.)

Thank you!

Aubrey Olson olsonaubrey@gmail.com 952.484.2378