Emily Pierson-Brown - Portfolio

portfolio of creative works

EMILY C. PIERSON

M.arch, mcrp, Assoc. AIA architecture and planning

JULY 2016

CONTAct information

EMILY C. PIERSON @ emily.pierson115@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/emilypierson https://issuu.com/emilypierson/docs/emily_pierson_-_portfolio_07-25-16 301.802.8676 115 East 19th Ave Homestead, PA 15120

contents

I. graduate student work This body of work represents projects explored in concurrent pursuit of Master of Architecture and Master of City & Regional Planning degrees. I graduated summa cum laude in May 2016 and received the Best in Thesis Award, the John E. Dundin Memorial Prize for Thesis Presentation, the MCRP Award for outstanding student achievement, and a Certificate of Merit from the DC Chapter of the AIA.

II. professional work — urban planning & urban design As part of the District Leadership Program organized through the DC Government, I interned for one year in the Design Department of the DC Office of Planning. I worked with urban designers, neighborhood planners, sister governmental agencies, and consultants including the National Capital Planning Commission and Gehl Studios to encourage the elevation of design in projects throughout the District.

III. professional work — architecture The highlighted projects in this section represent my work as a Project Designer for a design/build company focusing on high end residential renovations. My responsibilities extended throughout the projects from initial client meetings to schematic design, design development, construction documents, contract writing and budgeting, finish selections, permitting, and construction administration.

IV. other explorations In addition to formal projects executed in the academic and professional environments, I enjoy exploring the visualization of the built environment in various media. Here included are architectural collages, travel sketches, watercolors and other hand media.

Catholic University of America Washington, D.C. January 2013 - May 2016

DC Office of Planning Washington, D.C. June 2015 - May 2016

Landis Architects/Builders Washington, D.C. September 2008 - March 2013

catholic university of america

graduate school work

january 2013 - may 2016

CIRCULATION Two bus lines run through the neighborhood.

The highway network creates physical barriers as well as connections.

master’s thesis

THE WEST END The neighborhood is a complex series of layers and disparate areas that need stronger connections tying them together.

CATALYSTS

CONNECTIONS

CONTINUING...

• identify critical, catalytic moments that will bring about change • focus on community’s needs and barriers to equity • use the community’s strengths to define program • allow the existing urban fabric and land uses to guide design decisions and locations • identify nodes within the community to engage design and programmatic intent • strengthen existing primary corridor • focus on quickly implementable, inexpensive, flexible solutions

• identify important nodes outside of the neighborhood to draw strength from • strengthen existing corridors within the neighborhood and extensions beyond • define new layers of program to build on catalytic movement from Phase 1 • focus on transportation, context, and scale of the street

• build on stabilized axes created in Phases 1 & 2 • fill in missing pieces from previous plans (as appropriate) • complete unfinished moves (as appropriate) • define new layers of program to build on catalytic movement from Phases 1 &2 • focus on larger-scale projects and capital investments

fall 2015 - spring 2016

tactical equity: collective memory, the communal porch, and creating an architecture of opportunity

CHILDREN

TRANSPORTATION

STREETSCAPE

COMMERCIAL

NODES

INDUSTRY

As with many inner city neighborhoods, the West End has been plagued by a failing public school system. Though Cincinnati Public Schools have renovated all of their buildings within the past fifteen years, the two located in the West End do not necessarily serve the children of the West End. Taft High School is a high-tech school for which many of the West End children are unprepared, and there is no alternative for young adults. As the population of the West End has decreased and infrastructure become less stable, several charter and Montessori schools once located here have moved outside of the neighborhood.

Linn Street, the primary travel corridor, is a 75 foot wide roadbed with wide sidewalks on either side. The street section allows for four travel lanes, one turning lane, and two parking lanes, howver almost 61% of the residents of the West End do not have access to a car.

Most of the commuters travel by foot or by public transportation, but due to budget cuts, only two bus lines serve the neighborhood.

Many residents must take two or three buses to minimum wage jobs in the suburbs putting a significant strain on limited time and money.

Some nearby streets have recently added bike lanes, a necessity for equitable access, but are constantly threatened.

One significant indicator of the decay and disinvestment in this neighborhood is the condition of the streetscape. Many of the sidewalks are cracked or hastily patched and many of the tree boxes are empty. The few street trees that do exist are in poor health.

Due to the existence of parking lots and stripstyle shopping along Linn Street in particular, the sidewalk lacks a street edge. The HOPE VI project attempted to remedy this, with mixed results since the buildings sit closer to the curb but are mostly vacant on the ground floor. Some trash litters the streetscape, but the main challenge comes from the need for greater municipal investment.

The primary commercial corridor of the West End is Linn Street, a boulevard-type street that was once the heart of the West End. At the southern end sit the cultural institutions — the library, the West End Theater (now closed), and the Lincoln Community Center — and the central segment is intended for retail and restaurant uses.

Unfortunately much of this space is currently vacant, a consequence of the incomplete HOPE VI project. A few scattered retail establishments exist further north, such as the Under the Palms Caribbean Restaurant at the corner of Linn and Findlay across the street from Amir's Mini Market.

As planners and architects we often look to the obvious public institutions — schools, churches, libraries, and recreation centers — as the central nodes of a community. The West End has many such organizations and buildings, however, given their often crumbling infrastructure or lack of resources, these places do not necessarily serve the residents of the West End. Gathering tends to happen at more informal locations such as Amir's Market on the corner of Findlay and Linn Streets, or on sidewalks and alleys. As we look for solutions to the spatial and social challenges present, it is essential to recognize where and how these nodes work.

One system within the West End that has seen steady growth in the past several decades is the industrial component.

Though the industrial interests and support systems (heavy machinery, tractor-trailer dependent transportation network) can be at odds with the adjacent residential uses, the local industries — both corporate and independent — offer great opportunities for job creation, growth, and entrepreneurship.

The challenge in the West End has been connecting the industry owners, many of whom are willing to hire at-risk populations, with the local West End residents who have the necessary skills.

EDUCATION & SCHOOLS

ACCESS TO PERSONAL VEHICLE

COMMUTING HABITS

MEDIAN INCOME

POPULATION

INDUSTRY TYPES

60.6% 7 3

of the population does not have access to a vehicle

in 2015

66%

residents with high school diploma

number of schools in the West End in 2000

This project summarizes a two-semester Master’s thesis in Architecture and City & Regional Planning that explores the possibilities of small-scale, affordable, and highly flexible interventions as a model of alternative planning and design implementation in Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood. A historically African-American neighborhood with a high population of low-income residents and public housing, high poverty and crime, and increased need for social services, the West End exemplifies many similar neighborhoods across the Rust Belt that have been systematically discriminated against with top down, disruptive planning policies, transportation and land uses initiatives, and failed urban renewal strategies.

metal fabrication furniture making drive / carpool

public transportation

printing / imaging

walk

48% 37% 15%

$12,808

per family

6627 89%

-42%

decrease since 1990

black

meatpacking / butchering various distribution food production

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS PARTI DIAGRAMS small independent unit joined together within a unified framework

EDUCATION

GREEN SPACE

Market Typology + Shotgun House Rhythm

THEORY

PARTI

FOOD

Expand Threshold Between Public and Private INDUSTRY

URBAN CONDITION

PARTI DIAGRAMS MOMENT: TUESDAY AFTERNOON

interior space for making, education, and entrepreneurship

TECHNOLOGY

RECREATION

PLACE + MAKING

unifying structure

connection to municipal services exterior gathering space overhead unifying structure

SINGLE UNIT SYSTEM

replicable unit in linear system

MULTI-UNIT SYSTEM

SITE PLAN

COMPONENTS AND CONSTRUCTION

2" anodized aluminum frame

aluminum connector mounted on HSS with rubber gasket to prevent galvanization

HSS steel column interior cavity for connection to municipal services (sewer, water, electric, gas, etc.)

copper cap at brick pier

UPPER TENT POLE CONNECTION

16" CMU. fill cavities solid and add rebar as necessary brick from local sources masonry tie at alternate courses, 36" horizontal spacing

modified 25'x50' fabric tent on 2" anodized aluminum frame.

BRICK PIER CONSTRUCTION historic-style lamps at 20' above slab to illuminate the exterior work space. coordinate with Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering.

3'x10' brick pier with 12" CMU backup.

6" HSS steel column to support the tent structure at rear and convey electrical connections

fabric awning over curved 2" anodized aluminum frame. hang tension wires and bolt lower frame to pier.

10'x10'x25' work module. final design varies by neighborhood.

access panel for municipal systems hook-up

4" concrete turndown slab on grade

electrical conduit

poured concrete stair (3) treads @ 18" wide (4) risers @ 6" high

The intention of this thesis is to promulgate a more affordable and malleable approach to neighborhood revitalization that is directly informed by the community and that inverts the top-down model.

By observing and learning from existing formal and informal spatial types already present within the neighborhood, planners may be able to identify more appropriate locations for architectural structures and for modular spaces that can be changed and adapted to adjust to the community’s ever-evolving needs. These affordable, self-sufficient, easily installed and manufactured modules can serve as the framework for gathering spaces and catalysts for future development within the neighborhood with minimal investment. Through this tactical urbanismstyle intervention communities can begin to plant the seeds of their own revitalization.

metal community commemoration panel bolted to brick face

6x6 hollow structural section (HSS) steel column steel plate bolted to concrete slab

cast concrete cap

4" concrete slab

poured concrete footing at each brick pier and steel column. min. 30" below grade.

moisture barrier

short brick pier

4" gravel concrete footing at each HSS column

16" CMU 2" air gap

concrete stair

brick

poured concrete foundation waterproofing

COMMUNITY BLOCK SIGNAGE

drainage

FOOTING DETAIL

poured concrete footing

reinforcing steel

STEEL COLUMN CONNECTION

city & regional planning studio

spring 2014

the new north cap north capitol street washington, dc

The project for our one-semester planning studio involved documenting, assessing, and analyzing a 2-mile stretch of North Capitol Street, just south of Catholic University.

Our 10-person team worked together to complete the rational planning process and make recommendations for improvements to the streetscape.

We contextualized North Capitol Street within the larger geography of Washington, D.C., as well as studied the local land uses, demographics, amenities, and needs of the residents and stakeholders on either side of the street. Though primarily a transportation corridor, North Capitol Street is also the spine of several thriving and rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Our understanding of the project required us to think strategically about these overlapping issues and develop a solution that could address each issue individually and within the larger context.

AERIAL VIEW

RECOMMENDATIONS

2

Our final presentation boards measured 6’ tall by 40’ long. The images to the left represent four of the final boards outlining the planning process we completed to assess the strengths and needs of North Capitol Street. Each category — Connectivity, Access, Environment, and Community — included a full analysis with maps, graphs and images; a series of recommendations; and several precedent case studies that we relied on to develop our conclusions.

COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO

SPRING 2015

JC//DC

Axis

JESUIT CENTER FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

u of Ed n catio

This project represents the teamwork of four students in the Comprehensive Building Design Studio, an intense onesemester course where students develop a project from concept to construction documents in three months. Teams are paired with local firms which provide guidance and design advice throughout the process.

Axis of Spirituality

My team’s project, the JC//DC, employed the concept of Spirit// Intellect to tell the story of the Jesuit library and community center in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of northwest DC. Since I had the most professional experience on my team, I served as the team leader, ensuring our design and presentations maintained the narrative of our project throughout its development. My responsibilities included laying out the presentation boards, clarifying diagrams, drafting wall sections, and assisting with the development of the Revit model.

The JC//DC sits at the intersection of the axis of education and the axis of spirituality.

Light and water merge the intellectual and the spiritual to create a series of moments that serve as a node of learning and respite for the community.

SITE PLAN

SPIRIT//INTELLECT

Water Collection Total Roof SF

12,058 SF

Rainfall Rate (DC)

~ 3.5� per hour

Total possible rain collection for 3 hour rain storm

~ 78,877 gallons

Building Water Usage Per Day Green Wall Irrigation (0.5 gallons per hour)

~ 12 gallons

Low-flow Toilet Use (1.6 gallons per flush x 6 fixtures)

~ 200 gallons

Water Storage System Gray Water Storage Tank Size

INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

~ 1500 gallons

Potential time that building systems using gray water can ~ 1 week be run independent of city-provided water (at a time: with consistent rainfall, toilets and Green Wall could be functions for longer with just on-site collection)

A neighborhood library is, at its core, a community gathering space. While reading books may have been the original purpose of the library, today these structures must perform many additional functions.

It is not a stretch to see the library as a sacred place, imbued as it is with the spirituality of knowledge and wonder. With a large central space used for both church services and community events, the JC//DC extends out into the community to bring a diverse array of people together. As such, it serves the purpose of its Jesuit founders who daily seek to provide education, intellectual stimulation, and a place of peace to those around them.

EDUCATION AXIS

THE LIGHT BOX

THE INTELLECT

THE CATWALK

THE SPINE OF LIFE

THE SPIRITUAL AXIS

The children’s section is given pride of place along 15th Street to invite people in to the space and encourage learning.

The entrance and the teen space above are a light-filled glass box that acts as a beacon for the neighborhood.

The primary stacks anchor the building at the rear and the main reading rooms are located above the chapel.

The circulation is based on a classic cloister model with catwalks suspended around the central chapel space.

The vertical shaft contains the buildings’ systems and is faced with a green wall inside the chapel to bring nature indoors.

The chapel is the heart of the building and extends out to the street to invite the community inside.

INFUSING THE INTELLECT WITH THE SPIRIT

urban practice studio

fall 2014

the b-tracks

We titled our solution “the b-tracks,” a nod to Baltimore’s history as an edgy, artistic city.

Our “urban playground” included nine projects centered on a theme of entertainment and exploration of a currently inaccessible part of the city and included a restaurant and microbrewery, a culinary school, a music venue, a recreation center, a skatepark and outdoor art exhibit area, a market, a park, and my project, a theoretical tower that explored the ideas of seeing and being seen.

FA L

LS

CHARLES STREET

NE

NORTH AVENUE

CHARLES STREET

JO

S

Within the Master of Architecture program, I concentrated my studies in Urban Practice, spending three studio semesters studying in a group setting with other UP students. In the Fall of 2014, my group focused on Baltimore through the lens of Terrain Vague. Our study area encompassed a complicated site adjacent to Penn Station with complex transportation infrastucture, significant topographical changes, and overlapping stakeholder interests.

NORTH AVENUE

NORTH AVENUE

CHARLES STREET

near penn station baltimore, md

EX

PR

ES

SW AY

BRIDGING

SITE STRATEGIES

CARVING

FRAMING

capitalizes on its relationships “ Architecture with things that are present within the building.

Context, history, and memory

the TOWER

near penn station baltimore, md As one of the senior students in this vertical studio, I acted as mentor to the less experienced and less tenured students, helping to drive the narrative of the “b-tracks” to a cohesive conclusion.

Within the master plan for the site, I took on a more theoretical project, the central tower that anchored the site and provided a visual marker for the site. Drawing from Russian Constructivism, Machado and Silvetti’s writings and unbuilt works, Thom Mayne’s complex architectural collages, and various understandings of both the tower typology and the meaning of “seeing,” I designed the b-tracks tower with multiple viewing platforms that would focus the visitors gaze on a particular moment within the landscape.

As the visitor climbed the tower, he or she would gain a new understanding of this “terrain vague.”

can all serve as referents for the work of architecture. In this sense, buildings are texts which are generated by assembling three-dimensional mosaics of fragments, excerpts, citations, passages, and quotations; and every building is an absorption and transformation of other buildings.

Seung Koo Jo (based on M. Frascari) (2000)

”

dc office of planning

june 2015 - may 2016

professional work — urban planning & urban design

urban design intern - project manager

people on penn

PEOPLE ON PENN

pennsylvania avenue pedestrian life study The aim of this project was to support the National Capital Planning Commission’s (NCPC) Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative, through a detailed study of the functionality of the Avenue’s public spaces and sidewalks, to help inform a vision for how Pennsylvania Avenue can meet local and national needs in a 21st century capital city and perform as a truly great pedestrian street.

As an intern in the Design Department, I acted as Project Manager for this initiative, working closely with my supervisor to develop an intellectually and analytically rigorous process through which to study Pennsylvania Avenue. My responsibilities included coordinating schedules for volunteers to collect data through pedestrian counting and mapping; produce charts, graphs, and diagrams to explain the data; research case studies; host meetings with NCPC and DCOP; and compile the final report.

june 2015 - april 2016

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE PEDESTRIAN LIFE STUDY

Low Metro Ridership The Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop has the lowest ridership for both entry and exit data at peak AM and PM times as compared to other Metro stops downtown.

Farragut North McPherson Square

DC Office of Planning

DRAFT

Gallery Place Judiciary Square

Metro Center

A Study of the Pedestrian Experience of Pennsylvania Avenue NW 1

55

Station

200 150 100

Archives

Federal Triangle

average number of people in Navy Memorial Plaza per hour

July October

50 0 NAVY MEMORIAL

ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC SPACE USAGE AND PATTERNS

AM Peak PM Peak

Archives/Navy Memorial Federal Triangle

5579

5624

5825

5845

Judiciary Square

6340

5755

Gallery Place

13,094

17,341

Metro Center

14,979

15,323

McPherson Square

10,643

9409

Farragut North

16,339

15,901

Source: WMATA, October 2014.

ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION USAGE

The outdoor dining at Elephant & Castle is secluded from the sidewalk.

Benches and street furniture are interspersed with security planters.

DRAFT

A children’s Halloween parade at Navy Memorial.

16

People prefer to gather and sit on the low walls and steps of the Navy Memorial plaza.

DC Office of Planning – Pennsylvania Avenue Pedestrian Life Study

CRITICALCRITICAL FINDINGS FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS Major Positive Elements Major Positive Elements

SPLENDID TREE CANOPY

GENEROUS SPLENDID TREE STREETSCAPE CANOPY

Major Issues to be Major Addressed Issues to be Addressed

GENEROUS STATELY STREETSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

LACK OF PLACES LACK PERIPHERAL OF PLACES STATELY & DESTINATIONS & DESTINATIONS LOCATION ARCHITECTURE

PERIPHERAL LOCATION

LACK OF HUMAN SCALE

NO REASON LINGER

PROBLEM

STRENGTH

STRENGTH STRENGTH

STRENGTH STRENGTH

STRENGTH PROBLEM

PROBLEM PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

Trees provide shade, sense of enclosure and greenery.

Spacing and repetition reinforce formal nature of street design.

design of Trees The provide shade, elements sensestreetscape of enclosure such as benches, trees, and greenery. treeand grates, and lamp Spacing repetition posts is elegant reinforce formal natureand enjoyable. of street design.

Consistent The design of and monumental nature of streetscape elements buildings such as benches,emphasizes trees, the grandeur tree grates, and lampof the and position posts street is elegant and in Nation’s Capital. enjoyable.

Occupies Very few placesthe andspace Occupies the space betweentodowntown and between downtown and destinations visit. the National Mall. the National Mall.

Buildings, sidewalks, and monuments are out of scale with the human.

Once people come Pennsylvania Aven few reasons to stay

IMPACT IMPACT

IMPACT

IMPACT

IMPACT

CHALLENGES

CHALLENGES CHALLENGES

CHALLENGES CHALLENGES

Many of the trees and other landscaping are unhealthy and struggle for soil and air, especially on the south side of the street.

oftenand looks ManyAvenue of the trees and the other empty landscaping abundanceand of security are unhealthy planters is and a design struggle for soil air, issueon that not been especially thehas south side ofaddressed the street.consistently.

Avenue Consistency often looksof the empty facades and the does not abundance provide of security complexity planters a design or is visual interest to issue that the passer has not by. been addressed consistently.

Very few Consistent andplaces and destinations to of visit. monumental nature buildings emphasizes the grandeur of the streetIMPACT and position in Nation’s Capital.

The avenue has fewer people on it than CHALLENGES comparable downtown streets.ofLittle Consistency the to draw people to this area facades does not provide unless complexity they live or work nearby. or visual interest to the passer by.

The street has an The avenue has fewer identity. peopleunclear on it than The area could be comparable downtown a hybrid streets.

Littleof toboth draw downtown and cultural people to this area butwork currently unlessfunctions, they live or is neither. nearby.

The street has an unclear identity.

The area could be a hybrid of both downtown and cultural functions, but currently is neither.

Lacks a sense of enclosure and comfort within the space. People gather at smaller spaces within the area, and do not linger on the sidewalks.

Singular purposes: working, eating, transportation. Av functions on on level at a time, without layering of necessary for vibra

DRAFT DRAFT 14

DC Office of Planning 14 – Pennsylvania DC Office Avenue of Planning Pedestrian – Pennsylvania Life Study Avenue Pedestrian Life Study

1. HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE A MIXTURE OF USES?

2. HOW DO WE CREATE ENGAGING BUILDINGS?

3. HOW DO WE ACTIVATE THE PLAZAS?

LACK OF HUMAN SCALE

NO REASON TO LINGER

PROGRAMMING AT OFF HOURS

INACTIVITY AT NIGHT

HOMELESS ACTIVITY

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

PROBLEM

Buildings, sidewalks, and monuments are out of scale with the human.

Once people come to Pennsylvania Avenue, few reasons to stay.

Major event programming occurs at night and on weekends.

After the PM rush hour, avenue is sparsely populated.

Observed high incidence of homelessness in both July and October.

IMPACT

IMPACT

IMPACT

IMPACT

IMPACT

Lacks a sense of enclosure and comfort within the space. People gather at smaller spaces within the area, and do not linger on the sidewalks.

Singular purposes: working, eating, transportation. Avenue functions on one level at a time, without layering of uses necessary for vibrancy.

Pedestrian activity occurs on weekdays during commuting times. Major events happen at offpeak times when there are no natural flows of pedestrian traffic.

Area can become dangerous and unfriendly without “eyes on the street.�

Lack of people further reinforces feeling of placelessness.

Large homeless population presents safety and security concerns. Lack of pedestrian activity creates discomfort, particularly at night.

DRAFT 15

4. HOW DO WE PROVIDE MORE INTIMATE SIDEWALKS?

5. HOW DO WE MAKE PA AVE A DESTINATION EXPERIENCE?

Our analysis of the Critical Findings and Observations of Pennsylvania Avenue helped to inform the design questions around which we framed our final report to the National Capital Planning Commission. We used as our model the human-centered principles promulgated

by Gehl Studios who also acted as a mentor and advisor throughout the process.

The final report is currently being used by the NCPC to determine planning for the Avenue which includes testing potential temporary solutions, determining the future development of the FBI building, and reconnecting the street grid throughout downtown.

urban design intern - graphic designer

july 2015

vision zero

powerpoint presentation and communication tool Prompted by the new Mayor, the DC government agencies have recently focused joint resources on the international initiative, Vision Zero, a safety initiative that aims to reduce vehiclerelated pedestrian deaths. The Office of Planning identified a unique opportunity to enhance placemaking throughout the District by partnering with the Department of Transportation.

But the agency had a serious challenge in how to communicate this opportunity to their sister agency.

I volunteered to the Director of Design to revise an ineffective PowerPoint presentation. The result was a careful, concise communication tool that allowed the Director of the agency to partner with the Director of DDOT on this critical initiative. The PowerPoint and PDF continues to be used to communicate the District’s interests in creating safe and enjoyable spaces for all.

NACTO DESIGN PRINCIPLES The National Association of City Transportation Officials offers these principles for designing intersections as meeting points that function well for everyone using them.

Make them Compact

Acknowledge the Network

Integrate Time & Space

Share the Space

Recapture Public Spaces

Design for the Future

Source: National Association of Ci ty Tra nsportation Officials (NACTO). Urban Street Design Guide. Sept. 2013. http://nacto.org/usdg/intersections/intersection-design-principles/ 6

PLACEMAKING DESIGN PRINCIPLES At intersections, Placemaking Best Practices can add value to the design by reinforcing and celebrating important places throughout the city.

Creating Neighborhood Places

Marking Gateways & Transitions

Celebrating Neighborhood Character

Providing Community Amenities

7

These sample pages from the document illustrate the tool’s ability to communicate the message with clarity and visual interest.

Placemaking Principle:

Placemaking Principle:

CREATING NEIGHBORHOOD PLACES

MARKING GATEWAYS & TRANSITIONS

Monroe Street Market

Chinatown

7th & H Streets, NW

Michigan Ave & Monroe St, NE

NACTO

Principles

Design for the Future

Recapture Public Space

Make them Compact

Brookland is a growing neighborhood in need of new retail, restaurant, and housing options.

The public plaza at the corner of Michigan and Monroe provides space for the community to gather.

By making space more compact, the intersection is safer and more space could be used for public gathering.

NACTO

Principles

Integrate Time & Space

Acknowledge the Network

Share the Space

The Barnes Dance at the crosswalks gives priority to pedestrians at critical times of day.

With traffic levels varying through this intersection at different times of day, it is important to look at Chinatown from the network scale.

This Chinatown intersection provides spaces for pedestrians, bicyclists, buses, and cars.

8

Placemaking Principle:

Placemaking Principle:

DEFINING NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

PROVIDING COMMUNITY AMENITIES

Columbia Heights

Mount Vernon Triangle

14th St & Park Rd, NW

NACTO

Principles

9

5th & K Streets, NW

Recapture Public Space

Share the Space

Make them Compact

The Columbia Heights plaza is a true community space where many people gather throughout the year.

As a major east-west and northsouth crossroads in the city, this intersection must accommodate many types of travelers.

Increasing curbs within the intersection provides safety for pedestrians and slows vehicular traffic.

NACTO

Principles

10

Design for the Future

Recapture Public Space

Acknowledge the Network

As a growing retail and residential neighborhood, the design of this area includes future expansion needs.

A new neighborhood center was created with special paving and building setbacks at corners.

Both 5th and K Streets are essential travel corridors for thru-traffic to Downtown and Chinatown.

11

urban design intern - project MANAGER

small parks

inventory of dc’s small and triangle parks As part of the Design Division, one of my responsibilities was to work with representatives from the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Transportation to identify and catalog the small parks and triangle parks throughout the city. Due to the number of angled streets cutting across DC’s street grid, there are more than 500 triangle parks that could potentially be used as community assets and amenities.

My responsibilities on this project included cataloging land area considered small parks through research of historical land ownership in the District, use of ArcGIS to locate the parks, and determination of jurisdiction of the land. I developed a sophisticated spreadsheet to catalog the data and coordinated inter-agency meetings to communicate findings and information. The District is currently collating this information for dispersal on DC Atlas for community use.

june - october 2015

Small Parks Strategy

Small Parks Inventory Lists DDOT DDOT DDOT DDOT DDOT NPS NPS DPR DPR DGS OP/GIS

Maintenance Jurisdictions Mowing Location List T&L Maintenance List Triangles and Medians NPS Reservations Transferred for Transportation Reservation List & Map Reservation Transfer List List of Parks & Recreation Centers DPR Properties (May 2014) 2017 Budget DPR/DDOT Shapefiles

Inter-Agency Meeting 17 July 2015 Prepared by Emily Pierson (OP) emily.pierson2@dc.gov

Spreadsheet Categories

Location Indicators

AREA_TRACT LAYER

LR PAGE RES XFER_REASON

E/S W/S N/S S/S B/S B/N C/M C/P CDS

NAME LOCATION PRIMARY LOC SECONDARY LOC TERTIARY LOC LOC INDICATOR TYPE ADJACENCY QUAD WARD DATE_OF_XFER NOTES AGENCY

AGENCY_ID AGENCY_TYPE ACRES SF

Unknown. Related to NPS number.

GIS Shapefile Layer Unknown Refers to the detail map of the NPS Map if applicable.

NPS Reservation number.

Reason for NPS Reservation Transfer (transportation, recreation, comprehensive plan, other) Agency Park or Place name (i.e. Thompson Circle) General place address/location Three streets that intersect to form the triangle park May only be two entries if the small park is adjacent to other property or is not triangular.

[SEE KEY TO RIGHT] Type of facility (triangle, circle, center median, park, irregular) Indicates whether a small park is freestanding, adjacent to other property, or incorporated into other development Quadrant (NW, NE, SW, SE) Ward (1-8) Date that the property was transferred from NPS to District Additional information on the small park, including issues/problems.

Confirmed or assumed agency with jurisdiction Relevant agency’s identification number Category within the agency (i.e. DPR Park, T&L) Size of the property in acres Size of the property in square feet

East Side West Side North Side South Side Both Sides Between Center Median Curb Parking Cul De Sac

These images represent presentations made in inter-agency meetings to communicate issues related to unclear or overlapping jurisdictions of the small parks. Through these communications tools DCOP, DDOT, and DPR were able to reach a consensus on how to move forward with the project and provide much-needed clarity to the land use throughout the District.

DPR2095

DPR2093

Glenbrook Terrace, NW

landis architects / builders

professional work — architecture

september 2008 - march 2013

project designer

UPDATED CRAFTSMAN PALISADES NW washington, dc

The owner of this traditional craftsman style bungalow wanted to update and expand the house for herself and her three children.

As the project designer I worked with her from the initial client meetings through to construction administration.

I designed a one-story addition to extend the first floor living spaces and to expand the first floor bedroom into a true master suite. We renovated the kitchen, added a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, and moved the front door to the opposite side of the front facade to create a new grand entry foyer.

Within that space we reconfigured the stair to the second floor, adding wood paneling and detailing to keep in character with the craftsman style.

The scond floor required only minimal renovations to the three bedrooms and an updated bathroom.

Throughout the house I assisted the owner with finish selections to ensure her vision for her home would be complete and cohesive.

reconstructed stair and entryway with custom millwork

renovated kitchen with living room addition beyond

rear addition sketchup studies for client review

PROJECT DESIGNER

KITCHEN ADDITION CHEVY CHASE NW washington, dc

These owners had lived in their Chevy Chase DC house for more than 20 years always envisioning their dream kitchen, a small sitting room, all with a view to their backyard. To achieve this goal, I designed a two-story addition on the rear of their original 1916 Craftsman style home to replace an ill-designed and sagging previous addition. The original plan proposed expanding their existing kitchen, but the final solution involved moving the kitchen and sitting room entirely into the new addition and using the original kitchen as a butler’s pantry/coffee making area.

The final design included many custom designed pieces including the cabinetry, floating shelves and bookcases, with custom windows and doors to match.

On the exterior, in our effort to harmonize with the Craftsman style, we used natural materials and colors and we brought in horizontal elements to emphasize the clean lines and materiality.

CHRYSALIS AWARD 2013 NARI CoTY GRAND AWARD 2012

rear FACADE - before

rear FACADE - after

project designer

exterior facelift

southwest WATERFRONT washington, dc

CHRYSALIS NATIONAL AWARD 2011 BEST OF THE BEST DESIGN GOLD AWARD 2011 MASTER DESIGN SILVER AWARD 2011 NARI CoTY GRAND AWARD 2010

After several decades in this Southwestern DC townhouse, this homeowner decided it was time for a facelift. The 1970’s original aluminum siding with wood batten trim was rotting and falling off the façade in places; below the exterior finish there was barely any insulation to speak of. Their goal was to bring both the aesthetic value and energy efficiency of their home into the 21st century.

As project designer, I worked with the client to choose the appropriate materials, design, and layout for the new cladding. The clean lines and contemporary flare of the Hardie paneled façade have transformed this dilapidated rowhouse into the envy of the neighborhood. The addition of insulation throughout the house as well as new windows and doors have significantly increased the energy-efficiency of the home, making the house more comfortable and appealing inside and out.

REAR FACADE - AFTER

FRONT FACADE - BEFORE

REAR FACADE - BEFORE

FRONT FACADE - AFTER

project designer

southern-inspired porch and kitchen van ness nw washington, dc

The owners of this classic Northwest DC center-hall colonial had moved to DC from South Carolina where they were used to wide verandas and deep porches.

Their existing narrow galley kitchen lacked both charm and ample storage space. In addition, most of the appliances did not function properly. The goal for the kitchen addition was to provide space for the family to gather both inside and out and increase the kitchen’s functionality and aesthetic appeal.

We converted the original kitchen into a mudroom and pantry area.

To give the family a generous space to gather and entertain outdoors, we a deep porch was constructed across the entire side of the addition with a builtin bench providing permanent and ample seating. With deep overhangs, a beadboard ceiling, and two ceiling fans, the porch evokes the grand verandahs of elegant Southern homes.

other explorations

architectural collage

fall 2014

terrain vague

urban practice studio baltimore, md Inspiried by my work on the Urban Practice studio site based in Baltimore, I have been exploring layered collages as a way of expressing the complexity and richness of a place.

For this site plan collage, I began with the contours, buildings, and roads of the site and rendered them in watercolor pencil and marker. In the next stage I returned to the drafting board with the site plan to highlight important elements, lines, rhythms, and moments within the plan. I scanned each image, overlayed them in Photoshop, and adjusted transparencies and tones to create a richly layered landscape.

PENCIL AND WATERCOLOR UNDERLAY

The final image is located on the next page.

ARCHITECTURAL OVERLAY

travel sketches

mosques and MATERiality

istanbul and other locations, turkey In the summer of 2013, I traveled through Turkey with the Urban Practice foreign studies program.

The following pages represent a selection of my sketches from that trip.

june 2013

travel sketches

la vie en rose

rutgers study abroad paris, france The summer between my third and fourth years of college, I traveled to Paris for two months to study the art and architecture of France. These pages represent sketches made during that trip.

summer 1997