Issuu

PORTFOLIO

www.linkedin.com/in/etiennesirois

UNDERSTANDING THE LANDSCAPE

MY CREATIVE PRACTICE

Relationship to the landscape, expressed not only through the human experience within it but also through the interaction between built environments and landscape interventions, leads to a deeper comprehension of one’s place in the world. The experience in the landscape is crafted through the placement of elements and is influenced by senses of color, sound, and scale. The combination of artificial and natural elements, utilizing both temporary and permanent methods, further diversifies the experience of curated landscapes.

Conquering adversarial landscapes, including those rendered challenging by human actions, is key to advancing practical and effective landscape architecture. Addressing significant challenges in these landscapes, such as inaccessible topography, ecological remediation needs, and historical restoration, becomes more complex when essential resources for analysis, design, and construction of landscape interventions are limited.

Artistic endeavors in the landscape provide alternative experiences and enhance the site visit, extending the architectural form of physical structures beyond what would be sustainable with traditional materials and instead relying on the landscape to contribute to the interpretation of works.

The value of curated landscapes lies in their ability to create accessible green and open spaces, as well as previously inaccessible natural landscapes, through purposeful design that accentuates the ecological, historical, and cultural assets of the site. Curated landscapes support the well-being and longevity of the world’s most important biotic and abiotic resources.

Landscape architecture must offset ecological impacts of the built environment while also optimizing the human experience in the place-making of these essential sites.

ABOUT ME

LANDSCAPE DESIGN THROUGH PURPOSEFUL INTERVENTION

MY PROFILE

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying landscape architecture. As I began to look into studying landscape architecture, my interest was driven by the freelance design, implementation, and maintenance work that I was performing as a part of my small landscape design business. Gaining practical and hands-on exposure to the field from these experiences confirmed my desire to pursue landscape architecture in a formal educational setting. At the University of Illinois, I have been taking classes that provide me with technical knowledge about the specializations within landscape architecture and the larger scope of professionals in the field.

As a result, my desire to specialize in heritage management and landscape tourism has led me to pursue a certificate in museum studies in conjunction with my major coursework in order to have a better understanding of the systems and institutional practices that govern this specific sector. With this focus, I am particularly interested in preserving sites and areas of important cultural heritage.

ETIENNE SIROIS

MY EXPERIENCE

ILLINOIS SOLAR DECATHLON

Landscape Architecture Lead

September 2023 - Present

GARY R. WEBER ASSOCIATES

Landscape Design Intern

May 2024 - August 2024

• Designed hardscape and planting plans for residence valued at over $500,000 using AutoCAD drafting and Adobe Suite rendering software

• Coordinated sponsorships for building supplies and labor by initiating team communication with industry professionals

• Sourced sustainable materials and native plants through various local suppliers based on lead time and cost

• Worked with licensed landscape architects and ecologists to conceptualize and design effective land use plans

• Coordinated with project managers to draft, render, and specify landscape plans and details

• Utilized AutoCAD, Photoshop, Lumion, and Sketchup to produce permit sets and rendering deliverables

SKILLS

AUTOCAD

TWINMOTION

UNREAL ENGINE 5

ARCGIS

ADOBE SUITE

PESCHE’S GARDEN CENTER & NURSERY

Horticulture Intern

May 2023 - August 2023

EGS CUSTOM LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Landscape Designer

June 2020 - Present

• Maintained water and nutrient levels across different ornamental and functional departments

• Prepared merchandising and advised specific treatments for failing gardens

• Recommended plants depending on application and interpreted landscape plans for customers

• Designed and executed residential landscape site plans reusing existing plant material and installed new plants according to budget restrictions

• Maintained landscape designs to client satisfaction, including plant health and soil nutrient composition assessments

• Engaged in sustainable gardening practices outreach concerning implementation of native plants

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Concentration in Heritage Management

Certificate in Museum Studies

Expected May 2026

College of Fine + Applied Arts

James Scholar Honor Program; Dean’s List

SPECIALIZED COURSEWORK:

Islamic Gardens and Architecture

Environmental Biology

Engineering Design for a Net-Zero

Solar Smart-Home

Introduction to City Planning

Sport and Lawn Turf Management

CERTIFICATIONS

OSHA 10-HOUR CONSTRUCTION SAFETY AND HEALTH CERTIFICATION

OSHA 30-HOUR CONSTRUCTION

SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT

CERTIFICATION

FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CERTIFICATE

OPEN SPACE FOR COMMUNITY AND ECOLOGY 1

Boneyard Creek, Downtown Urbana, Illinois

LA 233 - Foundation Design Studio, Prof. Stephen Sears Project #3 - Independent Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Sasaki Day 2024 Finalist

A site of several contiguous, under-used parcels that intersect with Boneyard Creek, at the northwest edge of the downtown core, has been identified as an opportunity for development as a community park. The site occupies a non-descript area, situated on the non-street side of downtown commercial buildings, prone to periodic flooding, with public and private parking lots and a small community garden serving as the only existing programs.

GREEN WALL

OPEN PLAZA

COURIER CAFE

MEADOW

CONCEPTUAL IDEATION

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

A series of concept models formed and shaped the design of the site with consideration to key space requirements to reflect the design statement.

Accommodating the varying needs of existing and visiting populations on site demand that multiseasonal and flexible design are implemented.

Communities like Urbana are experiencing heightened degrees of awareness concerning a healthy, local lifestyle. Prioritizing choices based on the sources and quality of food – or grow one’s own food – and reducing a dependence on petroleum is apparent in the Urbana domestic landscapes. Most importantly, the city recognizes this orientation among its residents and has responded by supporting improvements like inexpensive compost production, allowing residence to keep chickens or bees, sanctioning gardens at schools, sponsoring a farmer’s market, and developing bike lanes. The city has made significant investments in storm water management infrastructure at a system-widescale. Urbana has completed a number of municipal projects to address flooding and run-off filtration.

SPACE FOR PEOPLE

SPACE FOR FLORA

SPACE FOR WATER

From all entrances, the design sequence carries visitors through multiple humancentric spaces. Visitors are enabled to continue through the space leisurely, taking time to enjoy the programming or utilize shortcuts and expedite their travel through the space.

This site’s resilience is improved by widening the creek for increased water flow into and out of the site. As water flows down from street-level, it passes through multiple meadows, filtering chemicals and pollution before it reaches the creek. Additionally, as water enters the site from the creek, strategic plantings on the sides of the creek filter water and adjust the flow as it exits the site.

[secondary human experience + scalar perceptions]

Large, expansive meadows and increased natural elements within the marsh augment perceptions of park visitors. Visitors are imposed upon by the park’s extensive spaces and design, causing individuals to move with caution through nature’s space.

During intensive rain events, this site is designed so that some portions can be flooded, requiring humans to be at the disposal of nature. During winter and night, park visitors may choose to explore the site, but must be prepared for adventure without support from the built environment.

Serving as a community center, this site will provide contemporary spaces to exchange music, food, and culture. Implemented green walls create sound reverberation for musical performance, which is an important aspect of the Urbana community. In addition, modern shapes and materials update the space to ensure longevity of use and aesthetic appeal.

As a space for the arts and culture, visitors will leave the site feeling invigorated after exercise, interaction, and learning. During floods, water levels rise and first fill the highly-absorbent terraced marsh areas, reducing damage to the rest of the site.

[fundamentals + texture]

As a fundamental need of humans, food can be grown within the community garden, closely located to the residential area for ease of access by residents. Fundamental exploration of the environment for children is enhanced by the natural play structure also in close proximity to the residential area.

Various flowers and grasses comprise the meadow, contributing to both the tangible and visible texture of the design. Specialized pavement augments the natural palette of the view while still providing a stable and accessible path for all users.

[sequence + resilience]

[contemporality + invigoration]

2 CLAUSS RECREATION CENTER

555 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Roselle, Illinois

Roselle Park District, Etienne G. Sirois Custom Landscape Design (landscape) in collaboration with FGM Architects (architecture) and The Will Group (lighting)

Site work, AutoCAD, Photoshop, construction estimates, governmental relations, construction details + specs

PERMANENCE, PALIMPSEST, PRESERVATION 3

303 W Main St, Urbana, IL 61801, Urbana, Illinois

LA 234 - Site Design Studio, Prof. Ana Valderrama Project #3 - Independent Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AutoCAD

In this project, colors and geometries are manipulated across the grid platforms, with planted rows dividing the parklet’s programming.

Displaced elements, such as the railroad, represent nearby uncovered archaeological features that were previously concealed by modern society. The redirection of Boneyard Creek curates this site as a space for understanding and exploring history. Additionally, the ecological approach, allowing for the free growth of plants, is enhanced through interpretive interaction within the site. Visitors can engage with and interact with diverse topographies and textures.

AMPHITHEATRE BONEYARD

AMPHITHEATRE

BONEYARD CREEK EXTENSION

Permanence, Palimpsest, Preservation: all three terms represent the development the site to uncover, interpret, develop and protect one of Urbana’s most important assets for urban space in the downtown area and to act as an epicenter for historical study, human development, and recreation experience.

PALIMPSEST REMAINS

RAILROAD PATH

SMALL SCALE/DESIGN BUILD 4

Etienne G. Sirois Custom Landscape Design

St. Mary’s Cemetery

St. Mary’s Cemetery, in construction St Marys Road, Champaign, IL 61820

Site work, AutoCAD, Photoshop, construction estimates

St. Mary’s Cemetery has a small central area that includes a grave monument and a recently installed columbarium. This area requires a design that provides smooth access and pleasant surroundings. The scope of this project includes creating a design that enhances accessibility, aesthetic appeal, durable construction, and modularity for the potential expansion of future columbariam.

With a limited budget in mind, the client requested two design options: a more involved, higher-cost option and a more basic option that establishes access to the structures.

Upon completion of all phases, this cemetery design will require minimal maintenance while creating a centralized, welcoming space for visitors and families to visit their loved ones. A bench at the center offers a place for reflection, facing either the statue or the columbaria. The accessible walkways will be ADA-compliant, and the selected pavers allow for rapid drainage of the site. With grass as the only planting, maintenance for the small crew is limited to mowing around the outer edges.

Residential Pocket Gardens

In response to the client’s desire for different garden styles throughout various parts of the yard, several cohesive designs were created. These designs allow the client to incorporate all desired plants and styles within a single, unified property.

LANDFIRM LABS

Experimentation in Residential Landscape Design and Construction

RENU House, 1318 Rockland Drive, Rantoul, Illinois

Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2021-2023 Build Challenge:

Illinois Solar Decathlon Build Team, Landscape Sub-Team Etienne Sirois, Matthew Jenkins, Eduardo Tapia

Juxtaposing Illinois’ typically flat landscape, the site’s undulating design effectively manages the increasingly critical resource of water, reusing it to support the rain gardens.

The rain gardens are designed to perform reliably during periods of severe drought or heavy precipitation, with rainwater stored in basins for later use.

Year-round, swales at the site will protect the structural integrity of the house and gardens by directing water away from the foundation.

By incorporating innovative approaches to small-scale grading, the landscape on this site functions similarly to large-scale river systems.

With resilience in mind, the landscape is built to withstand the increasingly frequent strong storms and flooding in this part of Central Illinois.

The RENU House site contains dedicated rain gardens and native plantings, helping to restore the former wetland and prairie landscape. The rain gardens allow water to absorb naturally into the soil, instead of running off and flooding stormwater management systems.

• The implemented native plants will also aid in replenishing nutrients and balancing acidity that non-native plants have disrupted.

• The site also uses permeable paving, which will help to slow the degradation of the landscape structure and maintain the integrity of the hardscape.

• With this house being located in a municipality with aging infrastructure, it was essential for the landscape design to mitigate risks associated with stormwater overflow.

• By allowing plenty of locations where the excess water can drain, the landscape provides an innovation to the traditional approach of small-scale residential landscape design.