P
ortfolio
Landscape architecture is a field that breeds diversity and demands excellence. The profession “encompasses the analysis, planning, design and management” of land as defined by the American Society of Landscape Architects. As a landscape architecture student, I am learning the fundamental skills that I will continue to develop my junior and senior years in the program.
Many people take for granted the parks they jog in, the plazas they eat lunch in and the state parks they visit with their families; but chances are a landscape architect had some role in the design of the project. Landscape architects create unique environments from courtyards to large scale developments, while centering their designs on the site’s historical background, environmental aspects and context surrounding the environment. Through a series of sketches, drawings and models, landscape architects utilize their technical and artistic backgrounds to build ideas in a system known as the design process. This process starts with a concept or theme and is developed and refined until it satisfies the project guidelines and inspires the client. Landscape architects balance spatial design with function, while at the same time creating a place people want to return to. Landscape architecture brings communities, groups and individuals together in a public arena or space that can be shared through the years. Buster Simpson designed Vine Street in Seattle, WA to reinvigorate an art based neighborhood; Projects like this drive me to continue my studies in the program and work on local projects in my hometown of Ocean City, MD. My portfolio layout is orchestrated around a square-dissolving grid theme. I am organizing my content in the order it was learned, demonstrating my growth through the program. The theme and portfolio content relate to each other because I feel what I have learned so far is laying the groundwork for what I will learn in the future; transitioning from dashed grid to something solid. By learning the very basic skills of drafting and sketching in LA 120 and LA 121, I learned how to graphically express my ideas. As I moved onto to LA 250 and LA 251, I learned how ideas develop by using the design process. Thus far, I have developed a solid foundation of basic skills, but in the next two years I’ll be able to learn how to inspire people into seeing something original. I’ll be able to bring my personal style to the work I’ll do every day as a landscape architect.
Garrett Neeb
Table OF
Contents Drafting ~ p. 3 Sketching ~ p. 4 Color Rendering ~ p. 5 Final Drawings ~ p. 6 Computer Graphics ~ p. 7 SketchUp Models ~ p. 8 AutoCAD Drawings ~ p. 9 Models ~ p. 10 Planting Graphics ~ p. 11-12 Design Process ~ p. 13-16
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D Hand Drafted, Ink on Vellum [11 x 17] Plan View of Final Project for LA 120
rafting
Hand Drafted, Ink on Vellum [11 x 17] Sections of Final Project for LA 120
Hand Drafted, Ink on Vellum [11 x 17] Perspective of Final Project for LA 120
Hand Drafted, Ink on Vellum [8.5 x 11] House Section for LA 120
Hand Drafted, Graphite on Vellum [8.5 x 11] Hand Lettering Example for LA 120
Hand Drafted, Ink on Vellum [8.5 x 11] Tree Exercise for LA 120 Hand Drafted, Ink on Vellum [8.5 x 11] Groundcover Exercise for LA 120
3
S
ketching
Sketch, Graphite on Bond [5 x 8] Site Perspective for LA 251, “University Ave.”
Sketch, Graphite on Bond [9 x 12] Freetime Sketch, “Woodland Creek”
Sketch, Graphite on Bond [8.5 x 11] Freetime Sketch, “Scrat” from Ice Age
Sketch, Graphite on Vellum [8.5 x 11] Concept Sketch for Art 122, “Cascading Foliage”
Sketch, Graphite on Bond [9 x 12] Freetime Sketch, “Boat Building: Mariner’s Country Down”
4
C
olor Rendering
Hand Drafted & Rendered, Watercolor on Vellum [6 x 8] Perspective of final project for LA 121
Rendered, Pastel on Bond [8.5 x 11] Concept sketch for LA 250 Hand Drafted & Rendered, Marker on Vellum [11 x 17] Perspective View of a city plaza for LA 120
Hand Drafted & Rendered, Marker on Vellum [8.5 x 11] Axonometric view of a courtyard for LA 120
Hand Drawn & Rendered, Marker on Vellum [9 x 12] Perspective of UUFM final design for LA 251
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inal Drawings
F Hand Drawn, Ink on Bond [6 x 8] Perspective of UUFM final design for LA 251
AutoCAD Drawing, Marker on Bond [24 x 36] Plan View of Brooke Place design for LA 251
Hand Drawn, Marker on Bond [8.5 x 11] Site section of courtyard design for LA 261
AutoCAD Drawing, Marker on Bond [24 x 36] Site Sections of Brooke Place design for LA 251 Hand Drawn, Marker on Bond [8.5 x 11] Site section of courtyard design for LA 261
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C
omputer Graphics *BENCHMARK -29’ 5’
-4’
-5’
-22’
*Light
-6’
denotes residential land use
-35’
Marsh
-20’ -5’
*BENCHMARK 6’
-3’
denotes bodies of water
-6’
-33’
-2’
-14’
denotes marshland
-25’
Island 8’
denotes a combination of commercial and industrial land use
*Light
5’
5’
denotes a combination of recreational, commercial, residential and natural land use
These 3 drawings were done as a set in adobe illustrator as part of an inventory and analysis project for LA 223. The drawings depict my hometown of Ocean City, Maryland and evaluate different aspects of land use.
-12’
5’ -35’
-6’
Marsh -28’ *BENCHMARK Island 4’ 10’ *BENCHMARK 8’ *BENCHMARK 15’
-35’ -29’
-24’
*BENCHMARK 9’ -33’
*BENCHMARK 12’ 5’
Inlet
5’
-7’
Marsh
5’
-17’ -9’
-10’ -6’
-24’
-15’
-3’
-20’
-23’ -19’
Ocean
-35’ -25’
Figure 1 shows existing land use
City Inl e
t
Figure 2 shows site topography
-8’ -35’
-47’
-23’
Figure 3 shows site figure ground
7’
*BENCHMARK 11’
Ocean City, MD Aerial Interpretation: Land Use Description and Observation
Garrett Neeb
The above picture is a Google Earth image, and it denotes how land is used in Ocean City, MD and the surrounding areas. Ocean City is a pennisula that incorporates many different types of land use, as marked by the pink striped shape. The above image shows the bottom half of Ocean City, which is composed primarily of residential and commerical areas, coupled with natural and recreational use due to the beach; which faces the Atlantic Ocean. Moving West, we can see that the orange polka-dotted area is primarily commerical and industrial land use. This area houses a large shopping mall, as well as several restaurants. This area is important to Ocean City’s tourism, since the commerical area promotes a form of sustainable tourism. The final area, as marked by the blue and white swirls, represents residential housing. These houses are generally occupied year-round, mixed in with some second houses owned by tourists.
Figure 1
Adobe Photoshop Drawing, LA 223 “Ocean City Renegade”
-25’
Ocean City, MD Topographic Map: Landform Processes Description and Observations
Garrett Neeb
The above image is a topographic map of Ocean City, MD and the surrounding areas. Based on the map, we can deduce that the land is relatively flat, with the exception of the ocean floor, which I have marked out in negative numbers; to show how many feet below sea level the ground is. Surveyors have also left several bench marks around West Ocean City, and Ocean City; however upon closer examination we can see that the land does not raise above 15 feet. Other than that, the map is pretty simple, the real terrain differences actual occur under the water, which only affect fishermen and the coast guard.
Ocean City, MD Topographic Map: Cultural Forms and Water Description and Observations
Garrett Neeb
The above image marks out main roads and pathways through Ocean City and the surrounding area. The thickness of the line denotes the importance of the path, whether it is a highway, or just a neighborhood street. The main line that runs through the center of the map represents Route 50, the primary highway that tourists use to access Ocean City. The Other main path runs straight through Ocean City, and that represents Coastal Highway, which residents and tourists alike use to move through Ocean City. The rest of the map is self-explainitory, the snaking roads to the West of Ocean City represent reisdential neighborhoods; and the blue color marks the bodies of water.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Adobe Photoshop Drawing, LA 223 “Boardwalk Arch Gateway”
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S
The color rendered model images shown at right and above are part of a “2D to 3D Abstraction” project for LA 250. I was assigned the abstract expressionist painting, “The Windows” by John Ferren and had to pull creative elements from the painting and apply them to my courtyard design. I included a terraced grass seating area, a profile raised platform for musical events and an outdoor classroom. The raised and sunken planters are representative of the brush strokes in the bottom of the painting.
ketchUp Models
The images above are associated with the adobe illustrator project. The model was created to understand how the land is used in relation to the existing natural elements, i.e. bodies of water. Since Ocean City is located in a low-lying coastal plain, the topography is almost nonexistent, thus explaining the barely visible change on the model. The model shows that the residential areas have been developed in clusters around commercial areas.
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A
utoCAD Drawings AutoCAD Drawing, LA 251 This drawing was a digital version of my original concept drawing for the UUFM spiritual place project. My design featured a children’s natural play area, an outdoor eating area, meditation garden and a profile flower bed with an allée of ornamental fruit trees.
AutoCAD Drawing, LA 223 This drawing was part of a set of drawings where we had to design structures inspired by local materials. My wall incorporates aged brick and interwoven planks to create a pleasing pattern to the eye.
1x4 posts to be mounted to 2x4 cross braces. 1x4 posts to have be cut at the top on 45° bevel. 2x4 cross brace notched into 4x4 end posts. 1x4 posts to be evenly space 2" o.c. 4x4 pressure treated end post. Post is to be set in 30" of concrete. Hole for 4x4 end post to be dug at 36" leaving finished concrete line 6" below grade.
AutoCAD Drawing, LA 223 This drawing was part of a set of drawings where we had to design structures inspired by local materials. My fence is based off the “Chesapeake Bay scallop fence” design. It is a simple downward arc design and the fence posts are bevel cut on the top.
AutoCAD Drawing, LA 251 This drawing was a site section from the Brooke Place project, depicting my proposed elements. From left, an obstacle course, camping area, campfire area, meditation garden and an outdoor stage.
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odels
M
“Art into Space”
Garrett Neeb Landscape Architecture 250
Model, LA 250 This model was part of the “Art into Space” project in LA 250. I was assigned the painting , “Personaje en rojo y azul” by Gunther Gerzso and I was asked to make the painting three dimensional, while keeping the same style of the painting and preserving the plan view of the painting from above.
Plan View
Gunther Gerzso personaje en rojo y azul
Rear Elevation
Front Elevation
Right Elevation
Left Elevation
Perspective
Model, LA 250 This model was part of the Decker’s Creek Installation Project. After being assigned the beaver as my native american animal, I had to incorporate aspects of the animals life into an interactive space along the creek. My design incorporates a raincatcher that you can look through and a fence to keep people from falling into Decker’s Creek.
Section B’-B’ Section A’-A’
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P
B' -
B'
Ele
vat ion
lanting Graphics
Plant Graphics, LA 261 This drawing was a continuation of the UUFM church design site. I was asked to select a specific part of my design and develop it with plants. I picked the meditation garden because it required the largest amount of plants.
Elevation A'- A'
My inspiration for the space was based off “The Secret Garden”, where I would create an environment with very little roaming space and largely dominated by plants. My planting design will allow people to enter the garden and be visually stunned by the amount of plants and begin to drift through the garden, letting their thoughts slip away.
11 Section A’-A’
Section B’-B’
P
(3) TT
(1) EA
(4) BP
lanting Graphics B. A.
(52) YD Low-Mow Turf (26) TP
Mountain Hydrangea Detail
(27) FL
(20) FH (8) BM (1) EA (9) GG (3) EA (12) CL
C. D.
A. B. C. D.
Gently break up root ball Plants spaced 2’ apart o.c. 2” mulch cover Prepared Soil
(1) PC (20) MH2 (1) EA (28) MF Crape Myrtle Detail
B. A.
C.
A. Prepared Soil B. Wire Support Bracing C. 2” mulch cover D. Wood Stake
D.
Tulip Tree Detail
B. C. A. D.
A. Saucer B. Wire Support Bracing C. 2” mulch cover D. Wood Stake
Plant Graphics, LA 261 This is the construction drawing for the meditation garden and planting detail drawings. The construction drawing explains how many of each plant are planted where and clearly marks planting beds. My design calls for some annual flowers, so I have made those beds easy to access for seasonal change. My plant detail drawings show a selection of five plants that would require special care when being planted. The labels explain how the plants are to be installed in the best possible manner.
Japanese Yew Detail
(2) EA
(21) MH (20) BF
(47) ES (1) BB1
(9) RG (19) MR (15) HL (50) TP (5) RS (41) MP (1) BB (35) SJ2 (23) SJ (20) SS
A. B. (22) JY
*Note
Plant Schedule Key
Quanity
Botanical / Latin Name
Japanese Yew to be trained into a border hedge around garden inside designated dashed boundary
Size Shrubs
Deciduous Trees PC TT
1 1
Lagerstroemia indica / Pink Crape Myrtle Liriodendron tulipifera / Tulip Tree
Ball & Burlap Ball & Burlap
Flowers Annuals
MR YD RG TP
19 52 9 76
Chrysanthemum morifolium / Mammoth Red Daisy Chrysanthemum multicaule / Yellow Daisy Geranium ‘Red’ / Red Geranium Viola cornuta / Tufted Pansy
1/3 Flat 1 Flat 1/3 Flat 1-1/2 Flats
Green Giant Arborvitae Detail BB BB1 BM MF RS MH MH2 SJ
1 1 8 28 5 21 20 23
Buddleia davidii / Butterfly Bush Caryopteris clandonenis / Blue Beard Caryopteris ‘Blue Satin’ / Blue Mist Spirea Forsythia x intermedia / Minigold Forsythia Hibiscus syriacus / Rose of Sharon Hydrangea macrophylla / ‘Mini Penny’ Hydrangea Hydrangea serrata / Mountain Hydrangea Hypericum frondosum / St. John’s Wort
5 Gal. 2 Gal. 2 Gal. 1 Gal. 5 Gal. 3 Gal. 3 Gal. 2 Gal.
MP FL ES FH HL BF SS
41 27 47 20 15 20 20
Catharanthus roseus / Madagascar Periwinkle Clivia miniata / Fire Lily Dianthus ‘Eastern Star’ / Eastern Star Carnation Hosta plantaginea / Fragrant Hosta Lily asiatic / Hardy Lily Platycodon grandiflorus / Balloon Flower Salvia splendens / Scarlet Sage
2/3 Flat 1/2 Flat 1 Flat 1/2 Flat 1/4 Flat 1/2 Flat 1/2 Flat
SJ2 CL BP JY GG EA
A. Prepared Soil B. Saucer
A.
Evergreens Perennials
A. 2” mulch cover B. Prepared soil
35 12 4 22 9 8
Juniperus conferta / Shore Juniper Plumbago auriculata / Cape Leadwort Rhododendron catawbiense / Blue Peter Rhododendron Taxus cuspidata / Japanese Yew Thuja ‘Green Giant’ / Green Giant Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis / Emerald Arborvitae
1 Gal. 2 Gal. 3 Gal. Ball & Burlap Ball & Burlap 5 Gal.
B.
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D
esign Process Program Statement Morgantown Spaces of Faith: This project will involve the design of a churchyard garden at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Morgantown. The goals of this project are to become familiar with patterns of spatial organization, to identify and manipulate formal ordering principles, and to consider how ephemeral, phenomenological and formal elements influence the character or feeling of space through the analysis and design of spaces. The “concepts” for the design will come from an understanding of historic traditions in the design of religious or spiritual spaces; and of the church’s philosophical roots, rituals, practices, concerns, literature and symbology (semiotics). The class will visit the site and meet with members of the organizations during the first weeks of the semester.
Inventory:
Program Elements: the activities to be facilitated and spaces integrated in site design. These elements were discussed and decided upon with the stakeholders. You are encouraged to add to the program elements your own ideas and the ideas garnered from discussion with members. All sites will be handicap accessible to the greatest extent possible.
UUFM [429 Warrick Street]: nature sanctuary, space of contemplation/meditation, small community space for cooking/outdoor eating (~20 people or ~200 ft2), children’s natural play area, improved circulation/parking, etc.
This map explains existing site conditions such as, drainage issues, pedestrian and auto circulation, forested lands and thresholds. Understanding these conditions was an important part of the design process because my overall design had to work around these pre-existing conditions. I had to pay special attention to the auto circulation, because handicapped people were having to park fifty yards away from the entrance and walk uphill to get inside.
Analysis: I divided the site up into 4 quadrants, open space, wooded land, current land use and new parking areas. Inside each of these sections, I began to experiment with where certain program elements would work best.
Open Space: This area makes up most of the “front yard” of the property. It is primarily used for parking right now, and can hold about 10 cars. From University Avenue there is a really nice view of the church so I decided I wanted to either keep this space open or do something that would preserve the view.
Wooded Land: This part of the property is largely dominated by trees and steep slope that runs all the way to University Avenue. I knew that most people enjoy outdoor activities in the shade, so I decided to put the outdoor eating area and children’s natural play area in here.
New Parking Areas: This part of the property is a small area with a hill featuring several conifer trees. It is presently being used for handicapped parking, but can only accommodate 5 cars. I knew that if I were to develop this area, serious excavation would be involved in carving out additional parking spaces, but it was the best solution I could imagine.
Current Land Use: This area encompasses all the man made structures on the property. The church and staff parking lot take up the greatest amount of space and there is a small utility shed to the west of the church. Most of these elements could not be developed or moved, so I had to around them.
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D
esign Process Initial Sketch: This was the initial concept for my spatial layout. I was asked to study the models I had built had develop a overall site layout concept. This was more of an organic shape idea, beginning to incorporate a radial theme.
Linear Organization: This drawing was my first attempt at organizing all the program elements into the site with an overall theme. Using the linear layout, I defined my spaces as large rectilinear areas with some overlapping.
Inspirational Study Models:
After the inventory and analysis portion of the project, I was asked to construct two spiritual “space” models where I go to meditate; one of an imagined space and one of a natural existing space. The windmill model, shown above, is my imagined space. It was largely inspired by movie trailers and features elements from two of my favorite movies. The disfigured windmill comes from Alice in Wonderland and the separating ladder is from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Clustered Organization: With this drawing, I tried to play around with all my spaces connecting somehow, but still in defined clusters. I tried to organize the parking in a more logical way and still preserve the view from University Avenue.
The oceanfront visual model, shown at right, is my natural existing space. I wanted to capture the peace and solitude that comes from paddling out very early in the morning, and looking at the empty beach. Upon competition of my models, I realized both of them were forced perspectives in the sense that there was 1 dominant feature to look at. I then began to incorporate the “forced perspective” theory in my designs.
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D
esign Process
Radial Organization: This was my final trace design, with all my elements organized in a radial manner. For this drawing I pulled several elements from my models, while still working with the natural phenomenon from the inventory. I ultimately chose this design because all of the elements radiate back towards the church, keeping it “spiritually centered.�
Sections of the Final Drawing: The top section is of the outdoor eating area; It is terraced down and surrounded by lush vegetation. The bottom section is of the new proposed parking; it is enclosed by large hedges to screen the view from the rest of the property.
Original Drawing: This drawing was the product of all my research from the inventory and analysis and spatial organizations on trace paper. I included all of the program elements, and I developed a profile flower bed and small water feature in the front yard of the property to maintain the positive view of the church. I also tried to incorporate the church’s logo, intersecting circles with a flaming chalice, into a landscape element which I placed in between the church and the proposed parking lot. It features a ring of trees just outside of a ring of shrubbery with a wide open center with 7 steps, representing the 7 principles of the Unitarian Universalist faith.
Final Drawing: This is the final drawing of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Morgantown. After refining and developing all my previous ideas and concepts this was the finished product.
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Detailed Space: After I finished the final design for the UUFM site, I was asked to choose a specific area and design it with more detail. I chose the children’s natural play area because it presented more of a challenge since I could only use natural materials in constructing it. I came up with several elements the children would enjoy including, a small cave, an overhead climbing feature, large mounds to climb on and a maze of sticks to run through.
D
esign Process Axonometric View: This color rendered view of the space is a “bird’s-eyeview.” You can see all of the features inside the space three dimensionally and understand how the elements work together.
Site Sections: These sections from the design show the scale of people inside the space compared to the interactive elements. Due to the fact that some of the mounds are sunken while others are raised, the sections clearly illustrate which are which.
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