MLA Portfolio

Jasmine Chen

Landscape Architecture Portfolio 09. 2011 - 12. 2015

Table of Contents

Unless stated otherwise, all graphics in this portfolio are rendered by me.

I. PROFESSIONAL WORK Xuancheng Nursery Ecological Park Nanyang Theme Park Qinghai University Zhengzhou Athletic Park Xi’an Public Bazaar & Greens Xintiandi Plaza Zhengzhou Parkways

II. PERSONAL WORK Claude Debussy The Recede Meditations Steps of Rome

III. SKETCHBOOK

Xuancheng Nursery Ecological Park The site originally contains vast quantities of inundated terraces and economic sapling nursery of local tree species. With beautiful rice paddy terraces, intricate hydrological networks and large patches of local tree stands, the existing natural resources of the park are remarkable.

A proposition is made to preserve the existing landscape systems by designing an ecological park that features the experience of bucolic agricultural and nursery landscapes. Nurseries in particular hold unique experiences for visitors in forms of herb, medicinal, bonsai and fruit gardens. In addition to recreation potentials, the financial benefits of a nursery can also help make the park more sustainable in operation.

Project Area: 63.2 Ha Project Date: 2014- 2015 Participated: Concept - Schematic Personal Role: Lead Designer Team: 2 designers + consultants Site Study: 23� x 33�, CAD, photoshop

Watershed

Rice Paddy

Local Vegetation

Landform

Site Resource Analysis

Woodland Sapling Nursery Dense Shrubs Bamboo Forest Economic Plants Rice Paddy Existing Houses Road Slope Waterbody

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Ornamental Nursery 1 flower fields 2 medicinal herb garden 3 wetlands, streams, ponds

Sports & Fitness 10 11 12

mountain biking children’s playing field fitness activity ground

Experiential Nursery 4 fruit orchard 5 tea orchard and garden 6 sensory garden

Health & Wellbeing 13 14 15

health center & clubhouse retreat chalet aromatherapy center

Economic Nursery 7 economic nursery 8 nursery trading market 9 woodland shelterbelt

Leisure & Recreation 16 17 18 19

forest trails boardwalk camping & barbeque fishing platform

Site Plan: 33” x 47”, CAD, photoshop

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SENSORY GARDEN

CAMP GROUND

HERB GARDEN

FISHING PLATFORM

FRUIT ORCHARDS

ORNAMENTAL FLOWERBEDS

TEA ORCHARD

CLUBHOUSE

WETLAND LANDSCAPE

WOODLAND LANDSCAPE

RECREATION NURSERY MARKET

MAIN ENTRANCE

ENTRANCE

ENTRANCE RECREATION

Site Program Analysis

83m

mountain ridge

48m

sprinklers

valley

surface irrigation sub-irrigation / groundwater

depression Program Diagram : 23” x 33”, CAD, photoshop, illustrator

mechanical irrigation

flatlands

Elevation Diagram: 17” x 23”, ArcGIS, CAD, photoshop Hydrology Diagram: 17” x 23”, ArcGIS, CAD, illustrator

Site Elevation Analysis Minimal landscape earthwork was proposed to preserve the dynamic landforms and habitat for rich local vegetation.

Site Hydrology Analysis The drainage system is mostly preserved. Hydrologists were consulted to implement secondary irrigation systems to cater to program needs.

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Nanyang Theme Park

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The design of this park aims to create an immersive environment and vibrant tourist destination featuring a rich diversity of world cultures and mythologies.

In addition to integrating site programs, functions, operational and environmental needs, the most essential component of this landscape design is storytelling. Landscape has to develop a sense of place for visitors, to be the natural, outdoor extension of the story. Softscape, hardscape and details work together to manages views and reinforce context for the themed attractions and rides. Therefore, a unique aesthetic vision and narrative is created for each themed region.

FILMMAKING DISTRICT

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savannah meadows the azar guevara caves jewel beach of the nile the haunted house the shrine maze garden pharaoh’s treasure hunt tutankhamen’s tomb totem park

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totem tales ferris wheel red indian bumper cars grand canyon drift secret garden rainbow sand dunes the great pendulum prairies slide

AFRICA ZONE

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Project Area: 48.5 Ha Project Date: 2013- 2015 Participated: Concept - Schematic

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Personal Role: schematic design Team: 3 designers + consultants

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Feature Section: Africa Zone

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main entrance plaza gatehouse storm of creations plaza stargazer water show sails of exploration theatre seismic hall the bumper boats grand carousel dragon hunter rollercoaster mountain splitter ridge twin-fish indoor aqua park shaman terrace tribal huts moon-chaser plaza ridge walker rock-climbing

AMERICAS ZONE

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ASIA ZONE exhibition hall banquet hall tea room hotel & spa conferencehall multimedia hall

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commercial block pagoda plaza dining avenue central palace film studio film prop warehouse post production center

Site Plan: collaboration with 2 designers 33” x 47”, CAD, vellum, pen, marker Sections: 3 x 11”x 33”, CAD, pencil, pen, marker

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OCEANIA ZONE maori fable turntable ancient worlds hot air balloons birds of paradise wind seeker lost lagoon rapids ride melanesian performance plaza shark reef whirlpool ardara aquarium jungle walker activity grounds tonga racecourse 10 twelve apostles paintball 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

EUROPE ZONE 7 6

Feature Section: Oceania Zone

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Feature Section: Europe Zone

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prometheus plaza the village ferry dock apollo’s square gold laurel amphitheatre maze of eden titan’s clearing cupid’s archery range theatre of olympus

Landscape Layout Landscape Layout Diagram: 23” x 22”, CAD, photoshop Landscape Planning Diagram: 11” x 23”, CAD, photoshop Landscape Structure Diagram 17” x 23”, CAD, photoshop, illustrator

Europe Africa

major attraction

Americas Asia

regular attraction primary axis

Oceania

softscape artificial rockery water body paved hardscape park architecture park facilities feature rides themed architecture light rail skytrain

secondary axis

Landscape Planning

Landscape Structure

The landscape planning designates two districts. Firstly, at north lies the Filmmaking District, consisting of amenities and retail. Secondly, at south lies the theme park, with landscaped berms incorporated to prevent visual intrusions from outside. Its five recreational sub-regions are woven together by a ring of water, providing water friendly activities for each region.

The park landscape structure is devised to guide visitor trip planning. It has three major axes connecting to various nodes. Factors such as scale, solar orientation, wind patterns and enclosure were considered. Each axis is carefully implemented and reinforced by way-finding strategies, circulation, lighting, capacity management and event planning.

Qinghai University

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Campus landscape is an intriguing typology.

Its image portrays institutional excellence. Yet, it is also intimate, often a student`s first home away from family, and a personal experience strong enough to last a lifetime.

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With those two propositions in mind, our goal is to construct two ceremonial promenades that are connected to many smaller outdoor rooms, where social learning and collaborative engagement can take place.

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My design region is the area marked on the sketch, where the existing hills are currently overgrown with tall, beautiful reed grass and switchgrass. I see this as a native ecosystem design problem. I proposed design interventions that considers closely with site grading and requires minimal landscape disturbances.

Since my region is not in the education core, I focused on introducing a variety of outdoor recreational spaces: large and small, public and intimate, active and quiet, designed to promote good physical, mental and social health within the student body.

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Project Area: 86 Ha Project Date: 2014- 2015 Participated: Concept - Schematic

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Site Plan

PROMENADES

DESTINATIONS

ENVIRONMENT

sculpted knoll water cascade emblem plaza union plaza commons square gate of legacies terraced promenade inventor courtyards feature fountain 10 legacy sculpture

formal courtyard dormitory courtyard reading courtyard themed sculpture racket sport court observation deck wetland boardwalk central lake rain garden 10 heritage park

ornamental grassland terraced grassland forested wind buffer formal gardens recreational trails activity platforms feature retaining wall tree nursery reserved lands 10 sport facilities

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Personal Role: schematic design Team: 4 designers Site Plan: collaboration with 1 designer 33” x 47”, CAD, photoshop Sketch: Collaboration with 4 designers 33” x 47”, CAD, pen, marker, pencil crayon Model: laser-cutting files prepared by me 33” x 47”, basswood, plywood Assembly by professional model makers

Core 1 partial excavation replica

Inner Ring 3 1

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Outer Ring

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Heritage Park Site Plan

The northeast corner of my design region is a prominent campus feature: the earthen crater of the heritage park is the remnant of an excavation that unearthed ancient clay earth wares of national cultural importance. A place of memory, the core value of this park is designated as a place of contemplation and reflection for the students and a cherished, integrated part of the region’s collective memory. The existing landscape is overgrown with native reed grass and switchgrass, and the design of the park aims to preserve the native grassland along with its historical characters. ‘Eddies’ are created around the inner ring, where people can go to finding personal space and contemplate in a common setting, while the outer ring provides valuable activity and recreational grounds to serve students, whose dormitories are in close vicinity.

Landscape Structure 1

CORE: cultural exhibition 2

INNER RING: tranquil contemplation

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OUTER RING*: activities & communication * permanent existing road

Cultural experience

Recreation activities

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1 corten planter seating 2 corten retaining walls 3 observation platform

Heritage Park Plan: 23” x 66”, CAD, photoshop Structure Diagram: 33” x 47”, CAD, photoshop, illustrator Perspectives: 11” x 17”, CAD, 3DMax, VRay Raw frame exports by animation team Aerial Rendering: 17” x 23”, CAD, 3DMax, VRay, photoshop Post processing by rendering company

entrance plaza activity platform gathering grounds amphitheatre

1 stone retaining wall 2 existing reed grass

Zhengzhou Athletic Park

Project Area: 20.8 Ha Project Date: 2014- 2015 Participated: Concept - DD

The Zhengzhou Athletic Park aims to provide tournament-level athletic opportunities and recreational amenities for the needs of the local community. Outdoor sport facilities include a soccer field, basketball courts, tennis courts, skating and boating facilities.

For the younger crowd, there are brightly colored play areas, family picnic areas and camping sites, connected by meandering trails. The diverse ecological and water activity planning makes this park an all-season destination for the community.

Personal Role: schematic design Team: 2 designers Site Plan: 33” x 47”, CAD, photoshop

Competitive / Social Sports 14

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Leisure Fitness 9 biking loop 10 11 12 13 14

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tai-chi square kite-flying lawn children’s playground mini golf rock climbing

Ecological Recreation

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seasonal fruit orchard activity platforms sculpture garden barbeque & picnic area camping grounds forested trails ponderosa teahouse

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Waterfront Activities

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performance plaza speed skating plaza extreme sports facilities skate park grass skiing field racket sport courts basketball courts soccer field

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Site Plan

indoor swimming marina docks recreational boating wetland boardwalk fishing platform music fountain

Site Program and Circulation Diagram

Main Entrance Secondary Entrance

Primary Pathway / Bikeway Secondary Pathway Tertiary Pathway / Trail

Entrance Gathering Plaza Vehicle / Bike Parking Lot Waterfront Scenic Zone Extreme Sports Zone Sports & Athletic Zone Leisure Family Activity Zone Ecological Recreation Zone Water Activity & Wetland Zone

The park aims to provide a pedestrian-friendly community destination that promotes both passive and active recreation. The programs are organized into three zones. The northeast zone features main gathering grounds and competitive sport facilities. The northwest zone features youth and family-friendly activities. The south zone features ecological and water activities. The zones are all connected by a bikeway loop.

Program and Circulation Diagram: 11� x 23�, CAD, ohotoshop, illustrator

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The site features two components with equal importance, the bazaar and dining area, and the public greens area. The primary goal of the site is to bring liveliness and public amenities to the local community.

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There are two entrances to the site; both are designed with water features to make the areas obvious and welcoming. At the north the entrance is near the children center, therefore its water feature is interactive in complement to the adjacent playground. At the south, the entrance opens up to the bazaar and dining area. Its water feature is more ornamental, providing pleasant ambient sound and vibrant atmosphere.

Low maintenance is a key factor in the landscape, providing vital shade trees to the bazaar, but minimizes its pruning needs and avoids overplanting. Existing trees are all preserved and replanted in the northern shelterbelt to save budget, maximize survivability and enhance buffer effectiveness.

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Xi’an Public Bazaar & Greens

Bazaar

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Cafe

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Site Plan

COMMUNITY GREENS

BAZAAR and DINING

dry spray water plaza children’s playground sandbox seating multi-use lawn & seating planted mound flowerbed pergola allee promenade 10 shelterbelt trees

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entrance plaza water feature way-finding guide post themed sculpture sunken dining platform cafe sun deck stone bass relief central plaza allee promenade 10 flower trellis

Project Area: 1.5 Ha Project Date: 2014- 2015 Participated: Concept - schematic Personal Role: project manager Team: solo Site plan: 33” x 47”, CAD, photoshop Perspectives: 11” x 17”, CAD, sketchup

Renderings: 20” x 33”, CAD, sketchup, vray, photoshop Sections: 11” x 17”, CAD, photoshop

The public greens provide seasonal interests that reflect the geographic area and local climate. Flowering plants are selected with staggered bloom time to imbue color into spring and summer. Deciduous trees add a splash of gold during fall, and stands of evergreens ensure that the landscape is not bleak during winters.

1 Community Greens

Bazaar and Dining: The bazaar an dining areas feature sunken platforms utilized as an outdoor store component by individual shop owners, mainly as dining terraces or outdoor display areas. They are clearly delineated from the clear traverse zone.

SUNKEN PLATFORM

1 Entrance Plaza

TRAVERSE

SUNKEN PLATFORM

Trellis Corridor: In contrast to the open bazaar landscape, a more intimate environment is set up in the bazaar corridor by installing a flower trellis, where customers can rest and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere and seasonal blooms.

MOVEABLE FURNITURE

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TRELLIS

MOVEABLE FURNITURE

Xintiandi Plaza

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This commercial plaza situates at the heart of downtown. The architecture is programmed with retails, dining, child centers, and cinema. The landscape focuses on enhancing the architecture, both formally and programmatically.

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To complement its child centers, a multitude of children’s play opportunities are introduced, aimed to engage children and youth of all ages. To complement the dining theme, mini urban farm installations are devised. Selected feature crops are grown throughout the site in distinctive planters, unifying the visual identity of the site. Edible plants are planted and picked in proximity to restaurants, enhancing the dining experience and active engagement. To complement the cinema, a projection wall is installed to function as an outdoor movie screen during holidays and community events.

west entrance plaza dry spray water feature office entrance outdoor seating platform feature installations skate slopes activity terraces enclosed playground east entrance water feature trellis sun lawn play mounds urban farm planters children’s playground projection screen wall

Site Plan

Project Area: 3.0 Ha Project Date: 2014- 2015 Participated: Concept - DD Personal Role: schematic design Team: 2 designers Site plan: 33” x 47”, CAD, photoshop Section: 11” x 34”, CAD, sketchup, photoshop

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Zhengzhou Parkways Zhengzhou parkways are expansive municipal projects spanning across nine avenues. The parkways are 15-25m landscape setbacks along traffic corridors, and strive to integrate infrastructure and utilities with the natural landscape, with feature parkway trees to instill visual unity and aesthetic continuity. The design provides safety for drivers by maintaining clear sight triangles at intersections.

12th & 15th Avenue:

17th Avenue:

Park Avenue:

Project Area: 10.4 Ha Project Date: 2013- 2014 Participated: Concept - DD

Project Area: 7.6 Ha Project Date: 2013- 2014 Participated: Concept - DD

Project Area: 4.8 Ha Project Date: 2015 Participated: Concept

Personal Role: schematic design Team: 3 designers

Personal Role: schematic design Team: 2 designers

Personal Role: project manager Team: solo

Aerial Rendering: 33” x 47”, CAD, 3DMax, vray, photoshop post processing by rendering company

Site Plan: 33” x 141”, CAD, photoshop

Site Plan: 33” x 94”, CAD, photoshop

Site Plans: 33” x 188”, CAD, photoshop

1 15th Avenue Enlarged Plan Schematic A

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1 15th Avenue Enlarged Plan Schematic B

12th & 15th Avenue Aerial Rendering 2 2 Enlarged Plan

17th Avenue Site Plan 3

3 Enlarged Plan

Park Avenue Site Plan

CBD Section

The parkway design is sensitive to its adjacent landuse. There are three main typologies: CBD, (commercial and retail), arterial, (institutional and amenities), and residential neighborhoods.

Arterial Section

The CBD district aims to foster effective pedestrian circulation and maintain a clear view of the storefront to promote window-shopping and provide pedestrian amenities. Deciduous trees with upright branching pattern are planted to provide shade and pollution absorption.

The arterial parkway features a relaxing trail experience. It consists of meandering trails and upgraded landscaping to increase community enjoyment of everyday life and a greater sense of meaningful connection between people and the environment.

Residential Neighborhood Section

The residential neighborhoods utilize landscape buffer mounds to develop desirable neighborhood environment through microclimate modifications, local air quality improvement and noise attenuation.

Sections: 11� x 17�, CAD, photoshop

Neighborhood Park Section

The parkways often end with a small neighborhood park as its terminus.

The parks fulfill recreational and social needs of the community. It also provides ecological benefits such as rainwater retention, infiltration and water bodies with drainage areas where herbaceous wetland vegetation can establish.

Parks located near residential areas include playground facilities catered to young parents and youth. Informal-use ovals of dry land grass are strategically placed for informal sports and other recreation.

Sections: 11� x 34�, CAD, photoshop

Claude Debussy Piano has been my quintessential companion since childhood. Mysterious, delightful, and avant-garde with his innovative harmonies. From Clair de Lune to Deux Arabesques, Mazurka to En Bateau, Claude Debussy composed my favorite pieces.

This project explores my interpretation of the movements, textures and rhythmic qualities of Debussy’s music, the rises and falls of music pace a composition from one moment to the next.

With a similar gesture, the rises and falls of undulating lines create flows in a visual composition. Meandering lines attract and guide the eye, while circles idle and restthe eye, working in similar ways as syntaxes in music.

Project Year: 2012 Final Image: 23” x 33”, pencil, pen Sketches: 8.5” x 11”, pencil, pen, sharpies Sketch Model: 17” x 23”, paper, black card

The Recede This collage explores the spatial qualities of planes, overlays and vanishing points by orchestrating lines, shapes and masses to create flows and tensions throughout the image plane.

The receding expanse was then created when a perspective grid was centered. Its degree of presence and associated effect as a cohesive force for the somewhat chaotic arrangement of disparate elements was something I tempered with over multiple trials.

This collage was an opportunity to learn ways to assign structure and hierarchy to abstract thought, an essential practice for my future creative endeavors.

Project Year: 2012 Final Image: 23” x 33”, pencil, charcoal, pen, craft paper Sketches: 8.5” x 11”, pencil, pen

Meditations

This is a panoramic drawing of my visit to Lion Forest Garden, one of the great traditional Chinese gardens.

Meandering walkways skimmed the lake surface, leading to a buoyant pavilion. Unlike the rest of the densely packed residence, the mid-lake pavilion meditates in open isolation, seeking enlightenment in the void.

SixthProject

Project Year: 2014 Final drawing: 6� x 32�, pencil, pen

Steps of Rome I spent a college semester in Rome for a field seminar exploring the monumental and mundane at different design scales. Ancient Rome was founded upon Seven Hills that corrolates to present day features, from the pattern of the street grid to ancient monuments with vistas looking down upon the rest of the city; the city’s order was vertically regimented from centuries ago. My essay topic investigates the physical and symbolic steps of Rome, from observation, readings and visits to museums and cartographers. This is the essay portion of my project, which I choose to present in a journal format. The essay has three themes: ways in which the steps of Rome were established in its physiography, urban morphology and collective memory.

Project Year: 2012 Journal Essay: 5.8” x 8.5” x 120 pages pencil, pen, trace, sharpie, marker, pastel, watercolor, vellum, cardstock, acrylic paint, maps, photos

Sketchbook Project Year: 2013-2015 8.5” x 11”, 6” x 8.5”, pencils, pen, ink, marker

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