4th Year Portfolio

ohn ontefour

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. —Walt Disney

Personal Statement Design and architecture have been intriguing since I was young. However, after discovering the field of Landscape Architecture I found new curiosities. After my acceptance into Penn State’s department of Landscape Architecture, I found a place to develop a passion for my work, as well as a program to prepare me for success.

I am constantly working to develop my craft. I have become a respected student among faculty and my peers. Although I developed a love for landscape architecture, I was not naturally gifted with an eye for design; I was challenged constantly by professors, but also encouraged to work hard. However, I succeed now because I did not allow myself to abandon my dreams. I have pushed myself immensely so that I can be prepare myself to become an effective professional in the field.

My passion for the field is predominantly shown through projects from the urban environment at both the planning and site scales. Creating systems and networks is fascinating to me, but I also enjoy developing specific site details that refine and produce extraordinary designs. This portfolio is a collection of my highlighted projects, and some of the significant implementation material within my curriculum.

DESIGN CHAPTERS Understanding human interaction through the connection of public spaces and the integration of water at various scales of design

3 Design IV: Landscape Systems Analysis & Design Closing the Gap - Centre County, PA

9 Design VI: Baltimore Ecosystem Depth Studio Catalyst - Darley Park: Baltimore, MD

15 Education Abroad: Foreign Studies Symphony - Barcelona, Spain

21 Design V: Community Design Metamorphosis - State College, PA

27 Design III: Issues of Place - The Waterfront Connecting The Waterfront - Philadelphia, PA

31 Design Implementation Construction Documentation Planting Methods Site Grading & Stormwater Management

CLOSING THE GAP Date: Fall 2018 Type: Design IV: Landscape Systems Analysis & Design Location: Centre County, PA Size: 3.1 square miles Tools: ArcMap, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhinoceros, Photoshop Description: Within the Spring Creek watershed, theres are many gaps between parks and green spaces. The goal of this studio was to create a suitability analysis through GIS to find a location for design. Students were tasked with developing individual design goals that involved strategies at the systems scale.

My design involved a parks and trailway accessibility plan that involved the linkage of existing parks, the design of new park spaces, and various trails and bike routes within the greater State College area.

This design considered locations and land use for possible development, existing trails and linkages, and areas lacking accessibility.

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Most Suitable

Least Suitable

Suitability Analysis

Park Fragmentation

Public Land

Special Features

Vicinity to Streams

Desirable Slopes

Future Urban Development

Land Use

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People & Environment The Gap Nature

The studio goals focused largely on the systems and planning scale, however, to create a more holistic design I began designing specific typologies and sites within the greater masterplan. This was driven primarily on the analysis done with GIS. Studying specific layers allowed me to understand specific areas within my scope to develop more deeply. This led to other connecting pieces, such as signage and wayfinding design for that would provide visual connection for the system of parks and trails.

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For each site design, I did more in-depth analysis based on surrounding context, ecology and topography, and future development projections. This specific park space was designed to be an active recreation space for the many surround neighborhoods and developments. This design is surrounded by water, which became an interesting method of attempting to solve accessibility and connectivity through this water resource.

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CATALYST Date: Fall 2019 Type: Design VI: Baltimore Ecosystem Depth Studio Location: Baltimore, MD Size: 2.4 acres Tools: ArcMap, AutoCAD, SketchUp, V-Ray Photoshop Description: The Darley Park neighborhood in Baltimore is a low-income, minority neighborhood. The goal of this depth studio is to develop designs from initial analysis and concepts to final design details.

My strategy for this design involved restructuring an existing convergence point in the neighborhood. The design focuses on traffic calming, pedestrian access, connectivity, and stormwater management.

Providing new social spaces for the community was incredibly important, as there is only one area within the community for social activities.

This challenge of this studio is to provide unique and feasible designs that consider materials, design complexity, and community input for implementation.

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This design studio is driven heavily on analysis of the neighborhood and surrounding context. My analysis uncovered a lack of connectivity, ADA accessibility, and green spaces in and around the community. Stormwater became a method of implementing various ecological features that included species variation, increased tree canopy, and methods of stormwater runoff collection and infiltration.

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ACER RUBRUM

LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA

27.6%

5.5%

RED MAPLE

TULIP POPLAR

PYRUS CALLERYANA

GINKGO BILOBA

11.8%

4.7%

CALLERY PEAR

GINKGO

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A major aspect of the accessibility component involved the consideration of lighting and use of spaces at various times throughout the day and year, regardless of seasons. The key spaces within the design are made to be used often, with safety and access at the forefront of its creation.

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SYMPHONY Date: Summer 2019 Type: Education Abroad: Foreign Studies Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 3 acres Tools: AutoCAD, SketchUp, Photoshop Description: The basis of this studio was to push students out of comfort zones with design, giving students challenging design goals and promoting unique design strategies.

My design for this project included the integration of pedestrian streets, addition of new open spaces, and the buffering of unwanted tourist attractions near the Sagrada Familia. I worked to provide new spaces for the various user groups that gather around the area. This became difficult when attempting to grasp the large volume of visitors to the site and surrounding area of Barcelona. The design creates interest on both the horizontal and vertical surfaces through materials and species selection.

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Highly Touristic Touristic Less Touristic

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Abstraction was a major feature of this design studio, where my design was driven by the array of colors on the stain glass windows of the Sagrada Familia. This drove the construction of the plant palette and spatial arrangement of the design.

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METAMORPHOSIS Date: Spring 2019 Type: Design V: Community Design Location: State College, PA Size: 32 acres Tools: AutoCAD, SketchUp, Lumion, V-Ray, Photoshop Description: The goals for this project involved the design of private through public spaces, thinking about how people view personal spaces versus public community spaces.

Designs were to focus on housing and land use types, community spaces, parking, and existing conditions.

My design strategy for this project focused weaving of spaces and access within the project boundary.

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Designs for this studio began with the intention of iterative schematic scenarios that considered a range of designs and configurations. This iterative process allowed students to explore the opportunities and constraints of each design scenario, with the intention of developing a successful final design from the scenarios.

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A key component of this design studio involved an in-depth development of the primary social space within the community location. My design focused on accommodating the change in elevation, transition from private to public space, and design of the community center specifically.

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CONNECTING THE WATERFRONT Date: Spring 2018 Type: Design III: Issues of Place - The Waterfront Location: Philadelphia, PA Size: 25 acres Tools: AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhinoceros, Photoshop Description: As an extension of Bartram’s Garden, students were tasked with designing a contrasting space to the existing botanical garden. Designs were to consider existing conditions, surrounding community context, and possible linkages to local and regional parks or green spaces.

My design strategy for this site focused on various aspects of the immediate water resources. Reducing slopes, providing access, and collecting stormwater fostered key moments within the design. The structure is formed from meandering paths contrasted with angular plazas and entry spaces. The design is completed with the variation of spaces, from large open lawns to intimate pathways.

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My passion for the field is predominantly shown through projects from the urban environment at both the planning and site scales. Creating systems and networks is fascinating to me, but I also enjoy developing specific site details that refine and produce extraordinary designs. This portfolio is a collection of my highlighted projects, and some of the significant implementation material within my curriculum.

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DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION Date: Integrated Type: Construction Documentation, Planting Methods, Site Grading & Stormwater Management Location: Varies Tools: AutoCAD Description: Design implementation courses are a major component of the curriculum at Penn State. Understanding the process of calculating and refining design ideas is essential for successful design. Learning the processes of compiling construction documents, implementing robust planting strategies, and calculating slopes and stormwater runoff foster more outstanding designs.

As each phase of implementation is completed, it is expected that students use this coursework to finalize designs, and even understand the processes of design through such implementation strategies.

This expectation creates more well-rounded designs and more feasible design outcomes.

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SALDO & ZONING REQUIREMENTS

PLANT SCHEDULE SYMBOL

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SCIENTIFIC NAME

COMMON NAME

SIZE

AR -

QTY.

7

ACER RUBRUM

RED MAPLE

2.5" CAL.

ROOT

GT -

3

GLEDITSIA TRIACANTHOS "HALKA"

HALKA HONEY LOCUST

2.5" CAL.

B&B

LT -

3

LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA

TULIP POPLAR

2.5" CAL.

B&B

AG -

5

AMALANCHIER GRANDIFLORA

AMALANCHIER 'FOREST PANSY'

2" CAL.

B&B

CC -

6

CARPINUS CAROLINIANA

MUSCLEWOOD/HORNBEAM

2" CAL.

B&B

2" CAL.

CR -

2

CERCIS CANADENSIS

EASTERN REDBUD

CN -

1

CHAMAECYPARIS NOOTKATENSIS

WEEPING ALASKAN CEDER

6' HT.

1

ACER PALMATUM

JAPANESE MAPLE 'BLOOD GOOD'

2" CAL.

B&B

18

CORYLOPSIS SPICATA

SPIKE WINTERHAZEL

3-4' HT.

B&B

BMJ -

10

BUXUS MICROPHYLLA JAPONICA

BOXWOOD 'WINTER GEM'

3' HT.

B&B

CC -

4

JUNIPERUS CHINENSIS

JUNIPER 'TORULOSA'

6' HT.

B&B

OV -

1

OSTRYA VIRGINIANA

AMERICAN HOP-HORNBEAM

6' HT.

B&B

HS-

225

HEMEROCALLIS SP.

MIXED VARIETY DAYLILY

12" HT.

#3 CONT.

JC -

102 JUNIPERUS CONFERTA

JUNIPER 'BLUE PACIFIC'

24" SPD. #3 CONT.

HEMEROCALLIS SP.

MIXED VARIETY DAYLILY

OV -

1

HS-

225

JC -

102 JUNIPERUS CONFERTA

JUNIPER 'BLUE PACIFIC'

24" SPD. #3 CONT.

ES -

92

ERAGROSTIS SPECTABILIS

PURPLE LOVEGRASS

12" HT.

#3 CONT.

IV -

23

12" HT.

#3 CONT.

SJ -

7

SS -

17

RH -

115 RUDBECKIA HIRTA

EP -

24

6' HT.

B&B

12" HT.

#3 CONT.

ITEA VIRGINICA

SWEETSPIRE

SPIREA JAPONICA

SPIREA 'LITTLE PRINCESS'

3' HT.

#3 CONT.

SEDUM SPECTABILE

STONECROP 'AUTUMN JOY'

3' HT.

#3 CONT.

BLACK-EYED SUSAN

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

CONEFLOWER 'RUBY STAR'

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

ECHINACEA PURPUREA

GS -

72

GERANIUM SANGUINEUM

BLOODRED GERANIUM

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

AF -

58

ASTILBE ARENDSII

BRIDAL VEIL ASTILBE

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

CA -

23

CALAMAGROSTIS ACUTIFLORA

FEATHER REED GRASS

18' HT.

#2 CONT.

LM -

224

LIRIOPE MUSCARI

LILY TURF

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

LV -

198

LIRIOPE VARIEGATA

VARIEGATED LILY TURF

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

LS -

61

LIATRIS SPICATA

BLAZING STAR

12" HT.

#2 CONT.

LANDSCAPE BOULDER

SEE DETAIL 4/L-1

PROVIDED: (1) 14 trees of 1 21 inches minimum caliper

B&B

CSP -

AMERICAN HOP-HORNBEAM

REQUIRED: SALDO:

(2) Trees are in all parking lot islands to provide maximum shade

B&B

AP -

OSTRYA VIRGINIANA

ASSUMED ZONING DISTRICT : PDZ (Plan Development Zone)

B&B

(3) Interior Landscape Islands: 1835.10 sq. ft.

Perimeter Buffer Landscape: 19985.15 sq. ft. = 21820.25 sq. ft. (48.9%) (4) Pollution tolerant species provided (5) Appropriate tree species have been provided (6) Interior landscape required (109 spaces)

ZONING: Zoning regulations stated in 300-19 Landscaping regulations. have been met and specified as needed in the Landscape and Site Notes, found on sheet L-1.

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Thank You

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

jjm6395@psu.edu 570.677.8191 issuu.com/jj.montefour