Justin Sparks Portfolio

JUSTIN W SPARKS OBJECTIVE To join an award-winning design firm with a strong commitment to producing high quality work that directly influences both the built environment and quality of life. The perfect work environment would offer me the ability to lead and work alongside individuals who share a desire to create distinctive spaces that serve a larger purpose by connecting people,

CONTACT Justin Sparks, PLA | ASLA 817.371.6415 justin.wade.sparks123@gmail.com

culture, and the natural world.

EXPERIENCE

Portfolio

Landscape Architect - Project Manager Halff Associates | 2019 - present

EDUCATION

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Managing design teams on both public and private projects from planning, schematic design through construction.

Texas Tech University | 2008

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Managing projects and associated billing, project backlog, and various other reporting activities.

Minor of Architecture

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City of Allen, Texas 3rd Party Reviewer assisting with and representing Parks at DRC meetings.

Assisting with business development and marketing efforts,

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Texas Tech University | 2008 •

which include developing production standards, marketing packages, and proposal writing.

AWARDS Greater Dallas Planning Council Urban Design Award | 2012 Santa Fe Trail Master Plan

Landscape Architect - Project Leader GFF, Inc. | 2012 - present

Greater Dallas Planning Council

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Urban Design Award | 2018 Dallas Farmers Market • Urban Land Institute

which include design proposals, developing marketing packages, and assisting in project interviews.

Public Places Award | 2018 Dallas Farmers Market

AFFILIATIONS ASLA | 2008 - present GDPC | 2012 - 2016 USGBC | 2014 - present

Leading design teams on both small- and large-scale commercial projects from conceptual design through construction.

Assisting with business development and marketing efforts,

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Acting Studio Design Liaison for Landscape Architecture, which requires me to cultivate and report on the overall health and progress of design and production for our specific practice

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Recruiting new talent and mentoring current team members in the ways of effective practice and developing habits of good leadership.

CONTENTS

RESUME

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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DALLAS FARMERS MARKET

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TEXAS A&M CENTRAL TEXAS

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THE HUDSON

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HENDERSON AVENUE

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ALTA WEST COMMERCE

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DALLAS CITY FUTSAL

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CAPITAL ONE REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS

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PLAZA AT PRESTON CENTER

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK

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WEIR’S PLAZA

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PLANNING SANTA FE TRAIL MASTER PLAN

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TEXAS A&M CENTRAL TEXAS MASTER PLAN

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PALISADES MASTER PLAN

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NOTABLE WORK

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DALLAS FARMERS MARKET MIXED-USE/ RETAIL Dallas, Texas Project Leader 2014

In 1941 the site at the corner of South Pearl and Taylor Street in the southeast quadrant of Downtown Dallas was officially sanctioned as the site for a municipally owned and operated farmers market for the sale of farm fresh produce. Three open-air sheds were constructed, at which the farmers’ trucks backed into concrete docks, and customer’s vehicles drove through the sheds, parked and shopped for groceries.

Although for fifty years the market was vibrant and busy, it was characterized by exhaust fumes and a poor quality of light, and was hardly a pedestrian friendly experience.

Spectrum Properties successfully won the contracts to purchase the land and buildings from the City and operate the Dallas Farmers Market, based on a master plan vision, which dramatically changed the nature of the market, turning it into a pedestrian-focused mixed use village with food as the anchor.

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DALLAS FARMERS MARKET

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DALLAS FARMERS MARKET

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DALLAS FARMERS MARKET

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The ultimate vision for the Market was to create a popular destination not only for local residents, but also for tourists looking for an experience that is authentically Dallas within a pedestrian oriented setting. As well, the existing street grid had to still accommodate the daily operations and traffic during business hours, but could also transform into pedestrian-only space for concerts or food festivals during busy weekends and for special events. Ultimately, these standards helped create a framework that encourages a vibrant street life through the incorporation of wide sidewalks with enhanced paving, for added safety pedestrian crossings with enhanced paving and curb bulb-outs, closely spaced street trees that aid in providing shade, pedestrian scale lighting that provide night time safety, and multiple seating opportunities for resting and people watching.

DALLAS FARMERS MARKET

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - CENTRAL TEXAS EDUCATION/ CAMPUS Killeen, Texas Project Designer 2013

Warrior Hall is the second building on the new Texas A&M-Central Texas campus. Completion of this project allowed consolidation of all instructional programs, faculty, staff, administration and support services on a single, permanent site. The exterior of the new building combines local rough limestone with precisely machined aluminum panels, acknowledging Central Texas architectural heritage while looking to the future. The first and second buildings together begin to delineate exterior campus spaces, creating not just a collection of structures but outdoor places which will ultimately define the character of the campus.

Founders Hall and Warrior Hall together define a forecourt for the campus.

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TEXAS A&M CENTRAL TEXAS

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TEXAS A&M CENTRAL TEXAS

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TEXAS A&M CENTRAL TEXAS

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THE HUDSON MULTIFAMILY Dallas, Texas Project Leader 2017

The Hudson is a boutique podium multifamily project that GFF began work on in 2015. The project required a zoning change to increase the allowed height on the site from 36’ to 85’, as well as increase the allowed density in PD-193 in Dallas. After two community meetings and a significant project redesign to address community concerns, the project was unanimously supported at the CPC and City Counc il hearings. The project includes 124 units at an average size of 945 SF on this 0.975-acre mid-block site.

Among the amenities is an elevated stainless-steel pool with a clear plexiglass sidewall on the 2nd floor terrace.

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THE HUDSON

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THE HUDSON

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THE HUDSON

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HENDERSON AVENUE MIXED-USE/ REZONING Dallas, Texas Project Leader 2014 GFF was hired by Open Realty Advisors and CIM Group in 2012 to help master plan and design significant improvements to the portfolio of nearly fifty properties on Henderson Avenue. The first and most significant of the planned projects is a mixed-use development on Henderson between Glencoe and McMillan on an over 1,000’ long, 3.55 acre primarily vacant tract of property. As a catalyst project for the corridor, special emphasis has been placed on streetscape design, quality of public space making and walkability, with the goal of adding value to the overall portfolio. This vision for Henderson Avenue required changing the existing zoning that encouraged nodes of bar and restaurants separated by low-rise multifamily uses to a more cohesive plan that will allow up to two levels of creative office above ground level retail and will create an uninterrupted pedestrian-friendly streetscape along the entire length of the site. At either end of the site the scale steps down to small one-story boutique retail buildings that respect the transition to the adjacent residential neighborhoods. The planned project includes a two-level below grade garage with 525 spaces, +/- 63,000 SF of ground level retail and restaurant uses, and +/- 80,000 SF of second and third level office uses.

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HENDERSON AVENUE

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HENDERSON AVENUE

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ALTA WEST COMMERCE MULTIFAMILY Dallas, Texas Project Leader/ Visualization 2014

Located on a heavily wooded 8 acre site, Alta West Commerce is a 252-unit apartment complex located next to the popular Chicken Scratch restaurant in West Dallas. Early on, the project team strategically planned the 3-story apartment community to preserve many of the site’s mature trees. This low impact environmental strategy is furthered by the use of vehicular stabilized decomposed granite parking stalls and drought tolerant landscaping that can be found throughout the site.

Adjacent to the leasing center, a 22,000 SF central outdoor amenity space has been developed. This modern oasis includes a 2,975 SF pool with lounge shelf, pool side water features, multiple BBQ grilling areas, a bocce ball court, and a repurposed 40’ long shipping container that has been turned in to a poolside cabana. Other featured amenity areas include a 8,000 SF tree covered dog park and gathering area, a 3,000 SF resident community garden with raised corrugated planters, and a tree lined streetscape with minimum 10’ wide sidewalks that provide connectivity to the adjacent neighborhood.

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ALTA WEST COMMERCE

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ALTA WEST COMMERCE

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CITY FUTSAL COMPLEX SPORTS/ RECREATION Dallas, Texas Project Leader/ Visualization 2015

This project is adjacent to the newly renovated Dallas Farmers Market on a former surface parking area surrounded by highways and busy city streets. The project consists of four buildings: three containing Futsal Courts and a fourth containing support and visitor facilities. A running track surrounds the perimeter.

The futsal courts are simple pre-manufactured metal structures carefully composed on the site with open sides and roll down side awnings for inclement weather. The actual futsal courts are made of a high tech transparent poly-carbonite surface internally illuminated by LED lighting from below.

The design is envisioned as entirely reinforcing the game of futsal (a smaller indoor soccer styled game currently very popular in Europe and gaining popularity in the U.S.); with the resulting aesthetic unique to the game and vision of the City Futsal operators.

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CITY FUTSAL COMPLEX

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CITY FUTSAL COMPLEX

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CAPITAL ONE - REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS OFFICE/ CAMPUS Plano, Texas Project Designer 2016

Located on approximately 50 acres on the northwest corner of Preston and Hedgcoxe in Plano’s Legacy Business Park, this Fortune 500 company hired GFF to design four buildings consisting of 150,000 SF each. The new facilities create a courtyard campus environment for multiple related business units in a desirable market. Designed around a pedestrian mall, the central green areas complement and soften the curvelinear site while promoting strong interconnectivity between all four buildings. Sustainable components of this project include a well on the site, which fills the reflecting pools and lake and provides water for irrigation.

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CAPITAL ONE - CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

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CAPITAL ONE - CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

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CAPITAL ONE - CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

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PLAZA AT PRESTON CENTER MIXED-USE/ RETAIL University Park, Texas Project Leader 2016 For almost 20 years, GFF has been engaged in on-going renovation work at the Plaza at Preston Center.

GFF has created sign packages, bike rack feasibility studies and designed facade renovations as well as the architect for one of the signature restaurants in the center – Cafe R&D, and more recently a five-story retail/office building with a 450 space underground parking garage. Set in one of Dallas’ most desirable neighborhoods, “The Plaza” has become one of the top destinations for the high-end shoppers. With its open-air shopping concept, the outdoor experience is a vital part of the overall perception and success of the shopping center. With the renovation of over 200,000 sf of pedestrian and vehicular paving, extensive utility and drainage improvements, and planting and site furnishing updates, the shopping center has altogether taken on a new look and feel.

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PLAZA AT PRESTON CENTER

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PLAZA AT PRESTON CENTER

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PLAZA AT PRESTON CENTER

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK MULTIFAMILY Dallas, Texas Project Leader 2016

Trinity at Left Bank is a 5 story, multi-family residential project on 4.18 acres in the Left Bank mixed use village, off West 7th Street and adjacent to the bank of the Trinity River. The project contains 337 residential units and more than 13,375 SF of amenities including a club room with a golf simulator, business center, two-story fitness center, generous three-sided courtyard, 1/4-acre dog park, and a roof-top pool. Residents have a direct connection to the Trinity Trails and the river, via both the open courtyard and distinct two-story ‘townhouse’ type units. A 5th floor Sky Lounge and shaded roof terrace adjoin the pool to offer unobstructed views of downtown Fort Worth and the river. The project utilizes a clean ‘industrial’ language of smooth faced brick and dark framed windows as a nod to the industrial history of the site.

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK

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Weir’s Plaza Office/Mixed-use Dallas, Texas Project Leader 2018

GFF was hired to help the Weir’s family and their development partner, Four Rivers Capital, to redevelop the Knox Street property that Weir’s Furniture has occupied for 70 years. At the prominent Knox and Travis corner, the goal was to create a new office-oriented mixed-use development, preserve the existing façade of the cherished Highland Park Soda Fountain building and appropriately integrate the two.

The new project will be home to Weir’s Furniture as well as other ground level retail/restaurant spaces, totaling 43,000 SF. Located above is a 250,000 SF, 12-story office tower capturing excellent views of downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. An 800-space, 6-level below-grade parking structure will be shared by the mixed-use functions.

The street level of the building is intended to be clean and modern, with a hint of urban grit, while also enhancing the walkability of the existing pedestrian-scale neighborhood. The Class ‘A’ office tower is a series of shifted volumes that allow the building to present a slender profile, while the building skin is articulated with rich masonry and steel detailing.

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK

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TRINITY AT LEFT BANK

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SANTA FE TRAIL RECREATIONAL/ MASTER PLAN Dallas, Texas Project Leader/ Visualization 2012

The Santa Fe Trail is currently in place as a 12-foot wide ribbon of concrete, connecting the south end of White Rock Lake Park to the DART station in Deep Ellum but with no amenities or enhancements. The Friends organization desires to have a corridor land use plan, a master plan and set of design guidelines which will serve to preserve the environmental quality of the corridor, encourage consistent, efficient decision-making during the phased development and enhancement of the trail in years to come, recommend redevelopment opportunities and land use transformations within the trail corridor, propose linkages and extensions to connect the Trail to additional key destinations and to attract additional financial resources to the project.

To respond to NCTCOG’s 2009 call for Sustainable Projects, GFF Planning assisted the Friends in successfully securing a grant to design the amenities and gateway features for the Trail. Then in late 2012 we prepared a master plan for an approximate 1.5 mile segment of the Santa Fe Trail to serve as an example or prototype for how the entire length of the trail might ultimately develop.

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SANTA FE TRAIL MASTER PLAN

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SANTA FE TRAIL MASTER PLAN

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SANTA FE TRAIL MASTER PLAN

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SANTA FE TRAIL MASTER PLAN

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - CENTRAL TEXAS MASTER PLAN Killeen, Texas Senior Coordinator 2013 The planning and development of a new university campus on property of this ample size and distinctive physical character is a rare opportunity. In contrast to an urban campus environment, often characterized by limited land area and constraining context, and resulting in a rigorous formal pattern of building quadrangles, the leadership of Texas A&M University – Central Texas (TAMU-CT) envisioned a campus designed to function in harmony with the natural environment. This overarching vision led us to several guiding principles which should inform decision making about campus development for years to come: create a unique sense of place for TAMU-CT by designing in response to the nature of a rugged and picturesque site; preserve the riparian zones of North Reese Creek as well as habitat and steep slope areas as permanent open space; create a compact, easily walkable academic core and housing precinct; utilize flatter, less vegetated areas of the property for recreational fields, athletic facilities and parking; develop a pattern language for campus form to include roadways which curve and flow with the topography and buildings set in angular, picturesque relationships; and establish design guidelines which combine elements of regional architectural history with an expression of contemporary technology.

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CENTRAL TEXAS

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PALISADES PLANNED DEVELOPMENT MIXED-USE/ MASTER PLAN Richardson, Texas Senior Coordinator/ Visualization 2014 Palisades is a 58-acre tract of land in the heart of Richardson across U.S. 75 from the Galatyn Park DART Station, owned by a partnership of JP Partners, KBS and GE Capital. Zoning entitlements for the tract created in 2006 proved to be ineffective and impractical, and no subsequent development occurred for the next seven years. GFF’s assignment was to create a new Form Based Code for a mixed use development that was more flexible for prospective developers and potential corporate campus users, yet delivered a predictable high quality of public space for the city.

Hundreds of community stakeholders participated first in planning charettes to discuss objectives and preferences in the features and design of the development, then later in public meetings and public hearings before the City Planning Commission and City Council. The result is a plan and ordinance that had significant community input and reasonable compromise to achieve passage.

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PALISADES MASTER PLAN

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