Regenerative Ecologies

REGENERATIVE ECOLOGIES A Landscape Architecture Portfolio

by Keilan Meertens

00 STATEMENT

REGENERATIVE ECOLOGIES

Regenerative ecologies refers to the ability of nature to restore and sustain life. Left alone, our natural environment is incredibly resilient, with great capabilities for growth and repair. Therefore, it is advisable to take a minimalist approach to developing land, and allow for plenty of open space.

We can artfully combine human spaces into these areas, with great attention paid to materials, plant selection and structural elements. Economic feasibility, functionality and ecological friendliness are all of great concern.

This portfolio is a collection of work befallen into the category of “regenerative ecologies.� Spaces that combine a love for native ecology with thoughtful design.

Enjoy.

CONTENTS

01

LIfe Begins at The Edge// Kowtaram, India

02

The Necessity of Ruins// San Luis Obispo, CA

03

Hidden Paradises// Los Osos, CA

04

Journal

05

Resume

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE Kowtaram, India Senior Thesis

Fall-Winter 2016

Kowtaram, Andhra Pradesh, India is a rural village (pop. 7,000) along the southeastern coast of India. The main source of income is paddy farming.

Their municipal water source is a Kowtaram Pond, which receives water from an agricultural canal diverting water from the Krishna River. Kowtaram Pond is polluted with unsafe levels of Nitrates, Turbidity and Coliform Bacteria. Run-off from paddy farming, open defecation, and animal waste are some of the sources of contaminants. The existing solution is a sand filter bed that requires regular maintenance. Unfortunately, the local government cannot afford to maintain the sand filter system so it is not working effectively. The proposed strategy to mitigate the pollution involves creating a healthy wetland ecosystem to filter pollution, coupled with a plan to create improved local sanitation.

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE WATER FLOW TO SITE

buffer

purify purify

buffer

purify purify

buffer

filter filter

buffer buffer

filter

buffer

buffer buffer buffer

buffer

water flow to site

strategy

02 Naturalize

01 Cut and Fill

years

0

05 Construct

03 Connect

5

10

15

04 Filter

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

phasing The design solution establishes a water treatment wetland to address the issue of Kowtaram’s water pollution. The “buffer, filter, purify” strategy involves identifying all major sources of water flowing into Kowtaram Pond. These include an agricultural canal diverting off the Krishna River and run-off from rainfall during the monsoon season of June through October. Water from the agricultural canal will be filtered by three filtration pools that will cleanse it through processes of sedimentation, aeration, and naturalized stream flow. Run-off water flow will be buffered through a series of wetland ponds surrounding the main pond, in addition to riparian and tropical forest habitat on the edge of the site.

Standing water on the site will be further cleansed by floating wetlands scattered throughout the main pond. These improvements will be implemented over time to minimize costs. The primary construction phases are focused on cut and fill construction to form the buffer wetlands and create a concrete recreational path delineating wetland spaces and connecting visitors to the site. Planting tropical forest trees and riparian and emergent plants is also a primary concern.

Next the construction will move to creating more advanced wetland filtration strategies (filter pools and floating wetlands) and human-oriented spaces. Involving the community in the building process is crucial to reduce costs. The majority of built elements are constructed modularly to aid in the construction process.

The design focuses on incorporating human accessible spaces into the wetland ecology to teach community members about issues of water quality, ecology and sustainability. For example, the education center cascades over one of the filter pools and the bathrooms will be integrated into the tropical forest area. Human spaces are constructed primarily of local, sustainable materials. Recycled materials will be used wherever possible, such as plastic bottles used for floating wetlands. In this way, the design can function as a prototype for future treatment wetlands to be implemented throughout rural India.

Concept/Phasing

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

view area education

public restrooms buffer zones

floating wetland

water filtration

tropical forest

N

N.T.S.

Programming

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

materials

components

emergent wetland plants

wetland system

coconut coir mat

teek/palm clippings

treated bamboo

recycled bottles/buckets

substrate

inner structure

frame

oatation

Floating Wetland

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

roof roof structure

wall/translucent column floor main wall skin structure skin stairs

Education Center

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

sediment holding

aeration

treatment channel

grated concrete traps sediment and dirt in primary filtration stage

pumped oxygren removes dissolved metals and gases and excess CO2

increased velocity of water modeled after natural stream bed

A

B

C

B C

A

Filter Pools

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

open defecation

greatest fears:

survey

disease/ infection

shame/lack of privacy

large insects bites

How far do you walk to defecate?

10% 20% 40% 10%

annual income due to illness from diarrhea

75 meters 20 meters less than 10 meters

33% no

ghosts/ darkness

a 14% participants 30% ofreport 70% reported loss annual a 69% loss

1000 meters

67% yes

snakes

47% comfort/convenience

do you defecate in the open?

why?

33% not sure

income

47% yes

32% no

what if you had access to a latrine?

60% yes

40% no

what about a government-funded one?

Bathrooms

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

Falopia japonica

Terminalia arjuna

Pterocarpus macrocarpus

Typha angustata

Casuarina equisitefolia

Nymphoides krishnakesara Rotala macranda

Typha angustata

Hydrilla verticillata

tropical forest emergent oating wetland oating aquatic submerged

Planting Strategy

Pelican

Insects Humans

Vegetation Detritus

Water Level Fluctuations: Monsoons

Organic Matter Guppy

Bighead Carp

Coliform Bacteria

Nitrates

Turbidity

01

LIFE BEGINS AT THE EDGE

Seagull

Paddy Farming

Nutrient Uptake

Cow

Open Defecation

Existing Environmental Conditions

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS San Luis Obispo, California Environmental Focus Studio Winter 2015

The Tank Farm Road Master Plan re-envisions the future of a 332-acre former oil storage facility located in San Luis Obispo, California. In 1926, a massive fire destroyed the site’s oil tanks, polluting the site with subsurface oil contamination.

The result is a landscape dotted with the remains of former oil tanks and inhabited by vernal pools. “The Necessity of Ruins” refers to the opportunity ruins provide to make change for the better. Ruins serve as a catalyst between past and future, reminding us of the site’s historic past as an oil tank farm. The site’s history is not forgotten, but rather informs iits future as a model for sustainability and ecological health. The master plan addresses a community need for low income housing, mixed use commercial space and youth baseball facilities. Additionally, efforts to remediate and improve the existing marshland and vernal pool habitat have been taken. A multi-use recreation path and boardwalk allow visitors to exercise and engage with the site’s native ecology.

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS

co-housing

boardwalk

trailhead

tank farm road

wildlife underpass multi-use trail

trail look-out

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS regenerating

prado road

areas for recreation include cal ripken youth baseball park, childrens playground and picnic area

look-out point

connecting the community through multi-use recreational trail, access to prado road and santa fe road/tank farm road improvements

park

mixed use

cal ripken complex

remediating phytoremediation plants and wildlife underpass contribute to a healthy wetland ecosystem

educating visitors with wetland boardwalk design, trailhead features and lookout point with historic information center

habitating co-housing development with community farming and common recreational areas

entertaining

santa fe road

shopping, business and affordable housing opportunities within a mixeduse commercial center

N

N.T.S.

Site Plan

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS 5

Environnmental wetlands Ferry Shrimp habitat

6

1

1

2 3

Physical

road 3

existing well 4 airport

5

4

2

Contamination

area of arsenic removal 6

1

1 2

2 6

Site Constraints

NECESSITY OF RUINS ECOLOGICAL AWAR

ENESS

SENSE OF PLACE

ION EDUCAT COMMUNITY BUILDING

HISTOR Y

Concept Poster

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS

Planting Strategy

oak woodland

community farming

Quercus agrifolia

Aesculus californica

Arctostaphlos desiflora

Zea mays

Solanum lycospersicum

Brassica oleracea

Iris macrosiphon

Enlarged Plan

Co-Housing Community

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS

Planting Strategy

meadow

raised succulents

Carex praegracilis

Muhlenbergia rigens

Agave salmania

Sedum acre

Sedum hispanicum

Echinocactus grusonii

Enlarged Plan

b

a

a

b

02

THE NECESSITY OF RUINS Section A

Community Farming

Section B

Look-Out Point

03

HIDDEN PARADISES Los Osos, California

Environmental Focus Studio Winter 2015

Located in the scenic seaside community of Baywood in Los Osos, the linear wetland design focuses on providing a variety of natural spaces for visitors to relax in. The design is sectioned into three areas to transition from an ecological restoration area on the western end of the park into areas for human recreation located by the park’s entrance to the East. Historically, Los Osos has lacked the presence of a successful drainage plan. This is addressed through a series of pools to store excess stormwater as it flows into the Los Osos Bay. At the same time, this natural feature provides a visual centerpiece that is surrounded by drop-down seating elements and a boardwalk. The effect is to bring natural processes to the forefront and encourage people to find their own place of solitude among nature.

Another aspect of the design is a shared boarder between the surrounding houses and park edge. This natural border is comprised of plants from the coastal sage scrub plant community and clusters of Quercus Agrifolia trees. The border softens the park’s edge and increases the quality fo life for the surrounding neighborhoods.

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

Recreational Trail Pismo Ave

Meadow

Ramona Ave 7th St

6th St

5th St

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

11th St

10th St

Cul De Sac typ.

Waterfront Seating

Boardwalk

Bathrooms Playground Community Center

Lawn typ.

Parking Lot

Shade Structure

9th St

8th St

N

N.T.S.

Site Plan

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

ecological restoration semiprimitive

human oriented

Concept Diagram

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

Planting Strategy

Carex praegracilis

Muhlenbergia rigens

Leymus condensatus

Quercus agrifolia

Eschscholzia californica

Salix lasiolepsis

Artemesia californica

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Lupinus albifrons

Heuchera maxima

Recreational Trail

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

Section A

a

a

Community Center/ Shade Structure

03

HIDDEN PARADISES

Section B

b

b

Parking Lot/ Bathrooms/ Childrens’ Play Area

04 JOURNAL

URBAN ARENA 6/23 - 9/4

Over the summer of 2015 I had the opportunity to intern with Urban Arena, a multidisplinary design firm based in Costa Mesa, California. The experience taught me a lot about the landscape architecture design process, beginning with bidding and all the way through completing ready-tobuild construction documents.

Here, I highlighted a few of the projects I was able to participate in. I created drawings that helped communicate to clients the unique potential of their sites. Using the powerful tool of visualization is a great way to bring a project into fruition.

All of the following works were created by me, under the direction of Urban Arena’s founder and partner, Michael Shrock and creative director Jackie Taylor.

04

JOURNAL

7/14 The Villages of South Coast Plaza is a proposed housing community located adjacent to the South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa’s premier destination shopping center. In order to create a community feel, recreation opportunities were created, including a bike trail entrance to connect to the Santa Ana River Bike Trail.

Before:

04

JOURNAL

Bike Trail Entrance

04

JOURNAL

8/3 Homecoming at Eastvale is a family-oriented master planned community located in Eastvale, California. A series of renovations were created to create more social spaces within the existing network of park areas. The main objective was to engage residents with fun family activities and outdoor meeting places.

Before:

04

JOURNAL

Bocce Ball Court

04

Before:

JOURNAL

04

JOURNAL

Gazebo Space

04

Before:

JOURNAL

04

JOURNAL

Alleyway Space

KEILAN MEERTENS BLA Landscape Architecture

EDUCATION 09/201103/2016

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

2541 Santa Clara St San Luis Obispo, CA United States 805.295.0295 keilanmm@gmail.com

EXPERIENCE 09/201503/2016

Project Designer - Journeyman International

06/201509/2015

Intern - Urban Arena LLC.

06/201408/2014

06/201308/2014

Member of design team responsible for creating wetland rehabilitation plan for rural village in Southeast, India.

Collaborated with civil engineer, field biologist, humanitarian partners and local community members to develop water filtration strategy.

Assisted with SketchUp renderings, site photographs, drafting, planting plans and construction documents.

Landscape Designer/Handyman - Law Office of Vladamir Von Rauner Drafted planting plan, performed installation and removed existing debris for small scale commercial/residential space in Los Osos, CA.

Sales Associate - Urban Outtfitters

Assisted with store displays, provided customer service, and participated in store inventory.

AWARDS 03/2016

Best Design Process Award - Senior Show Winter 2016 Cal Poly State University Landscape Architecture

Recognizes student who displays best design process throughout body of work over the course of five years of study

05 RESUME

EXTRACURRICULAR 08/201411/2014

Santa Chiara Study Abroad Program Castiglione Fiorentino, Italy

Participated in semester-long study abroad program and took courses in landscape architecture, art and history 1/201206/2014

Sustain SLO

Founding member of Cal Poly’s ďŹ rst collaborative learning initiative for freshman students. Applied classroom knowledge and project management skills to create volunteer project for UCCE Master Gardeners and Laureate Elementary School. Designed and installed six permaculture garden beds and presented classroom lesson to students.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS CAD (AutoCAD) VISUALIZATION (Sketchup 3ds, Rhino 3d) ADOBE (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat) MICROSOFT OFFICE (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) RENDER (V-ray, Kerkythea)

REFERENCES academic

Cesar Torres-Bustamonte

Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture - Cal Poly State University ctorresb@calpoly.edu - 805.756.1534 professional

academic

Daniel Wiens

Owner - Journeyman International daniel@journeymaninternational.org - 805.952.5469

Thomas Fowler

Professor, Director of Graduate Program of Architecture and Director of Community Interdisciplinary Design Studio (CIDS) College of Architecture, Cal Poly State University tfowler@calpoly.edu - 805.756.2981