LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO KARA LUGAR, MLA
INTRODUCTION Portfolio Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Personal Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 CUES Internship & Master’s Project Coastal Risk Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 Coastal Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 Coastal Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 Community Planning & Residential Design Somerville, NJ Brownfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06 Walker Residence, Holgate NJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Lugar Residence, Cornwall CT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Equestrian Site Planning & Design; Deborah Cerbone Associates Long Valley Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 Lorick Stables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Patriot Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Municipal & Recreational Design; Deborah Cerbone Associates National Winter Activities Center, Vernon NJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 National Winter Activities Center, Cross Country Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield NJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 For all the time I spend outdoors, I might as well have been raised by wild animals. Outdoors is where I find balance and inspiration. From climbing trees to planting them, it has always been my goal to encourage natural systems to infiltrate our daily lives in every way. A Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Biology taught me to look at landscapes as ecosystems, at both the micro and the macro scale. Subsequent work as manager of a native plant nursery and sole proprietor of a restoration design business helped me to better understand how the pieces of those ecosystems fit together. My love of ecology and design led me to pursue a Master’s of Landscape Architecture, with the goal of creatively integrating the two. Bringing real-world experience to my studies helped me understand the need for real-world solutions. Now, as a member of a professional firm, I understand the value of effort and teamwork. Combining my time at Rutgers and my professional experience, this portfolio is intended to illustrate a range of projects showcasing my creativity and proficiency with drafting and rendering programs, as well as my ability to balance multiple project goals. My emphasis is unapologetically ecological, because I believe people and natural systems can successfully inhabit the same spaces. Kids from ages 1 to 100 need trees to climb and clean water to play in; as a Landscape Architect, I intend to help create that world.
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COASTAL RISK ANALYSIS HURRICANE SANDY: RISK AND RECOVERY Water is an obvious and integral part of living on the coast. Following the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, New Jersey and New York began a long-term reassessment of existing coastal infrastructure methods. The recent Rebuild by Design competition inspired a creative approach to alternative solutions. Building on this idea, the Rutgers Landscape Architecture program put together a series of collaborative studios intended to address different aspects of recovery and resiliency. Each group of students studied a different aspect of storm recovery, evaluating the known storm costs at the time, recovery efforts, and future vulnerability. Working with individual communities, homeowners, and the region as a whole, our team collectively proposed individualized solutions tailored to the needs of the region, the community, and the residents. Working as in intern for the Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability (CUES), I was part of a smaller team who’s goal was to analyze new methods for incorporating changes into existing infrastructure. Understanding that cost and regulatory restrictions are a major factor in preventing innovative solutions, our team looked for ways to work with existing State and Federal regulations and permitting processes to implement the necessary changes. Beginning with risk analysis, I used data from the US Census Bureau to illustrate population density along the New Jersey coast. An overlay of storm surge data and projected sea level changes highlighted the most at-risk population centers. Site visits to high risk communities showed an almost 100% hardening of the coastal edge in the form of seawalls, bulkheads, piers and other hard infrastructure. Rather than facing the cost of removing these structures, our focus centered on ways of altering existing infrastructure to include new elements reducing wave impacts and boosting intertidal ecology.
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Hurricane Sandy Storm S
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Surge Reach
Selected Sites State Coastline State Rivers Coastal Municipalities Surge Extents New York State Scale 1:150,000
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COASTAL ECOLOGY SANDY HOOK, NJ: PRECEDENTS & PROJECTION Building on my research into ecologically sound coastal protection with CUES, I was asked by the National Park Service to analyze a section of coastline behind the Fort Hancock Chapel on the Sandy Hook Peninsula. Sandy Hook is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, and the Chapel site also serves as the docking facility for a seasonal ferry service. Gateway National Recreation Area covers 26,000 acres across New York, New Jersey and the waters of Raritan Bay. The Sandy Hook Unit is part of a dynamic coastal barrier system with the geological purpose of sheltering the inland shorelines. It’s proximity to the largest urban area on the east coast draws thousands of beachgoers, birders and nature lovers, and serves as critical dune habitat for endangered species. For my Masters Project, I was approached by the Sandy Hook Unit to analyze shoreline erosion behind the historic Fort Hancock Chapel. A bulkhead behind the structure failed during Hurricane Sandy, putting the Chapel at risk of collapsing as a result of dramatic erosion. The Park Service sought a non-traditional approach that would incorporate structural integrity, historic preservation, and ecological conservation. In order to meet the Park Service’s objectives, it was necessary to lay them out according to the broad categorizations outlined by the risk analysis established in the CUES study. Diagramming the connections between different objectives and strategies helped to visualize which solutions would work best with at the Chapel site. Breaking the site into three distinct zones- seaward, intertidal, and landward- made logical connections between successful intervention strategies. Matching these strategies to the Park Service objectives allowed the final design intervention to balance multiple bottom line priorities for the site.
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COASTAL REDESIGN SANDY HOOK, NJ: AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION Beyond the immediate goals of halting erosion and facilitating access at the Chapel site, the National Park Service is equally concerned with protecting and rehabilitating the coastal ecosystem. This site represents a challenging land gradient across distinct zones, each with specific needs and conditions, and each dependent on successful linkages between systems. Analyzing the different solutions for coastal protection showed how individual interventions might work in tandem for increased effectiveness. The combination of structural and ecological solutions reflects the importance of the linkages between the solutions themselves as much as between goals and outcomes. Each potential intervention was then scaled as hard or soft based on material and ecosystem services. Relating these potential interventions to the individual zones, I overlaid the intervention diagram based on which objectives would be met by each potential solution. Wave suppression structures and breakwaters offer hard shoreline protection, while the addition of reefs offers the potential for shellfish colonization and marine habitat. The intertidal zone is the most sensitive to erosion and disturbance. Hard intervention strategies, such as the existing bulkhead, offer limited ecological diversity, restrict access to the water, and are less adaptable to changing sea levels. The landward zone best serves site visitors, offering educational opportunities about the importance of conservation and protection, as well as connecting them with the rest of Sandy Hook. The biggest challenge of this project was to incorporate and prioritize each of the multiple goals as outlined by the Park Service. Keeping each of these goals at the forefront of the design process resulted in creative compromises between structure, accessibility and ecology.
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Existing Conditions
Proposed Solutions
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COMMUNITY PLANNING SOMERVILLE BROWNFIELD: CREATING AN ECOPRESERVE This project was completed as a team consisting of myself and fellow graduate students Han Yan, and Justin Hyde. The town of Somerville, NJ is seeking to restore an area previously used to dispose of chemical waste, and to reconfigure the site into a space that is safe and accessible. A particular challenge on this site was balancing the desire for ecologically sound open space and the community’s need for additional housing and businesses. Because of the contaminant issue, public access remains a safety hazard. As a team, we agreed that our focus should be on the ecological sensitivity of the site as well as its value to the surrounding community. We found that public open space is limited in this area, and that the cost and risk of disrupting the brownfield in order to develop it outweigh the financial benefits to the township. Additionally, the site covers a natural wetland adjacent to the Raritan River, and adjoins Duke Farms Nature Preserve. Disturbance in the form of development would have broader effects than the immediate site. Our proposal introduces phytoremediation techniques to help mitigate contaminant leaching, and a recirculating water filtration sytem to clean the wetland prior to release into the river system. Partial capping in areas where construction is proposed protects residents from exposure to contaminants with minimal site disturbance. An education center and hiking trails brings the community into the site, encouraging a better understanding of habitat and natural systems. The work shown represents an equal collaboration between myself and my teammates. Working together allowed us to consider the merit and feasibility of different ideas and incorporate them into a final design.
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RESIDENTIAL DESIGN LIVING WITH DUNES: WALKER RESIDENCE, HOLGATE NJ Part of our resiliency studio investigating post-hurricane recovery on Long Beach Island included following up with homeowners as they attempt to rebuild their home to changing building standards. FEMA released new guidelines for homeowners regarding elevating homes based on current flood statistics, but a particular challenge facing this site is the unpredictability of future storm patterns and rising sea levels. Barrier islands are a uniquely dynamic environment. Housing and community construction has inhibited the natural patterns of sand movement. As houses are elevated in response to higher base flood elevations (BFE’s), a particular challenge is how to make buildings accessible and welcoming. One possible solution to the first issue is to allow sand to move freely under the elevated building. Case studies demonstrate that areas with intact dune systems consistently sustain less damage during flood events. An ability to adapt and live with such a dynamic environment means decreased risk and increased ecological health. For the Walker family, I proposed keeping the ground plane of the home open. This would allow sand and native plants to naturally reform, and connect the house to the surroundings. Open stairs and multilevel decks and would still accommodate an outdoor lifestyle in greater harmony with natural systems.
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Elevation: Rear of House
Elevation: Front of House
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RESIDENTIAL DESIGN LIVING WITH BEARS: LUGAR RESIDENCE, CORNWALL CT Prior to returning to school, I did a number of residential projects for private clients. One of these was for my mother’s property in northwestern Connecticut. The house, which she designed, is pinned to a steep hillside and surrounded by deciduous forest. Each of the three floors exits at ground level, with a large deck surrounding part of the main story. Her goal was to open up the area immediately surrounding the house, leaving space for ornamental gardens, and partially screen the lower section of hillside from downhill neighbors. She is also fond of native mountain laurel and flowering dogwoods, and wanted a specimen collection of cultivars surrounding the house. Working with the naturally steep slope meant tiering some areas close to the house to include private patios and walkways, and sloping outlying areas to meet the altered grading. Walls would need to be structurally able to retain large amounts of soil while meeting height and safety codes. Over the years, this plan ha s been in construction, in phases. It has been necessary to work with installation crews to understand the concept and planting plan. Adaptations have been necessary in places where the bedrock rises to the surface, or other unanticipated obstacles have impeded progress. As construction continues, elements of the original plan have been altered to reflect new ideas or changing needs. Working with my family to implement this plan has been a fun challenge. Running wild on the surrounding hillside as a kid gave me a deep love and appreciation for such a unique space. It has been tremendously rewarding to see this plan come together in real time over the years.
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EQUESTRIAN DESIGN PLEASANT GROVE, LONG VALLEY NJ Working with the team at Deborah Cerbone Associates offered the challenge of designing within the constraints of real-world boundaries. Specializing in Equestrian Design & Planning, our challenge was to integrate all the necessary elements of an equestrian facility into a residential landscape. Horses are pleasant to look at, but at ground level require a great deal of care and infrastructure. For this project in Long Valley NJ, the builder remodeling the house also wanted to add plans for a future horse farm. We at DCA presented three separate layout concepts to work with. The house and pool were already in place, and municipal zoning regulations limited the location of secondary structures to the rear yard without requiring a variance. We also had to take manure man-
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agement into consideration, since in a residential area the odors of a horse farm are of concern to the neighbors. I designed Concepts A & B to work within the zoning constraints, keeping the front of the property for pastures and tucking the working farm elements away at the back of the 11 acre property. Concept C would require a building variance, but makes the barn the centerpiece of the property. For a show barn or open riding facility with more vehicle traffic, this would keep the house separated and private. All three concepts all follow a traditional formal layout plan typical of high end horse farms in this area. The goal was to illustrate the potential for multiple design options
within the existing boundaries that would remain in keeping with the tone of the community. Fitting all the necessary elements of a working horse farm into an aesthetically pleasing design involved careful analysis of everything from allowable coverage to prevailing wind direction. It was necessary to place the manure storage area where odors would not become a problem for neighbors, yet would remain accessible for periodic removal. We also accommodated the necessary turning radius for emergency vehicles and large trailers. The essential layout of each concept are my design, with input and revisions from the DCA Principle. The renderings were done by hand, using watercolor pencils and a light brushing with water.
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EQUESTRIAN DESIGN LORICK FARM, YOUNGSTOWN NY Lorick Farm is an equestrian breeding facility in Upstate New York. The farm breeds, trains, and shows Fresian horses, known for their dark coats and showy personalities. The Lorick team is well known in the equestrian world for training Olympic level athletes in cart driving and dressage. The farm had recently built a new barn and indoor arena in the center of the property, and wanted to add an outdoor arena, obstacle and distance course, and spectator facilities. Deborah Cerbone Associates was hired to design the layout of expanded paddock areas, an arena suitable for competition-level driving and dressage, an obstacle course for competitive driving, and areas for spectators and vendors to participate in future shows and events.
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Our challenge was to incorporate all of these features while maintaining an open and clean feeling to the property. Spectators and competitors want to feel like they are participating at a world-class facility, and the facility itself has to maintain safety and function. As part of the DCA team, I designed the general layout of the cross country obstacle course, outdoor arenas and spectator areas. For liability reasons, the final course design needed review and revision by a certified course designer. The owners of the farm did most of the installation and labor themselves, so it was necessary to be in close contact with them as they implemented the plan in phases. Project management included providing ongoing and evolving construction
documents, grading and drainage information and planting plans. Revisions were necessary on a rolling basis as the owners substituted available plants and materials and incorporated new farm equipment. Not shown on the below rendering is a 40’ diameter Walker, used for exercising and training horses. The rendering shown was part of the farm’s promotional material as they began to put together driving competitions and shows. I used a simple colored pencil technique to highlight the driving course and show grounds.
PATRIOT FARM, SADDLE RIVER NJ A family in Saddle River, NJ recently purchased a 19-acre property, intending to build a training facility for their daughter. The property has historically been used for farming, but was initially slated for subdivision and development. Deborah Cerbone Associates was brought in at the beginning planning stages to work with the engineer on layout and design. Situated between the Saddle River and St. Gabriel’s Brook, the lower third of the property is considered a DEP flood hazard area, and includes a critical value wetland area. The family is adamant that they maintain the health and viability of the wetland habitat, and agreed to plant primarily native
trees and meadow species. We also recommended slight changes to the layout of the house and outbuildings based on safety considerations, views, and permitting requirements.
amounts of certain plants can lead to serious health complications. Working with the DCA plant list, I put together a chart showing toxicity concentrations of native and ornamental plants. We were then My background in ecology and na- able to use this to support our plant tive plants put me in a position to selections to the municipal arborist recommend the best species for dif- and DEP regulatory committee. ferent locations. Much of the property is within the flood zone, meaning The family is in the process of applyselected trees would need to be tol- ing for zoning and construction pererant of saturated soil. There is also mits for this plan with the DEP and a restriction in this area on carrier the Town of Saddle River. species for the Emerald Ash Borer in order to minimize spreading. Another important consideration in species selection is toxicity. Horses are highly sensitive, and even small
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ECOLOGY & RECREATION NATIONAL WINTER ACTIVITIES CENTER, VERNON NJ One of my favorite projects working with DCA started with a planting plan for the National Winter Activities Center in Vernon NJ. The N.W.A.C. is a non-profit group dedicated to introducing local youth to costly winter sports activities, such as skiing, that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford, and funding participation and training. The site is the former Hidden Valley Ski Area. We were initially brought into the project to enhance the entrance and screen large maintenance buildings from view. The town of Vernon required a minimum number of trees to be added to the site to offset construction disturbance. The Winter Activities Center also planned to incorporate a wooden sign with the foundation’s logo at the entry. A low maintenance, low water solution called for mostly native species that would be deer resistant and hold year-round visual interest. The construction crew had already planted a dozen spruce trees, so I opted to augment the tree species with birch and pin oaks, as well as hollies and a native meadow grass and wildflower mix. To add access to a transformer pole required by the power company during the last phase of construction, I was able to add a boulder retaining wall to the plan using stone dug from the site during construction. This stabilized that bank enough to allow heavy equipment long-term access to the transformer while still adding the necessary trees. To illustrate the visual impact of the proposed plantings, I put together some quick elevation sketches in AutoCAD showing both sides of the driveway at the entry point, and the area above the enlarged parking lot. The town authorities approved the plan and the plantings went in during the fall of 2016.
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ECOLOGY & RECREATION NATIONAL WINTER ACTIVITIES CENTER, VERNON NJ Following the planting plan outlined during the first phase of the National Winter Activities Center project, we were again brought in during a second phase to design a cross country ski course as part of a program expansion. The site covers a derelict country club and small private golf area formerly operated by the local homeowners association, then sold to the Winter Activities Center. In this instance, I worked directly with a trail design specialist to lay out a challenging and safe cross country trail suitable for beginners while also providing a moderate challenge to more experienced skiers. Varying sections of the trail were designed to wind through open meadow, open forest and denser forest areas. A wider selection of native deciduous tree species was intended to recover a more natural feel, and a the same native meadow grass and wildflower seed mix would provide a low maintenance and naturalized ground cover. To minimize the number of mature trees being cut down, I walked the site and marked areas for the trail to be set. Opting to utilize a previously cleared section of woods where a water main was installed also had the benefit of pulling the trail away from a neighboring house. An additional planting plan of evergreen species was added to provide further privacy screening for that neighbor. The selection of trees in this instance was important not only for aesthetics. I also had to take into account their durability under snow load. Given the unreliability of winter weather conditions, the plan also had to incorporate snow making equipment. Machine made snow is heavy, and the selected tree species must be able to withstand snow-loading for the safety of skiers and maintenance crews.
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A further construction phase currently in the application process involves the construction of a new Base Lodge for the adjacent ski area property. Part of the building expansion encroaches on a DEP wetland protection area, and requires the provision of compensation zones. The cross country center was deemed appropriate for the 3:1 compensation ratio required by the DEP. Our use of native tree species met the restoration criteria, and we were able to adjust planting quantities to suit the DEP permitting requirements.
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DESIGNING PUBLIC SPACE FAIRFIELD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, FAIRFIELD NJ The Fairfield Public Library in Fairfield, NJ had received a grant to remodel the building entry and revitalize the landscaping. After a previous contract with an engineering firm left the Library Board with unsatisfactory results, DCA was brought in to redesign the project within an extremely constrained budget. A significant challenge to this design is that visitors arrive from all sides of the building, so each view would need to be welcoming and well designed. I initially put together three plans for the Board’s review, and
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they decided on a combination of design elements based on aesthetics and cost. A formal entrance plaza welcomes visitors to the library, while offering bench seating, bike parking, and ADA access. Material selection balanced cost, safety and aesthetics, while also utilizing existing conditions as much as possible, such as drainage and electrical wiring. At the request of the library director, we enlarged a small patio area to the back of the library to incorporate educational and recreational programs
for children. Dubbed the Reading Garden, we designed the space as a hands-on bird and butterfly garden. The plant selection for this area includes all non-toxic perennials and shrubs. A wooden screen at one side of the patio adds a sound barrier to an adjacent utilities enclosure and also serves as a projection screen for outdoor movie nights at the Library. Upon completion of construction documents, the Library Board of Directors put the project out to bid, and intend to begin construction during the summer of 2017.
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THANK YOU All images and illustrations in this portfolio are the author’s own work unless otherwise noted.