Monica Fitzhugh 6pg Portfolio

M O N I C A F I T Z H U G H

P O R T F O L I O

EAST WATERFRONT PARK Harbor Island, San Diego, CA

A Mobility Hub Collage

Connecting San Diego’s rich cultural and ecological heritage with a sustainable future through education and engagement.

B Visitor & Education Center

Existing Harbor Island Connections

Proposed Harbor Island Connections: interisland transit trolley, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian routes, and reduced arterial connector roads within the park.

The Capstone studio’s focus was the interconnection between existing urban development and waterfront environments.

It examined San Diego Bay’s cultural and historic components and future adaptations along the current Shoreline/ Harbor district. We worked in collaboration with Port of San Diego’s Senior Environmental Specialist on a Nature-based solution for longterm resilience.

My theme statement “Connecting San Diego’s rich cultural and ecological heritage with a sustainable future through education and engagement” pertains to physical and metaphorical connections.

The primary physical connection design goal was improve interisland connections through enhanced bicycle and pedestrian routes, and implement an inter-island trolley system that reduced automobile reliance. Metaphorical connections arise through the park as a destination where visitors can experience and connect with Nature, and learn about the area’s history, its marine and terrestrial ecology through a dedicated educational pavillion.

These connections ensure a sustainable future by: adding more Nature that is area appropriate and also does not require conventional maintenance, providing marine and terrestrial habitat for ecosystem services species such as native oysters, and reducing overall automobile emissions.

C The Meadow

▲D

D▲

Raingarden Meadow (mown & unmown native grasses)

D Section D-D Monica Fitzhugh LA 4621L.03 Design VIII: Landscape Architecture Capstone Laboratory | Professor Philip Pregill | Spring 2021 | Cal Poly Pomona

Artificial Oyster Reef

EAST WATERFRONT PARK Harbor Island, San Diego, CA

The Olympic oyster (Ostrea lurida), native to the US west coast, was abundant in the San Diego Bay prior to urbanization. Its resilience, ability to mitigate pollution and help establish living shorelines is why the Port of San Diego wants to reestablish the species on Harbor Island.

The Olympic oyster’s organic shape informed the overall East Waterfront design and is evident in the pavillion and meandering paths.

Steps 1 - 6 illustrate the design process, planting strategy and final design render.

1 Bubble Diagram, Plan, Section, Perspective Studies

4 Design Iteration & Perspectives

5 Planting Strategy

The planting objective establishes resilient plant communities using two strategies: • Utilize plant species whose water-needs and irrigation requirements grow best with winter moisture and reduced summer water indicative of San Diego’s seasonal rainfall patterns.

• Create more Nature using vertically integrated layers (foundation, midground or seasonal layer and ground cover layer) and plant communities that cover the ground more densely.

3 Path Development 6 Design Render

Monica Fitzhugh LA 4621L.03 Design VIII: Landscape Architecture Capstone Laboratory | Professor Philip Pregill | Spring 2021 | Cal Poly Pomona

2 Project Vision: Views & Destination Open Green Area

5 Foundation Layer

5 Mid-ground or Seasonal Layer

5 Ground Cover Layer

Rhino | Illustrator | Photoshop | Hand Graphics

3 3D Model

SHADE-Escape Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA Celebrating Culture.

Enriching Experience.

Fostering Well-Being.

1 Circulation Analysis

Site: Intersection of Olympic Boulevard & S. New Hampshire Avenue

Koreatown has the highest population density of any Los Angeles neighborhood with 43,600 people per square mile. As a consequence there is a lot of automobile congestion and significant pedestrian foottraffic.

The site, at the busy corner of West Olympic Boulevard and South New Hampshire Avenue, is adjacent to a market, bank, eateries and other establishments that attract many customers that arrive by car and on foot. The site’s one tree canopy and the building shadows is the only shade on this highly urbanized corner.

The lack of canopy and intense glare and heat from the streets and sidewalks causes pedestrians to choose the shortest and shadiest path to the site; the circulation study to the left illustrates pedestrian routes that hug the lone shade tree and building perimeters. Most of these pedestrians are vulnerable: elderly people and women with children.

The design goal is to create a lush SHADE-Escape which provides the community a comfortable, sun-sheltered area where residents and visitors can stop, rest, sit and enjoy the sensory, healing power of green.

4 Proposed Design Plan

2 Proposed Design Perspective

5 Section B - B Not to Scale

Monica Fitzhugh LA 3121.03 Design VI: Applied Site Design Laboratory | Professor Nina Briggs | Spring 2020 | Cal Poly Pomona

SHADE-Escape

1 Design Ideation: Hand sketches, plan, section, vision collage

Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA Celebrating Culture.

Enriching Experience.

Fostering Well-Being.

Site: Intersection of Olympic Boulevard & S. New Hampshire Avenue

The Gingko tree (Gingko Biloba) is native to southeast Asia and revered in various Asian cultures.

The Gingko represents longevity and enlightenment in the Korean culture and today more than 144,000 Gingko trees dot Seoul, South Korea's highly urban landscape. Los Angeles has the largest Korean population outside of South Korea so it is a suitable tree for SHADEEscape's enhanced natural canopy. The fan shaped Gingko leaf is the inspiration for the built canopy design.

North

Solar powered canopies rise in the a.m. and fold down at sunset.

Solar units atop canopy post.

3 Model

Water-conserving aromatic plantings are positioned in the metal planters and in the ground.

2 Design Development: Furniture & Canopy Development

4 Design Refinement: Hand Sketch Perspective, Furniture & Canopy Plan

Metal planters & seat units are fixed & positioned under the canopies. The metal seats are cushioned with wooden slats.

Recycled wood planks cushion feet and designate the SHADE-Escape area.

Monica Fitzhugh LA 3121.03 Design VI: Applied Site Design Laboratory | Professor Nina Briggs | Spring 2020 | Cal Poly Pomona

AutoCAD | Rhino | Illustrator | Photoshop | Hand Graphics | Photography | Handcrafted 3D Modeling

HAND GRAPHICS | COLLAGE | SKETCHES Gateway to Knowledge| Neutra Plaza Redesign

California Dreaming |Garden of Variation

Precedent Garden Study |The Miller House and Garden

Left: Influences and Elements The collage demonstrates connections between elements (form, landform, structure, programs, social structure and composition) of the Miller precedent garden and the seemingly dissimilar influences of climate, ecology, geography, social factors, and economy of the Arizona desert landscape.

Colored Pencil The Honey Locust allee | Structure Sequence | Isometric representation Sketchbook Notes

Graphite

Graphite & Marker

Graphite & Colored Pencil

Monica Fitzhugh LA 499L Landscape Architecture Design Methods Laboratory | Professor Andrew Wilcox| Summer 2018 | Cal Poly Pomona

Monica Fitzhugh LA 2121.04 Design IV: Ecology +Design Laboratory | Professor Glenn Matsui | Spring 2019| Cal Poly Pomona

Right:The Miller Garden as Pattern, Texture and Color.

Digital Photography | Photoshop| Hand Graphics

Graphite & Colored Pencil

Monica Fitzhugh LA 2121.04 Design IV: Ecology +Design Laboratory | Professor Glenn Matsui | Spring 2019| Cal Poly Pomona

Pen & Colored Pencil

Graphite & Marker

Graphite & Marker

M O N I C A

Graphite & Pen Graphite & Marker Graphite & Pen Monica Fitzhugh | 2018 - 2021 | Cal Poly Pomona

F I T Z H U G H

monica.fitzhugh0604@gmail.com | 818.635.7602