Portfolio: Landscape Architecture
Paul O’Matz Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Candidate, Pennsylvania State University
the Secret Garden Skate Park
1. the ‘Secret Garden Skate Spot’
Lying between Shlow Library and Sidney Friedman Park, the Secret garden Skate Park is a hub for community, excercise, and recreation. The park has a mix of street and park elements which cater to all skaters, cyclists, and scooterers. Surrounding the park, lush beds of shrubs and Gingko trees create a wall of privacy. On the perimeter, benches and tables encourage breaks for peanut butter jellies and caprisuns. Notable elements include two bridges, a snake run, a 4 stair set, ledges, ramps, and a bowl for all skill levels. Regular users include juvenile deliquants, the deliquants’ mothers, trendy librarians and the newly unemployed Bank of America tellers. Simply put, the design is a Secret Garden Skate Park.
For my first year final project, I designed a skate park located in downtown State College, PA. I intended to create an inviting space for skaters, cyclists, pedestrians, trendy librarians, and nervous mothers). The design includes different spaces for different levels of experience, along with areas to relax.
Section 1 Section 2
The park is intended for all skill levels. Here, red lines show the intented skate lines. Blue Boxes show seating. Green dots show foot traffic from the street to Sidney Friedman Park.
Shunned by shopkeepers, neighborhoods, and PSU, local skaters have no where to go. In the past 30 years, demand for a skate park has risen, yet the municipality has struggled to pass legislation due to complaints that a skate park would bring riff raff to the community. Ironically, the opposite is true. Skate parks build and sustain healthy communities, and can even promote economic benifit to the surrounding area with increased foot traffic and tourism
Recently, the High Point Skate Park has been put into plan, with construction wrapping up this fall. Though it has a nice design, High point is out of the way (2.2 miles from downtown). Frankly put, the distance kills the community aspect of the skatepark. Users will not be able to eat lunch downtown, then skate. They will have to drive to the park.
2. Dyott Discovery Garden
For my third semester final project, I wanted to create a space for children to play in Fishtown, Philidelphia. Equipped with mounds, ponds, pavillions, and an educational marsh, the Dyott Discovery Garden is an ecological sanctuary of creatvity and exploration.
Running alongside the garden, an extendion of the Delaware River Trail spans over the marsh, conecting cyclists to the 7 mile long multi-use trail.
Link to animation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w8I4Ow4jWOxW694ynLCU3EHT-
3. Rain Garden infographic
RAIN GARDENS
SMALL to MEDIUM SCALE STORMWATER RUNOFF COLLECTION, FILTRATION, AND INFILTRATION
SUITABILITY TABLE
SUITABILITY MAP
Paul O’Matz
4. Stormwater infographic
For my fourth semester final project, I studied green urban stormwater management, and particularly rain gardens. As you already know, stormwater is an increasingly important issue, and is crucial to modern landscape and streetscape design. For this project, I used photoshop, ArcGis, and lots of online databases for research.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
CURRENT ISSUES
LOGAN HENSEL, KAITLYN LOOMIS, PAUL O’MATZ, HENRY MONTALVO
SYSTEMS
5. Autocad skills
From my studies in grading, stormwater, and visualization classes, I am competent in Autocad, reading/composing construction plans, and with ADA and stormwater requirements. I also am practiced with stormwater drainage / swale / bioretention design.
5. ArcGis Pro skills
I have also studied ArcGis, and am practiced with map and graphic making in Arc Gis Pro. My favorite feature is geoprocessing, and the save button (noted after arc gis crashed 3 times during my final exam).
6. Models
Here are some examples of models I have created.
Secret Garden Skate Spot model
by Paul O’Matz
Lino-cut of the Dyott Discovery Garden (#2)
Symbolic (very profound) rock ice sculpture
Silly topography
Secret Garden Skate Spot (#1)
Model of Dyott Discovery Garden
7. Miscellaneous work
Alaskan Trail Crew (2024). Learned how to build and design trails in the wilderness. In this picture I was applying first aid to a crew member who had his foot impaled by a railroad spike.
I play guitar in two bands and love music! One of my bands, Little Blue and the Stargazers, plays at community events and music venues in State College.
I also make animations to accompany my music. Last year I won the 2025 Glitterbox theatre DIY ‘cutest film’ award. You can check them out here.
In 2025, I interned with Phipps Botanical Gardens Homegrown program. We installed free vegetable gardens for people experiencing food insecurity in Pittsburgh. Here, I am leading a planting demonstration in Hazelwood.
Thank you for your time!
I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions, please contact me at:
omatzp@gmail.com, 412-413-4191