My Name is Rafah. I graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture in May of 2023. I am looking for full-time employment immediately, and I'm actively applying to further my knowledge of Landscape Architecture.
I’m interested in nature and how our environment can shape spaces and people as they interact with the landscape. I’m also interested in learning new things and working with different scales and spaces.
Outside my job, I like to ride my bike while looking at nature around me. I enjoy watching movies and TV shows. I also like to cook while listening to music in my free time.
Rafah Dakhil
Adapting to the River: Future of Hamburg
Hamburg is a small town in the southwest of Iowa, bordering Nebraska and Missouri. Most of Hamburg is in the oodplain because it’s between the Missouri River and the Nishnahbotna River. e town has faced many oods over time, and it needs a new approach to the problem.
Existing conditions map of Hamburg and the area around it. e pink shows the leveed areas that are existing.
around it.
To prevent the town from ooding, the above design was created to protect the town. e design focuses on the installation of a levee that follows Monroe and 29th street. e black rectangles are areas in the town that would be looked at in more detail.
Slope map of Hamburg in the upper middle corner of the map and the area
On the right side is a 200 scale map of Hamburg. e map shows streets, paths, and some of the designed areas around the proposed levee. e green circles are proposed trees, and the yellow circles are proposed prairie. e dark green line is the proposed levee. Everything gray is existing trees and buildings except the thin gray lines, which are proposed paths alongside the levee. e goal of the design is to solve the ood problem and integrate the unused and abandoned forested areas on the right side of the map and connect the natural area to the residential area by using paths and the levee. To also use the levee not only as a solution to ood but as recreation areas for community use.
Bubble Diagram that shows the type of existing landcover around the town and what areas are suitable for proposed design. e red box is the 200 scale map on the right.
A detailed section of the street leading to the levee. e roads would be closed, and activities would occur on holidays and celebrations for the town and community. Similar recreation would occur on the street near the Savanna Habitat, shown in a rectangle on the 200-scale map on the bottom corner. N
e designs below show three di erent locations along the levee. e plans, sections and detailed plans show the seasonal change on each location. e perspective drawings show what it’s like to be in the selected area near the levee. e diagram on the right shows the three locations of the plans and sections.
Plan A Concept
Proposed
Plan B Concept Plan C Concept
The Mississippi River Community
e site for the Minneapolis Upper Harbor Terminal is a location for housing and community services and use. e goal of the project and the design is to create a community that has the services and amenities they need on-site. e on-site services and amenities are for more than just the on-site neighborhood: townhomes and duplexes. ey are for the neighborhood across the site with single and multi-family housing. e site o ers art buildings, a community college, food markets, community services, and retail shops. ere are also hotels for visitors and tourists who want to visit the downtown area or areas near the site for a cheaper price. ere is a scenic park that overlooks the river and restaurants with nice seating areas. O ering and having these amenities and services will provide the community with almost everything they need without going far if they don’t have a car. Bus stops are on-site along the parkway and near the site for better and faster transportation for residents. e site is surrounded by walkable sidewalks along neighborhood streets with planted trees.
Analysis Diagrams
Space Organization Diagram
Existing conditions of the site
Seating area near the river Area along the road
The U-Pick Forest Farm
e Site is located in St. Lawrence County, New York, the property is divided into 3 separate parcels. two parcels have the address of 2773 Cr 3 and one parcel has theaddress of Cr 3.
Concept: Creating a recreational and a farm to table place with paths connecting the forested and wetland thought the site. While keeping Regenerative Agricultural Practices that include no till/minimum tillage, crop rotation/ compost, planting of multiple crops, and well managed grazing.
Program List:
Educational-preserve environmental resources & walking paths- Paths around the site for walking and learning about the plants, animals that live in the area as well as wetlands and farming practices.
Recreational- More tourism infrastructure & community events. Turn barn into restaurant/ Event Area-Buildings Remodeled not torn down ,cabins for camping.
Agriculture- productive agriculture uses/ developed: variety of agriculture production U-pick di erent variety apple trees, U-pick berries- strawberries, blueberries, blackberry, raspberry, sun owers, vegetables.
Sections
Zoomed In Planting Plans
e outside sign for the farm would be made from wood, and the location is indicated on planting plan 1.
ISU Fountain Landscape Plan
e project location is Iowa State University. It was asked to redesign the Four Seasons Fountain area to represent Iowa State University. To make the space pedestrian-friendly during the summer and maintain two open lanes to accommodate buses during the school year. e design must have spaces accommodating small tour groups.
The Native Prairie Landscape
e Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes is an organization in Wisconsin that promotes Environmental Landscape practices to preserve biodiversity by preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plants and natural communities. ey help schools, commercial property owners, and communities re ne current guidelines a ecting ethical choices relating to land use and landscape. eir mission is to promote environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity. e organization works with native plants, pollinators, and wetlands on a larger scale. I focused on Native prairie on the entire design of the site. ISU students and people from other places, the age of high school and older, can be on site. Seniors and students can be involved as volunteers or come to learn. Seniors can be retired instructors who want to teach for a short time. Iowa needs an organization that focuses on many di erent kinds of plants, and Iowa has many unique and interesting native plants that grow. An organization that focuses on the part of Iowa’s uniqueness.
Organizational Diagram
High School Fence Details
e project below concerns replacing a high school baseball eld fence because the existing one is old and damaged. On-site, I took pictures and measurements to get the right replacement for the fence. e details below were created with the measurements I took from my site visit. I did all the details except the h detail because the rm had already made a detail.
Subdivision Landscape Plan
e lot plan below is one of many lots that need its landscape designed. e work below was collaborative; one of the landscape architects in the rm assisted me with checking my work and choosing the plants. I did not contribute to the drawing of the linework for the subdivision. Other than what is mentioned, it is entirely work that I have done.
Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
e project type below is residential. e grading and the plan were done by someone else in the rm. I have done and placed the work mentioned in the two legends.
Other Work
Courtyard perspective showing the space on the le bottom corner of the plan
Outdoor Courtyard Plan
Outdoor Patio Seating Area
Color Pencil Hand Drawing
Jon F. Breckon
Principal | Landscape Architecture | ASLA, CLARB (208)-376-5153 x 102 | jbreckon@breckonld.com
Heidi Hohmann
Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Iowa State University (515)-294-8938 | hhohmann@iastate.edu
Kayla R. Nicassio
Business Intimate Apparel Manager, Dillard's Store (208)-321-4646 x 5200 | kaylanicassio@gmail.com
