Fallingwater Internship Portfolio

F A L L I N G W A T E R

LANDSCAPE INTERNSHIP | SUMMER 2017

[Allow your life to be] a testament to the power and importance of the sun, moon, and stars, the changing season, seed time and harvest, clouds, rain, and rivers, the ocean and the forests, the creatures and the herbs. They are with us now, co-tenants of the phenomenal universe participating in that timeless yearning that is evolution, vivid expression of time past, essential partners in survival and with us now involved in the creation of the future.

DESIGN WITH NATURE

Ian L. McHarg

THANK YOU

HIGH MEADOW |

Photo by Rene Gonzalez

Linda Mckenna Boxx

Mckenna Boxx Foundation

Lynda S. Waggoner

Vice President, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Director of Fallingwater

George W. Longenecker

Landscape Architect, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Clinton Piper

Museum Programs Assistant

Mike Kuzemchak

Director of Operations

Scott W. Perkins

Director of Preservation

Ann Talarek

Horticultural Specialist

Jerry Burke and security team

Director of Security

Jim Martin and maintenance team

Director of Maintenance

Alber Ohler

Larry

Gary

Kaleb

Scotty

Jake

Working at Fallingwater was more than just a glimpse into Frank Lloyd Wrights work, the remote location offers a deep, intimate connection to the landscape and has called for support from various groups and driven individuals who are presently working to preserve this site.

From the beginning of the internship, we noticed interdepartmental collaboration was a fundamental tool for all who worked there and soon enough found ourselves working closely between departments to further the completion of site projects. All who have invested the time and energy to preserve Fallingwater and its surrounding site have valuable knowledge and we are grateful to have worked with and learned from these individuals.

THE INTERNS

FALLINGWATER | Photo by Rebecca

THE INTERNS

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE INTERNS

Rene G. Gonzalez

Being from the flat prairie lands of the Midwest, western Pennsylvania’s landscape took some getting used to but I quickly grew fond of its mountains, valleys and rapids. It was the perfect place to sketch and photograph which I enjoy doing.

AND THE FRIENDS

We had a great time with the interns and have made life-long connections. Together, we would explore the Laural Highlands and surrounding cities, learning what their internships entailed and how their departments play an important role in preserving Fallingwater.

On our time off, we would visit the Friends House to have camp fires and dinner

Galina Novikova

I consider myself to be a very curious individual who thrives off creative processes and new environments. Growing up, I lived a fast pace life and now I’ve learned to enjoy slowing down and observing the beauty around me.

Catherine Deacon Preservation

Heather Schmidt Collections

Brock Stafford Education

Peter Stewardship

FALLINGWATER |

Photo by Brock Stafford

CONTENTS

RHODODENDRON FALLING

WATER-COLOR | by Galina Novikova

OVERVIEW CONTEXT

PROJECT 01 HIGH MEADOW PATH

PROJECT 02 THE BARN KIOSK

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER FIELD WORK

PHILADELPHIA FIELD TRIP

CREATIVE ART WORK

SKETCHING

PHOTOGRAPHY

OVERVIEW | CONTEXT

HIGH MEADOW SITE

1

OHLER HOUSE

FALLINGWATER

THE BARN SITE 2

FALLINGWATER THE INSPIRATION

Fallingwater is the most significant of the four locations because it represents and intersection between architecture and landscape and how they can co-exist beautifully. As landscape architecture students this site greatly appealed to us and quickly became a place to not only examine and understand but also feel and become a part of its life even if only for a brief two months.

OHLER HOUSE THE LIVING QUARTERS

This was one of four significant locations during our internship; the Ohler house was our temporary home and creative space. This residency allowed us to be fully submersed and close to the sites we were working on.

HIGH MEADOW PROJECT SITE 1

Following the back road from the Ohler house, is High Meadow. High meadow has swaths of wildflowers surrounded by the Laural Highlands Forest edge, opening to an expansive view of the Appalachian Mountains. High Meadow is where our first project site was located.

THE BARN KIOSK PROJECT SITE 2

On the road towards Fallingwater is the Barn which functions as a central administrative space for Fallingwater while also holding events such as weddings. Behind the Barn, there is access to Bear Run Nature Reserve and a kiosk for information about the trails and campsites. Our second project site was located here.

PROJECT ONE

HIGH MEADOW TRAIL

A trail designed from the High Meadow residence to a newly renovated studio through an eastern temperate forest. Residency programs are held in High Meadow for the educational advancement of both students and teachers. This path takes a naturalistic aesthetic, meandering through a series of ecological moments.

HIGH MEADOW RESIDENCY (SOUTH FACING VIEW) DESIGNED BY BCJ Architects | Photo by Rene Gonzalez

HIGH MEADOW TRAIL | SITE ANALYSIS

High Meadow Residence

By Rene Gonzalez

The View at High Meadow

By Galina Novikova

HIGH MEADOW TRAIL | PROCESS

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT FIGURE-GROUND

CONCEPTUAL PLAN

SCHEMATIC PLANS

HIGH MEADOW TRAIL | INITIAL. CRITIQUE. FINAL.

During one of the summer high school residencies, we were asked to critic the students final work and in exchange would present our drawings and likewise would be critiqued by students and teachers. It was refreshing to see what the students had worked on during their week-long residency. The students responded to our design by offering a solution of two paths to accommodate people who were in a rush and those who wanted to simply take a stroll. Their critics were very helpful.

Soon after, that same day, we had the opportunity to bring our drawings to High Meadow where we would present our drawings to Peter Bowlin and architect Bill James. Below are some of the red line revisions.

FINAL CONCEPT A SERIES OF MOMENTS

MOMENT

1: NEAR STUDIO ENTRY

MOMENT

4:

YOUNG TREE GROVE

MOMENT

2:

TREE CORRIDOR

The sweeping path gently makes a turn, allowing visitors to walk between two large trees with high canopies. One of the trees is used for habitat by wildlife, specifically birds.

MOMENT 5: PRIVATE NOOK+ SEATING

In the past, trees have fallen from storms lifting roots, rocks and soil. This changed the topography creating a seating opportunity for people who want to get away, immersed in nature.

MOMENT

3 :

ROCKY DEBRIS

We propose to place woody debris piles inconspicuously because these are fundamental for much of the diversity and habitat of wildlife in the forest.

Walking from the studio to the entry of the path are swaths of ferns inviting visitors to enter the forest. The tree canopy is open overhead creating an elevated feeling.

Trees of a younger maturity edge the path, creating an overhead brush while also maintaining succession in the forest ecosystem.

HIGH MEADOW TRAIL | RESTORATION AND FIELDWORK

GEORGE TIME With any Landscape project, plant identification and inventory are essential. We spent a couple days with George familiarizing ourselves with native and exotic plantings. This process gave us a better understanding of our site and the ecological role of each unique plant.

RESTORATION SITE

FIELD-WORK Construction of the path began with treating and pulling of weeds, followed by the removal and placement of stones. During our site analysis, we flagged stressed trees and other obstacles to clear the path, while maneuvering around healthy, important trees. Restoration of the path and surrounding areas involved using woody debris piles and plant knowledge to rehabilitate compacted soils.

ROCK PLACEMENT

OBSTACLE FLAGGING

DEBRIS PILE

PROJECT TWO

THE BARN KIOSK

The kiosk at the Barn was initially a challenging project, due to all the departments involved and the amount of text to be placed on the panels. The project began with the analysis of the text. Once we had an idea of how much text was involved we could then design a kiosk with the necessary panels and any images that could supplement parts of the text. We then began to analyze the existing kiosk and even asking visitors for feedback. We soon began to collect images of materials surrounding the site that inspired us. At the same time, we sketched potential forms that would allow us to use the materials in interesting ways. This eventually led to several designs and our final proposal.

THE BARN AT FALLINGWATER

DESIGNED BY BCJ Architects | Photo by Rene Gonzalez

THE BARN KIOSK | SITE ANALYSIS

The Barn at Fallingwater is a 19th century dairy barn located in the 5,000-acre Bear Run Nature Reserve. Since its renovation by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson it has become a multi-purpose, silver leed certified building serving as administrative space for Fallingwater and events like weddings conferences or educational seminars.

The materials used to renovate the Barn beautifully preserve its aesthetic, which is so connected to land. Local wood and stone inspired us to design a kiosk that would, in a subtle way, fit its surroundings and compliments the barn

Existing kiosk (1 of 2)

During our analysis of the existing kiosk we discovered a few characteristics that we liked and others that we were not very fond of. Aesthetically, the kiosk is 20-30 years out of date but because of its exposure to the elements and its material (wood) it blends well with its surroundings. We decided that this rustic woodland aesthetic is one that we would try to imitate while using materials inspired by the barn. The height and width of the panel (3’x6’) was a good size but instead of using a single panel we would propose multiple panels to better organize the amount of text

Deciding to work outside next to the kiosk was very beneficial to us. And as we worked, we came across many visitors and received feedback on how we could design a better functioning kiosk. We also talked to a few of our co-workers like Brian and Peter. Their input was very valuable in our process.

THE BARN KIOSK | MATERIAL

Material Matters: Adjacent to the Barn, this kiosk will create a visual connection to the barn using similar materials such as re-purposed wood, fieldstone and flagstone, and rustic wooden beams. The structure will combine existing kiosk information with additional display of the site’s history and ecological function.

THE BARN KIOSK | FORM TYPOLOGIES

Taking Form: We began to explore multiple solutions for the structure with a set of guidelines. Several designs began to surface once we established site specific materials and orientation to the parking lot. Even after a form was selected for design we remained open to how the material might change the form.

THE BARN KIOSK | DESIGNS PROPOSALS

The main feature of this design is the corridor that encourages movement around the structure. It also uses a transparent roof to invite natural light making

osk, the two overhead options and the base/seating give this proposal a unique look.

To make the design of the kiosk a bit more interactive, we proposed an enclosed panel that slides in and out of the kiosk. This offers protection to the less permanent panel within.

THE BARN KIOSK | DESIGNS PROPOSALS

7

This proposal creates a visual connection to the barn by aligning its fieldstone base to that of the barn. The overhead is supported by thick wooden beams and double as seating.

Like stome, runway also aligns to the fieldstone base of the barn and is situated in the parking lot making its location central and visible.

The preliminary design uses characteristics from two different proposals. It uses horizontal planks like that of Runway and the Boomerang form. But, the form is adjusted according to its new location on the other side of the stairs. One side is longer than the other to accommodate the map and trail text and images. The short side will hold text and images of the barn, fallingwater and WPC.

The final design continues to use the Boomerang form and the horizontal planks are now toned down and not protruding from the sides. It also includes a third characteristic from Slide- a corrugated steel roof. This overhead structure was added not only to compliment the wooden structure but its surroundings as well. Additionally, it will provide protection to the panels and visitors along with a shelf space for maps and brochures.

THE BARN KIOSK | CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS

KIOSK: FRONT-FACING VIEW

KIOSK: FRONT-FACING VIEW

FRONT FACING AND SIDE SECTION

OVERHEAD STRUCTURE PLAN

OVERHEAD STRUCTURE PLAN