ROSS AUER
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN PORTFOLIO
ROSS AUER mrauer2@gmail.com 513-314-1012 769 Dorgene Ln, Cincinnati, OH 45244
PERSONAL REMARKS As modern culture thrives and expands, we have a growing need for shaping and safeguarding our landscapes with responsibility and a conscious application of problem solving. Whether it is a small oasis in an urban center, rolling fields of a large park, or an expansive regional plan, each must be approached with the care and knowledge that the
space will be a permanent mark on the world, used daily by people for years to come, and that it will become a part of the surrounding natural systems. Through the projects I have selected, I hope to show my abilities of creativity in problem solving, planning, aesthetics, and attention to detail. Included in this portfolio are my thesis project
on zoo-exhibit design, work experience, hardscape and softscape designs at a small and large scale, model making, technical skills, and my travel experiences. In the years to come, I hope to add to my list of abilities and grow my knowledge in these areas and more.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Cincinnati Zoo - Thesis Project Cincinnati Zoo - Future Project Africa - Phase IV CZBG-Reds-P&G Community Projects MadTree Brewery Renovation Garden Design Sustainable Development USS Indianapolis Memorial Study Abroad - Greece, Italy, France
Full online Thesis Project available at: http://issuu.com/rossauer/docs/ross_thesis Online Design Portfolio available at: http://issuu.com/rossauer/docs/ross_portfolio
CINCINNATI ZOO - THESIS PROJECT 25’ N
Indoor Rainforest Entrance Walk
100’ 50’
Rainforest Exhibits
(Upper Walk)
Canopy Walk
Clear Cut Exhibit
Entrance Walk
Primarily using native vegetation to imitate the South American rainforests, the Entrance Walk coming off of the Zoo’s Main Loop path brings the visitors into a new and distinct environment, separate from the rest of the Zoo.
Indoor Rainforest
The Indoor Rainforest gives the visitors the opportunity to view native vegetation of South America, which is not possible in outdoor exhibits. Possible animals include various birds, sloths, poison dart frogs, snakes, insects, and river turtles. The location of the structure also offers erosion remediation.
Canopy Walk
The Canopy Walk gives visitors a unique view of the Amazon canopy and its inhabitants. Starting out at fifteen feet above grade, a canopy walk will lead visitors through various primate exhibits, such as the tamarin and spider monkey.
Clear Cut Exhibit
Although it contains no animals, the Clear Cut Exhibit has a strong educational message on the effects of human activity on the Amazon Rainforest.
River Exhibits
The Amazon River rounds out the rest of the rainforest exhibits. Animals include caimans, giant river otters, and river turtles viewable from underwater ports and boardwalks.
Mountain Exhibit
Modeled after the Andes Mountains, the Mountain Exhibit shows off a very different environment than the Amazon Rainforest. Animals include guanacos and rheas.
Pampas Exhibits
The final major biome, the Pampas, represents the grass and shrublands of South America. Animals include guanacos, maned wolves, and rheas.
Rainforest Exhibits
After the Canopy walk, visitors are brought down to the ground level, experiencing a totally different part of the Amazon Rainforest. Animals in these exhibits include giant anteaters, jaguars, capybaras, and tapirs. Conceptual Path Section NTS
Mountain Exhibits River Exhibits
Indoor Rainforest Pampas Exhibits
(Lower Walk)
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GOALS & OBJECTIVES 1. Create a better environment for domesticated/captured animals to live in. a. Allow the exhibit's animals to display natural behaviors.
i. Use native vegetation that replicates those found in their natural habitat ii. Use realistic topography iii. Design unique opportunities for the animals to properly perform their natural behaviors iv. Create large enough exhibits for the animals to properly perform their natural behaviors v. Do not allow visitor viewing platforms to become overly invasive
b. Provide ample holding facilities
i. Provide a holding facility for each exhibit ii. Provide emergency vehicle access to each holding facility
2. Design a Successfully immersive and educational exhibit for the visitors. a. Provide interesting, educational, and entertaining i. Provide interesting viewing opportunities ii. Bring visitors to appropriate elevations for viewing each viewing opportunities specific animal
b. Provide equal experiences for all guests
c. Educate visitors
d. Immerse the visitors in a South American Experience
i. Make all paths, ramps, facilities, etc. ADA compliant ii. Ensure all viewing/signage is accessible from a child's height i. Provide educational and interactive signage about each animal and habitat ii. Provide educational interactive experiences that conform to the Cincinnati Zoo's message of conservation, respect for animals, and sustainability i. Use proper vegetation and landscapes in and out of exhibits to create a stimulating experience ii. Use screening to block unwanted views and create desired views
ROTATING EXHIBITS
Because there are multiple exhibits for each biome (except for Mountain), a rotation schedule for the animals is possible. This involves allowing each of the animals to be in different exhibits from day to day. While each animal has its own “home� exhibit, they can spend time in others, which allows them to see different sights, smell different scents, and experience new habitats and even biomes. This more closely replicates the experiences that the animals would have in nature. For example, the Giant Anteater naturally lives in both the Amazon Rainforest and the Pampas. This gives
it 4 different exhibits that it could be in at any given time. It is likely that it would spend the majority of its time in its own home exhibit, then spend a day or two in a different exhibit. However, this schedule is up to the discretion of the Cincinnati Zoo. While being very beneficial to the animals, exhibit rotation is also beneficial to the visitors. People who visit the Zoo multiple times throughout the year will always have a chance to see the animals in a different habitat and from different viewing opportunities.
ANIMAL FACILITIES The animal facility plan consists of three entry points to underground tunnels for the Rainforest, Pampas, and Mountain exhibits. These tunnels lead to the Indoor Rainforest, which has indoor holding facilities. The Canopy Exhibit has direct access to the Indoor Rainforest and therefore does not need access to the tunnels, and the two River Exhibits have their own, separate, holding facility.
BIOME LAYOUT & SIGNAGE
Project Biome Layout
South American Biomes
Typical Signage
The design of the exhibits is such that the biome layout on the site corresponds to that of South America, with the Amazon Rainforest to the north, the Pampas grasslands to the south-east, and the Andes Mountains to the south and west. Because the biome layout on the site corresponds to South America, there is an excellent educational opportunity in the use of the signage throughout the exhibits. A rough outline of the exhibit path is overlaid on a map of South America, showing visitors where they are in relation to the actual habitats that they are viewing. These signs are placed throughout the exhibits, which creates a more logical sequencing of events that more closely relates the visitors to South America. This puts the exhibits within a larger picture, giving an expanded educational value to the overall experience. Included on these signs are information about the surrounding biomes and habitats, including flora and fauna, as well as other relevant regional information such as human history and culture.
INDOOR EXHIBITS
Inndoor Rainforest (Sketchup, vegetation removed)
The loop path that forms the South American Exhibit both begins and ends in the Indoor Rainforest. Guests enter from the Zoo into the upper walk, which showcases smaller plants native to South America. This path educates people on the importance of preserving the habitats and the benefits they provide us, such as new medicines and global carbon-dioxide regulation. After viewing the outdoor exhibits, guests re-enter the Indoor Rainforest and experience the lower walk, complete with large trees and indoor animal holdings, before exiting back into the main part of the Zoo. Due to the enclosed nature of this exhibit, it offers a year-around attraction and learning opportunity, as well as the ability to showcase vegetation native to South America, two features that are not typically possible in an outdoor exhibit.
Inndoor Rainforest Upper Walkway (Sketchup)
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Size: • 21,250 square feet Viewing: • Cantilever viewing • Central Tunnel viewing Exhibit Elements: • Waterfall and swimming pools • River stocked with live fish • Log playgrounds for animal stimulation • Mimicked forest floor • Tree and rock perches to encourage climbing Containment Method: • Rock Wall • Live Wire Fence
AMAZON RAINFOREST EXHIBIT - JAGUAR
Exhibit Size: • 9,375 square feet Viewing Opportunities: • Underwater Viewing • Boadwalk Viewing Exhibit Elements: • Pool mimicking flooded rainforest (stumps, logs) stocked with live fish • Mimicked forest floor and river bank • Island for sunning and eating fish • Log playground for animal stimulation • Movable sticks and logs Containment Method: • Rock Wall • Live Wire Fence
GIANT RIVER OTTER - AMAZON
RIVER EXHIBIT
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Giant Otter Exhibit
Caiman Exhibit
CREATING LANDSCAPE COHESION
One of the main goals of my design is to create a cohesive landscape, meaning, having no visual distinction between what is exhibit and what is not. With the boardwalks placed on top of the containment walls, visitors are unable to see the exhibit barriers. With the River 1 & 2 Boardwalk Viewing, the two River Exhibits flow freely under the platform, giving the illusion of there being only a single exhibit. A similar technique is used on the River 2 boardwalk, except that the unseen barrier is between the exhibit and a scenic river. With no visible barriers between the two exhibit pools and the scenic river, the three water features appear to be a single system. This, combined with similar landscape aspects and vegetation used in and out of exhibits, the total landscape appears to flow as a single, cohesive environment.
One example of how this design has achieved a cohesive landscape is with the two River Exhibits. The landscape aspects include: • Three separate water features appear as a single system • Same vegetation and landscape conditions used in and out of exhibits • Hidden barriers and holding facilities
River 1 & 2 Boradwalk
River 2 Boradwalk
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CAPYBARA DOLPHINARIUM CAIMAN
WATERFOWL
RESTAURANT
SHOP
SEA TURTLE
PLATYPUS SEA LION
BEAVER
In May 2014, Cornette/ Violetta Architects, the firm responsible for the Cincinnati Zoo’s design work, contracted me to conceptualize a future large scale exhibit for the Zoo. The Zoo’s goal is to have a water-themed set of exhibits with a dolphinarium as its main attraction. Working in AutoCAD then Photoshop, the concept I created is a series of exhibits based around a central lake. The
path meanders along the shore of the lake, cutting off sections of it to create self contained freshwater exhibits that have the appearance of being a part of the surrounding landscape while the marine exhibits are isolated, creating eleven exhibits in total. The plan was accepted by the Cincinnati Zoo and is currently being used to generate donations to fund the future project. There is no current timetable for its completion.
CINCINNATI ZOO - FUTURE PROJECT
Cornette/Violetta Architects LLC
SEAL
WETLANDS
OTTER
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AFRICA - PHASE IV A large portion of my responsibilities with the Cincinnati Zoo is to take the construction plans from their designer, Cornette/Violetta Architects, and more thoroughly complete the landscape planning, as their firm focuses on the architectural needs of the projects. This
includes planting plans, sightline issues, rockwork, points of interest, and screening, as well as general design suggestions. Once final designs are generated, it is also my responsibility to determine the necessary materials budget for the Horticulture Department of the Zoo to adequately complete
the project. Africa Phase IV, consisting of two new exhibits (Wild Dog and Meerkat), and the completion of a third exhibit from Phase III (African Hoofstock), was completed to within one percent of the initial budget. This project has an opening date of July 1, 2014.
Gabriel’s Place Post-Construction
Gabriel’s Place is a community center committed to providing fresh, healthy food to the Avondale area. The Cincinnati Zoo, along with the Reds and P&G, became involved in a renovation of the property and surrounding area, including a recreation center and baseball fields. I was
tasked with creating concept plans from community input as well as organizing the event day renovation, which involved preplanning on how to allocate the 130 volunteers into groups and assigning them specific areas and tasks for the build day. Completed in summer 2013.
Gabriel’s Place Pre-Construction
CZBG - REDS - P&G COMMUNITY PROJECTS The Millvale Community Center provides an area for safe recreation in an impoverished community of Cincinnati. The site was selected because of its desire to increase its community outreach by dedicating growing space and materials for locals to produce vegetables as well as
providing a place for environmental education for children. I was tasked with generating concepts and planting plans as well as budgets, materials lists, and build day planning for the 140 volunteers. The project is slated for August 2014 construction.
Millvale Community Center Existing Conditions
Millvale Community Center Concept Artwork
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(5) Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Redhead’
(3) Taxodium distichum ‘Peve Minaret’ (20) Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Redhead’ (11) Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’
(7) Viburnum dentatum ‘Northern Burgundy®’ (3) Betula nigra ‘Heritage’
Quercus macrocarpa
(4) Salix discolor Corylus americana ‘Rosita’ (5) Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’
(3) Betula nigra ‘Heritage’ (11) Rhus glabra ‘Laciniata’
(5) Salix discolor
(3) Cotoneaster dammeri ‘Coral Beauty’ (9) Rhus glabra ‘Laciniata’
Juniperus communis ‘Kalebab’
A
(5) Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’
Juniperus communis ‘Kalebab’
(5) Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’
Juniperus communis ‘Kalebab’ (2) Hummulus lupulus ‘Summer Shandy’ Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Twisty Baby’ (5) Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ (2) Hummulus lupulus ‘Summer Shandy’
B
KENNEDY AVE. KENNEDY AVE.
In August 2014, MadTree Brewing Company of Cincinnati contracted me to design a new outdoor patio and event area and streetside landscaping. Their requirements were to have seating for 20+ people, a large event area with a
fire ring, and a privacy fence. The resulting design met all of their requirements with the addition of plant material in the form of box planters around the patio and inground planters in and around the event area. I designed,
speced, and sourced materials for the full project, including the fence, concrete work, and custom planters, fire ring, and benches. The outdoor patio section is complete, with the streetside landscaping scheduled for 2015.
MADTREE BREWERY RENOVATION (3) Viburnum opulus ‘Nanum’ (3) Viburnum opulus ‘Nanum’
(18) Schizachyrium scoparium
(18) Schizachyrium scoparium
(2) Hummulus lupulus ‘Summer Shandy’
(2) Hummulus lupulus ‘Summer ZelkovaShandy’ serrata ‘Wireless’ Zelkova serrata ‘Wireless’ ® ‘Berrylicious’ (2) Hibiscus summerific ® ‘Berrylicious’ (2) Hibiscus summerific (10) Muhlenbergia capillaris (10) Muhlenbergia capillaris
(2) Betula nigra ‘Heritage’
(2) Betula nigra ‘Heritage’
NOTES
A
NOTES
-PLANTER IS CONSTRUCTED USING 1/4” CORTEN SHEET METAL. BOX IS A RIGHT TRIANGLE -PLANTER-CORTEN IS CONSTRUCTED USING 1/4” WITH DIMENSIONS 68” x 68” x 96”. IT HAS A 16” CORTEN SHEET METAL. DEPTH TOPSOIL EXTENDING -CORTEN BOX ISWITH A RIGHT TRIANGLE WITH12” BELOW GRADE.
DIMENSIONS 68” x 68” x 96”. IT HAS A 16” DEPTH WITH TOPSOIL EXTENDING 12” BELOW GRADE.
PLANTER A (TYP. x2) A CORTEN NTS
PLANTER A (TYP. x2) A CORTEN NTS
(2) Hummulus lupulus ‘Summer Shandy’
NOTES (2) Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’
(2) Hummulus lupulus ‘Summer Shandy’
Muhlenbergia capillaris
NOTES
Gaura‘Northwind’ lindheimeri ‘Pink Cloud’ (2) Panicum virgatum
B
B
Muhlenbergia capillaris
CORTEN PLANTER B (TYP. x7) NTS
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Pink Cloud’
-PLANTER IS CONSTRUCTED USING 1/4” CORTEN SHEET METAL. -CORTEN BOX IS A RECTANGLE WITH DIMENSIONS 24” x 48”. IT HAS A 24” DEPTH.
-PLANTER IS CONSTRUCTED USING 1/4” CORTEN SHEET METAL. -CORTEN BOX IS A RECTANGLE WITH DIMENSIONS 24” x 48”. IT HAS A 24” DEPTH.
CORTEN PLANTER B (TYP. x7) NTS
MADTREE LANDSCAPE PLAN 5164 Kennedy Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45213
MADTREE LANDSCAPE PLAN 5164 Kennedy Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45213
16’
4’ 8’
16’
4’ 8’
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GARDEN DESIGN With the assignment to design a garden with a theme of our choice, I decided to explore the use of weeping vegetation, such as Salix alba and Betula pendula. I used the natural flow of the vegetation to direct visitors’ attention downward as they descend into a small canyon. At the bottom of the canyon, a pool reflects the visitors’ sight back upwards. Included with the design is a scale model built from clay and other materials.
Terracing/ Stairs Lawn Wheelchair Access Ramp
Reflection Pool
Bridge
Model 1”=10’
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Community Vegetable Garden
Single Family Units
Community Park
Civic Center
Vehicular and Pedestrian Flow
Walk/Bike Path
Studio Apartments/ Office & Commercial Space Commercial Center
Elementary School ns
ig
pt
l ua
e nc
s De
Townhouse Units
Co
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Today, the environmental impacts of our growing number of suburban neighborhoods and sub-divisions are a cause for concern. The purpose of this project was to design for a people’s desire for a suburban lifestyle in the least environmentally impactful way possible. The objective of my design was to create an aesthetically pleasing and self sustaining neighborhood within an empty site in Muncie, Indiana. First, the need for large amounts of continuous open space was foremost to allow for natural
processes to occur, such as drainage and animal migration. The location of open spaces were determined by topography and soil conditions. Second, after taking into account the summer and winter wind conditions as well as daily sun angles, the optimal orientation of each house was to have a long side of the dwelling facing south-west. The result is a development that not only has a smaller initial environmental impact, but also takes advantage of natural processes to maintain lower running costs. There are three housing types present in
this neighborhood: low impact single family dwellings (302), townhouses (44), and studio apartments (22).
In this group project, our assignment was to design a new home for the USS Indianapolis Memorial monument in the Veterans Memorial Plaza in
downtown Indianapolis. Our design was based on the shape of an awareness ribbon, and required visitors to descend into the memorial area with cascading
water on all sides, recreating the sinking of the ship. Many other details were added, such as a naval style flag pole and benches shaped like mooring bollards.
USS INDIANAPOLIS MEMORIAL Model 1”=10’
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STUDY ABROAD - GREECE ITALY & FRANCE
Santorini
Athens
Milan
Florence Rome
Verona
Pompeii
Capri
Pisa
Nimes
Lyons
Siena
Marseilles
Paris
Vicenza
Capri
Venice
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