Graduate Landscape Architecture Portfolio // J. Ross DeVault

GRADUATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

J. ROSS DEVAULT

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J. Ross DeVault Master of Landscape Architecture 2015 Kansas State University

Selected Works Blue River Bluffs

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Xtreme LA Challenge

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FunnelScape

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Aqueous Palimpsest

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The Lofts at 1st + Waco

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Wyuka Park Prairie

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Populous

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Blue River Bluffs Completed: Summer 2013 Team Size: 4 Students Project Type: Urban & Community Design Project Location: Kansas CIty, MO Project Length: 6 Weeks Medium: Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketchup, ArcGIS

4 Narrative: Blue River Bluffs is the product of the ďŹ rst graduate level design studio focused on community planning and design. Heavy emphasis was placed on site analysis and mapping to inform later design decisions. Bold strokes have been painted onto a large site to provide a new vision for decision makers in the Kansas City metro area.

The project calls for limited damming of the Blue River in several key locations to create a series of constructed wetlands and open spaces along a currently industrial corridor. These open spaces and trails would leverage the real estate values of surrounding areas, promoting increased inďŹ ll and development over time. High density mixed use development has been proposed for the fringes of this green corridor.

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Mixed Use Residential Commercial Corporate Campus Entertainment Node

Town Center Wetland Native Grassland

North

Missouri River Confluence - dense, abandoned industrial corridor - heavily engineered slopes - very high pollutant levels (MDOC)

Truman Sports Complex - 180 acres of under utilized parking - highly impervious surfaces - pollutant contributions from vehicles

Country Club Plaza - upscale retail and residential district - lacking in ecological value - water is channelized and dammed

Blue River Nodes of Influence

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INITIAL hydrological analysis Hydrology tools within GIS were used to run a water accumulation study which identified areas with high accumulation originating from the Truman Sports Complex parking area. This highly polluted water was targeted for treatment through several landscaped treatment types.

These findings were then cross referenced with county parcel data to identify suitable parcels of land owned by either Jackson County or Kansas City for future treatment of stormwater runoff. Strategies including bioswales, vegetated terraces, and constructed wetlands were subsequently proposed for implementation.

Kansas City Growth Trends

Legend - High probability of population decline - Medium-high probability of population decline - Medium probability of population decline - Medium-low probability of population decline - Low probability of population decline

The project site exists at a key threshold of projected population decline. The neighborhoods west of the site illustrate above suffer from significant economic and social issues related to years of neglect and gentrification. With the Truman Sports Complex and I-435 + I-70 interchange as an anchor, the project explores how revitalization of the industrialized floodplain can catalyze growth.

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Development Public Green Space

Existing

Proposed

Project Parti The existing conditions along the lower Blue River reflect the neglect and misuse caused by the decades of heavy industry along its banks.

Several trail systems currently cross the river through this industrial corridor, however there is little to no public green space along the river itself. This project envisions shifting development out of the Blue River’s flood plain, creating a series of wetland wier dams, and subsequently transforming spaces once in denial to ecologically grounded and memorable public places. These open spaces leverage the real estate values of surrounding neighborhoods, promoting infill and growth.

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A series of boardwalks and trails responding to flood zones allow public access to constructed wetlands which act as a ecologically functional shared space to residents and community members. Access to nature in a once contaminated and forgotten riverfront serves as a key catalyst to drive an influx of medium to high density mixed use development. This landscaped “sponge” helps address severe stormwater planning deficiencies facing Kansas City area in a holistic manner.

Base Flow

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100 Year Flood

500 Year Flood Mercado

Flood Responsive Site Planning Blue River Bluffs maximizes ecological function and public access to open space. The flow of storm water is slowed and infiltrated through flood hardy plant species and treated soils within the constructed wetlands. A series of walking, hiking, and bicycling trails designed based on 100 and 500 year FEMA flood zones allows the open space to be accessible to a wide range of users throughout the year. A carefully planned balance of cut and fill will protect real estate investments on the banks of the newly naturalized Blue River corridor in the future.

Hydrological Systems Grassland Constructed wetland (el. 759 ft) Constructed wetland (el. 761 ft) Open water Railroad Water ow control structure

Boardwalk & Wier Section

Proposed Land Use Residential Mixed use Retail/ commercial Corporate training center Entertainment district

Recreation Trails Boardwalk Asphalt Crushed limestone

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XTreme LA Challenge Completed: Fall 2014 Team Size: 1 Student + 2 Professionals Project Type: Conceptual Streetscape Design Charette Project Location: Manhattan, KS Project Length: 2 days Medium: Photoshop, Illustrator, ArcGIS, Sketching

12 Narrative: I was nominated by members of the Department of Landscape Architecture + Regional/Community Planning to be involved in a two day design charette alongside young professionals identiďŹ ed as future leaders from across North America. In a highly charged one-anda-half day period, teams are briefed by local representatives, visit key sites, and return to studios where they strategize, devise conceptual plans, create schematic designs, and develop presentations of their solutions. Final presentations are given before an audience that includes local ofďŹ cials and interested citizens. These illustrations were created alongside and under the guidance of Kody Smith and Timothy Slazinik of Dix.Hite + Partners and HOK respectively.

Sponsored By:

Poyntz Avenue Revived Poyntz Avenue, main street within Manhattan is not conducive for pedestrian movement and social activity. Long crossing distances and suburbanized tower in the park style architecture decrease street life. The project envisions a livework-play district that brings street life back to this neglected and auto oriented space.

Bluemont Re-Descovered Bluemont Avenue has been re-imagined as a multi-modal, highly densiďŹ ed, and mixed use corridor. Tallgrass prairie plantings bring the city closer to the surrounding Flint Hills and allows increased stormwater inďŹ ltration. TrafďŹ c dieting paired with improved pedestrian/bicycle facilities and prairie plantings create a more livable street.

Movement Barriers and Activity Nodes

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FunnelScape Completed: Fall 2013 Team Size: 2 Students Project Type: Conceptual Product/Space Design Project Location: Raipur, India Project Length: 4 weeks Medium: Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketchup, Rhinoceros

14 Narrative: FunnelScape is the product of a submittal to the d3 design competition “Unbuilt Visions” which challenges it’s participants to create “out there” solutions to a problem faced in some urban context. This project was based in Raipur, India and addresses the gap between water and electricity supply and demand within the urban realm of India.

The project envisions lightweight canvas funnels supported by helium rings delicately inhabiting the street and roofscapes of the city. Beyond capturing rainwater and harvesting solar energy, the funnels form a new typology of urban space, allowing markets, public forums, and other events to inhabit an entirely new dynamic and democratic space. The project was selected by d3’s curators for exhibition in Ankara, Turkey.

This project was recognized with a Curator’s Selection in the D3 Unbuilt Visions competition in Ankara Turkey and was exhibited in Spring, 2014.

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Jarrett

Public Arcade Form

Bazaar Form (Monsoon Season)

Public Amphitheater Form

Bazaar Form (Dry Season)

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Monsoon Season Use

Dry Season Use

Water + Electricity

Modular Form Allows Growth To Fit Various Scales The design allows for use both during the monsoon season and the dry season. Water is collected and stored during the monsoon season for non potable uses while integrated solar sensitive fibers collect the sun’s energy during the dry season. Additionally, the funnels are highly capable of evolving alongside a growing family or a community’s needs to fit a wide variety of spatial scales. Overall, the project envisions a product which distills and fuses ancient knowledge of rain collection and elements of vernacular Indian architecture with emerging technology and spatial forms.

Funnels feed at and below grade cisterns + Fountains

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Reinforced Latex prevents punctures

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SubGrade Tanks store rainwater

Carbon Filter cleanses water

Solar Fibers collect sunlight

Modular Zipper gives exibility

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A bustling outdoor marketplace that would have once been exposed to the rains of monsoon season and heat of the summer has a new home. When zipped together to form a cluster, the funnels evoke memories of traditional Indian archways and colonnades, providing a physical manifestation of the rich history of India. Life in India, especially in urban areas, is characterized by the temporal and dynamic qualities of the street scene. This project seeks to re-invigorate temporal public street life.

Aqueous Palimpsest Completed: Fall 2013 Team Size: 2 Students Project Type: Urban Design Project Location: Manhattan, KS Project Length: 5 weeks Medium: Photoshop, Illustrator, ArcGIS, Sketchup, CAD

20 Narrative: Aqueous Palimpsest envisions an urban masterplan under the lens of one resource; water. The site is a 1 mile by 1.25 mile parcel within a larger master planned capital city called Naya Raipur. Naya Raipur is envisioned as a governmental, educational, and culture center for the quickly developing state of Chhattisgarh, India. Currently, a village of 3,000 inhabitants and it’s surrounding paddy fields occupy the site, and therefore a delicate solution had to be reached to mitigate spatial and cultural conflicts. The village must remain untouched, but 51,000 new residents would be moving in over the coming decades to support this new state capital. A system of topographically minded catchment, conveyance, and treatment, roads was designed and visualized.

G F J

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1000 Feet

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A Constructed Wetlands

E Governmental Center

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Technology Campus

B Retained Agriculture

F High Density Mixed Use

J Agriculture Ponds

C Existing Village

G Transportation Hub

K Riparian Corridor

D Shared Park Space

H Single Family Residential

L Community Nexus

Site Elevation Model

Site Drainage Accumulation

Hydrology tools within GIS were used to run a water accumulation study based on existing site slopes.

Development patterns in rural India reect the need to irrigate crops year round, and therefore villages and ponds inhabit the hill tops with agriculture lying in the valleys. To design for water, site wide slopes were analyzed and paired with the design of a typology of functional streets which are draped over this delicate surface.

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Existing Site Conditions

Topography Informed street network

Collector Streets Convey surface + Roof Flows

Cleaner Streets Slow and Treat Stormwater

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Functional Street Layout + Design

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Topographic conditions were heavily referenced when designing a hierarchy based street system for the site. A closed loop system focused on water use and conveyance was designed to unite the site under one design language. Once roads had been sized and laid out appropriately specific hydraulic functions were assigned to each street. These functions include conveying, cleansing, infiltrating, and holding storm and gray water for later re-use. The system is brought to the surface and remains visible to the public to provide educational opportunities while allowing easy cleaning and maintenance. Existing ponds, streams, structures, and streets were taken into account when designing and laying out this system. Arrows represent flows of water during a particular storm event.

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Rainwater Collected Water Conveyed Sediment Settles Water Cleaned Water Released Natural Streams

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FunnelScape (p. XX)

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The vehicle circulation network has been overlaid with ecological functionality in order to recharge the depleted groundwater table. This rendering illustrates the view looking from a primary circulation or “cleaner� street towards a high density residential hub within the sector.

In the foreground, a sediment collection pond holds and settles stormwater before it moves into the constructed wetlands. Additionally, the FunnelScape installation discussed previously provides protected outdoor space.

1st & Waco Lofts Completed: Spring 2013 Team Size: 2 Students Project Type: Site Scale Urban Design Project Location: Wichita, KS Project Length: 10 weeks Medium: Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketchup, AutoCad

26 Narrative: 1st & Waco was conceived thanks to a studio sponsored by the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation. The site is the last undeveloped property along the Arkansas River and holds enormous potential to connect the city’s downtown to the riverfront. Mixed use development focused around 25 hours programming and space activation was determined most appropriate for the site. The amount of developed area on the site was maximized to provide the greatest return on investment while also producing ample outdoor space for public and private enjoyment. The building masses and outdoor spaces within have been carefully crafted to shape a memorable experience as one travels from city life downtown towards the rediscovered riverfront.

This project was recognized with a Kansas APA New Horizons award.

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Jarrett, 2013

Design Process

Design decisions evolved through a series of sketches and diagrams focused on creating a development to connect downtown with the river

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Site Extension

Public land acquisition allows access to river walk through site

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Press + Pull of Subspaces

Pockets of public space allowing gathering and overow from restaurants

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Building Mass Extrusion

Building form deďŹ nes public pedestrian street access from corner

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Vertical Variation

Cascading accessible green roofs maximize views to the river

Pedestrian Street Acts As Central Spine

Views to the river are framed along the main access spine

Site Plan

Cascading accessible green roofs maximize views to the river

The Hinge

Site visitors experience a gateway like “hinge�

50 feet

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RiverFest Site Programming

Public Concert Programming

The site currently exists as an under-maintained parking and rarely used parking lot. However, the site becomes an important public space during Wichita’s annual Riverfest during early June. Tents of vendors, artists, and others are set up across the parking lot as it is the largest remaining undeveloped space adjacent to the river. The diagrammatic plan above illustrates how the site can adapt to large events such as Riverfest by providing oversized circulation routes to set up tents.

The large cantilevered boardwalk on the south-west corner of the site provides ample space to set up a music or performance stage, allowing the city to gather together and view a show and ďŹ reworks directly adjacent to the Arkansas River. Tilted lawns oriented towards the river provide ample space to seat hundreds and additional temporary seating will make this space lively and memorable for all those who experience it. The building masses naturally act as a architectural band shell.

Open Lawns

Water Features

Circulation Hierarchy

Built In Seating

Vegetative Cover

Paving Pattern Styles

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Looking out towards the Arkansas River from the “hinge” one feels a sense of release after being compressed by an architectural gateway. The boardwalk reveals itself as a user passes into the new “front porch” of Wichita, guiding the eye towards the cantilevered pier in the distance. A wedged allée of birch trees emphasizes the pedestrian passageway. For the first time, residents and visitors to the city Wichita can embrace the river and take full advantage of the scenic riverfront trails.

Wyuka Park Prairie Completed: Spring 2013 Team Size: 1 Student Project Type: Site Scale Landscape Design Project Location: Lincoln, NE Project Length: 20 weeks Medium: AutoCAD Civil 3D, Land F/X, Illustrator, InDesign

34 Narrative: Wyuka Park is a comprehensive project which progressed from conceptual design through construction documentation over the course of 2 semesters. A full set of construction documents was the final product of several construction and planting design studios.

Wyuka Park is transformed from it’s current state as a unsustainable turf grass strolling park to a diverse and ecologically sound prairie. The planting design scheme reflects the natural systems of the region, and helps bring the experience of the site down to a more human scale. Understanding of construction techniques, CAD drafting, and planting design was further honed by completing this work. Work was completed with guidance from The Clark Enersen Partners (Lincoln, NE).

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Earthwork Estimation Sections

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Earthwork Estimation Plan

Grading Plan

Planting Plan

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Irrigation Plan

IsoLux Lighting Plan

Populous Internship Completed: Summer 2014 Team Size: 9 Landscape Architects Project Types: Sports Facility Planning + Design Project Locations: Various Internship Length: 11 weeks Medium: AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel, InDesign

38 Narrative: I spent the summer of 2014 working at the full service design ďŹ rm out of the desire to work on large scale interdisciplinary projects. There, I worked alongside architects, interior designers, structural engineers, and civil engineers on several stadium and arena projects across the country. Exposure to large scale projects in several urban and institutional environments honed my design, coordination, graphic, and construction documentation skills. I worked on a variety of project types at all phases from conceptual design to construction documentation and administration. Overall, my time at Populous helped to reafďŹ rm my belief that well designed landscapes and outdoor spaces can truly draw people together in a truly memorable way.

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Illustrative Lighting plan

Night Section of Las Vegas Arena Plaza

Entry Plaza Aerial Perspective

Concepts for NW Corner Terrace of Bill Snyder Family Stadium

Conceptual Visualization of Terrace Occupation

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Address 1131 Bertrand Street | Unit 12 Manhattan, KS 66502 Contact rdevault@ksu.edu +630.373.7677

J. Ross DeVault Landscape Architect | Urban Designer

ABOUT ME

DESIGN SKILLS

Growing up in the fragmented urban environments of four major metropolises, I found myself longing for the sense of belonging I felt in nature. I’ve begun to dream of a future in which the built environment can support and inspire the interactions between society and our environment. With a sense of pragmatic curiousity guiding me, I look forward to envisioning and composing places which recollect these memories for the appreciation of many generations to come.

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign AutoCAD Civil 3D Google Sketchup 0LFURVRIW 2É?FH Autodesk Revit ArcGIS

EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Kansas State University

Danish Institute for Study Abroad

Leadership Organization Creativity Communication Teamwork

WORK EXPERIENCE

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Populous

EPA Campus Rainworks Challenge Honorable Mention

I was exposed to a wide variety of project types, scales, and ZRUNČľRZV &ROODERUDWLQJ ZLWK DUFKLWHFWV XUEDQ GHVLJQHUV DQG working alongside dozens of consultants allowed growth as a leader and team member. I worked on projects from schematic design & graphics production to construction documentation.

I served as team leader of an interdisciplinary group of students representing three disciplines. The project addressed site scale solutions to a degraded campus stream corridor.

Manhattan, Kansas | 2010-2015 Master of Landscape Architecture Copenhagen, Denmark | January - May 2014 Urban Design Program

Intern Landscape Architect | May-August 2014

Washington DC, United States of America | 2012

D3 Unbuilt Visions Curator’s Selection Ankara, Turkey | 2013

Creede America Group, LLC

Architectural Design Intern | May-August 2012

A curiousity of the architectural world drew my attention as I worked alongside the owner on vernacular modern residential projects. I was involved with design decisions, graphics and model building and was able to tap into my knowledge of Autodesk Revit and work through designs with several clients.

RELEVANT COURSEWORK Woody Plant Materials Construction Materials & Methods Natural Systems & Site Analysis Fluvial Geomorphology Technology Modules I - VI Design Implementation I & II Symbiotic Networks: Sustainable Design in Scandinavia

This project represented a synthesis of deep study into rainwater harvesting systems and urban environments in India.

The project was selected to be exhibited in Ankara, Turkey.

Academic Award in Urban Design Copenhagen, Denmark | 2014

After a semester spent studying in Copenhagen, I was honored to recieve this award which awarded my semester’s work as a student of the academic and urban environment. I found the dense urban fabric and attention to detail focused around the human scale and experience to be extremely empowering.

REFERENCES Stephanie Rolley

Dept. Head | Landscape Architecture/ Regional & Community Planning

srolley@k-state.edu | +785 532 5961

Kobi Bradley

Principal | Populous

Kobi.Bradley@populous.com | +816 221 1500

J. Ross DeVault MLA | Kansas State University | 2015