Landscape Architecture Portfolio 2019

MArch Urban Design 20106450 RUILU YU

GEORGES RIVER CATCHMENT

L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T U R E

P O R T F O L I O

A B O U T

M E

GRADUATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT LANGUAGE SPOKEN Chinese/English CONTACT Mobile: +61 450 840 720 Email: ruiluyu@outlook.com LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/ruilu-yu-782330132

C O N T E N T STUDIO PROJECTS

I am a graduate from UNSW Landscape Architecture, completed my fourth year in 2019. Before starting the profession, I was interested in art and design. I love sketching because it is a way of recording and discovering.

Drawings and paintings of natural landscapes attracted me at the time, which brings me to landscape architecture, a profession where I can design the landscape and express the beauty of it to people.

However, since I started landscape architecture, I have learned more about the nuance of the profession, which is more than just making landscapes beautiful. Water is a vital element for designing landscape as it mitigates drying climate, cooling local landscapes, creating ephemeral qualities and rich biodiversity, as well as providing access to portable water for people. In addition, how to sufficiently use water resources within landscapes is a critical question that I want to explore further. I have a particular interest in Water Sensitive Urban Design, as it is a functional way to harvest stormwater and store water in the landscape at the same time.

Making a space memorable and special means thoughtfully designing details, which is another aspect of landscape architecture that intrigues me. It allows me to manipulate the space in a more detailed way. Simple and subtle changes within the landscape can result in different experiences of the space, which is what I love to explore in smaller scaled landscape projects.

These fundamental aspects of beauty and performance to deliver benefits for people are the interests I wish to pursue in my professional career.

INTERWOVEN term 3, 2019

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CONNECTING PARRAMATTA term 1, 2019

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RE-SOURCE semester 2, 2018

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E2 RESORT semester 1, 2018

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A QUARTER REST semester 2, 2017

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MODELS

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I N T E R W O V E N

TERM 3 | 2019 GRADUATION STUDIO

Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

Greenery Public Green Space Tree Canopy

OPPORTUNITIES

SITE STUDIES

3 S pecies h a s b een s potted at thi s s ection of th e corrid or: i ncludi ng pow erful ow l , e a s tern long- neck ed turtl e, s triped Ma rs h frog.

T he current boardwalk s and track s create a sense of ex plori ng.

Habitats

A flat creek front allows easy access.

Hidden Walking

Flood Risk Creek Corridor High Risk Low Risk

Land Use 52% Industrial uses

Residential

WESTMEAD CHILDREN’S HOSPITAl PRECINCT

NORTHMEAD LIGHT INDUSTRIAL PRECINCT TOONGABBIE CREEK

Industrial Infrastructural

Figure Ground

CONSTRAINTS

Building Footprints

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Disturbed Riparian C orridor

Dense Riparian Vegetation

Accessibility Barrier

Storm w a t e r O u t l e t

Weed infectio ns h a s b een spotted on- s i te. A b a ndo ned ca r remnants are found a l ong th e creek, as people perceiv e s th e cree k a s the d umpi ng g round .

T he creek i s currently covered b y dense vegetati on groups, creati ng an unwelcomi ng ex peri ence of enteri ng.

Large li ght-i ndustri al b ui ld i ngs fence of the land , block i ng off the connecti on between ci ty and creek .

T he stor m w a t er i s di sc ha r ged i n t o the creek t ha t c a uses w a t er quali ty i ssue.

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

CREEK IDENTITY

CREEK HEALTH

CREEK ACTIVATION increasing porosity

Creek Activation PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS Four site visits were conducted throughout the year, within this term and in the previous terms in Fourth Year, to achieve a better understanding of the site, as well as to question myself how Landscape Urbanism might be applied specifically to my chosen area. Several experiments of the theoretical thinking allows quickly testing ideas at a neighbourhood scale to build a holistic approach to the site. This helps to develop the design strategies for Northmead neighbourhood. Through this conceptgenerating process, theoretical principles, are set to guide the later design stages.

Extracting and testing key principles of the research theory leads to three main aspects of the design, creek activation, creek identity and creek health. Nine design objects were then set to guide the design processes, ensuring the design respond to the theory as well as the site conditions to achieve the ultimate design goal, “interweave the city and the creek”.

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activating interfaces

Provide access to the creek, enhancing movements and experience within the site as well providing public amenities for active uses

Objectives

expanding riparian corridor ne n Zo ria E pa N ZON of Ri RIA Expansion A RI P L A R GEN E

Creek Health

Objectives

Objectives

Reveal the Everyday and hidden characteristic of creek landscapes

Enhance ecological performance accommodating future developments

+ encourage accesses to the river by regrading nominated zones

+ create a transitional landscape from water’s edge to the urban edge

+ vegetate regraded zones for bank stablisation

+ enhance the east-west movement `through the site

+ embrace the engineered water management structures to engage people with natural resource manage

+ implement water treatment systems to improve the water quality

+ provide opportunities for recreational activities along the creek corridor

+ propose additional stormwater barrier for social, aesthetic and educational purposes

+ identify appropriate bank shape, grade and vegetation quality to support ecological communities

integrating stormwater system

Neighbourhood Strategies

Creek Identity

+ activate the interface between park and the future urban development

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

MASTERPLAN 6

1:1000@A1

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ENTRANCE GREEN

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FUTURE PLAZA

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GRAND LOOKOUT

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PLAYGROUND

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ELEVATED WALK INTO THE BUSH

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PICNIC GREEN

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INFORMAL TRACK IN THE BUSH

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LOOKOUTS

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PEDESTRIAN CREEK CROSSING

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10 BRIDGE

creek as connection

Flood Adaptation

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS INTERWOVEN considers the landscape as mechanisms to interweave city and landscape.

Additional to natural resources, Toongabbie Creek can be seen as connection, public spaces, adapter, cleanser and green corridor, as landscape is essentially multifunctional.

Responding to the three design principles, five design moves were used as the structural guidance to the masterplan, 1:1000@A1.

The perspective sections, showing the site with different flooding conditions, is an example of how to see the site as the mechanism for adapting the flood, while is still functioning as a public parkland with programs during different flooding events.

It proposes to give Toongabbie creek more spaces, as an detailed approach extending from neighbourhood strategies.

The design puts a focus on the creek, letting the creek to define the urban morphology, to interweave city and landscape.

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regular condition creek as public spaces

creek as adaptation 50-year flooding event

creek as cleanser

100-year flooding event creek as green corridor

Design Strategies

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

DETAIL DESIGN 1:250@A1

DETAIL STUDIES Grading Requirements

Programs

Bank 1:4 Vegetated

Elevated Walk

Boardwalk

Viewing Platform

1:3 with Bench and existing trees Vegetated with Walls

Elevated Walk

Viewing Platform

Boardwalk

Informal Trail

Boardwalk

Platform with Steps

Informal Walk

Platform and Steps

Creekfront Steps

1:6 with low riparian shrubs Vegetated

1:10 with crushed stones Crushed Stones

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

EXPLORATORY PROCESSES AND DETAIL DESIGN While zooming into a smaller scale, design studies of relevant details are being tested.

One design study is to test different programs on certain grades, responding to the objective of stabilising the bank, while accommodating the recreational uses

Walking Through Habitats

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a. Elevated Walk Through the Woodland

This leads to the approach of having different types of spaces, with different levels of human interactions towards the landscape, throughout the riparian corridor to provide different experiences.

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Stretching from an abstract theoretical thinking, detail sections are utilised to visualise the “actual� place applied with the theory in detail design stage. The chosen iconic specie of the River Flat Eucalypt Rainforest features the spaces along the urban-park interface, interweaving riparian corridor and the neighbourhood. The chose materials are natural-looking, with a slight hint on the post light-industrial character.

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b. Lookout over Flood Channel

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DESIGN SECTIONS AND MATERIAL PALETTE

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AA: active urban-park interface | 1:100@A1

c. Look out over Wetland

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Brick Wall for BBQ Base and Surrounding Retaining Wall

Weathering Steal Light Pole Reflecting Post-light-industrial identity

Timber-finished Seating on Top of Concrete Wall

FURNITURE

Brick Plaza Paving with Decomposed Granite Tree Pits

PAVEMENT

Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata)

URBAN TREE

d. Naturalised Creekfront Activation Node

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The project selected a study area with approximately 400 hectares north-west of Parramatta’s city centre.

The brief required a framework for this precinct for future development. Sophisticated considerations were undertaken, driving from the understanding the complexity of zoning, history, important landscape elements, and relevant future infrastructure development.

Responding to the constraints observed on-site, the group came up with a framework with three goals as the main focus of this project.

* This is a group project with Bede Leyland, Ben Michel, Samantha Sorensen, and Tanya Towell.

The project identifies “river” as the main focus, as Parramatta River, Toongabbie Creek and Darling Mills Creek currently segregates the neighbourhoods, while functioning as a important landscape asset for not only Parramatta but also Sydney. Three goals with nine objectives are set to guide the masterplan. A detail area, containing three different landuses, is then selected for further exploration of the goals and objectives.

P A R R A M A T T A

PREPARE FOR A HOTTER CLIMATE

C O N N E C T I N G

CONNECT PEOPLE & PLACE

TERM 1 | 2019 URBAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN STUDIO

CELEBRATE THE RIVER CITY

Ruilu Yu

OBJECTIVES: CELEBRATE THE RIVER CITY

landscape architecture

MASTERPLAN 1:5000@A1

01 create recreational and social opportunities along the river

02 strengthen the riparian corridor

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1 NEIGHBOURHOOD

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03 capture and reduce polluted runoff from surrounding development

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OBJECTIVES: CONNECT PEOPLE & PLACE 5

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NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

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01 landscape equality and access for all

02 prioritise pedestrian mobility with through site links

NEIGHBOURHOOD

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WETLANDS

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NEW LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA

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BIORETENTION BASINS

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LIGHT RAIL TERMINUS

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NEW WESTMEAD HOSPITAL EMERGENCY & ENTRANCE BUILDING

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NEW RETAIL PRECINCT

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WESTMEAD SOUTH LIGHT RAIL STOP

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WESTMEAD RETAIL LIGHT RAIL STOP HERITAGE BUILDINGS

03 improve connectivity between residents and public open space

OBJECTIVES: PREPARE FOR A HOTTER CLIMATE 15:00

9:00

01 increase previous surfaces throughout site

02 integrate a WSUD network to support green infrastructure

NEIGHBOURHOOD 03 maximise shade through street and built

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footprints

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

ZONING

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN 1:2000@A1

C1

Commercial

RC1

Residential over commercial

R1

Terrace

R2

Medium density residential

R3

Student accommodation

4 FLOORS

5 FLOORS

4 FLOORS

5 FLOORS

8 FLOORS

STUDY OF A TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL BLOCK

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OPEN SPACE Define the type of spaces within the block

PRIVATE ACCESS TO THE BLOCK Break the block by block type and private access

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APARTMENT 5-storeys apartments are located along the vehicle accessible streets for easy access

TERRACE 4-storey Terraces are positioned along the shared streets

ALLEYWAY SLICE

MIXED-USED

Break the block by public access

Residential over commercial buildings are placed along pedestrian-only streets to create active frontage of the street

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

STREET HIERARCHY

STREET SECTIONS

main road with light rails

1:100@A1

Cycleway connecting to Lake Parramatta

PEDESTRIAN

VEHICULAR

S1

S2

S3

S4

S5

S6

pedestrian only

shareway

dual carriageway

cycle + carriageway

light rail corridor

pedestrian light rail corridor

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feature pedestrian streets

shared streets

Lightrail terminating at Westmead Hospital

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R E - S O U R C E

The project responds to the past water stories in the landscape, including the canal and farm dams. This allows for a new water narrative to be proposed that combines the theme of water. Responding to the water resource shortage issue, the project proposes to integrate open spaces with recycling water facilities. The future of this precinct is envisioned to be a piece of large infrastructure that collects, stores, recycles and supplies water locally and regionally, while as a parkland with open spaces and programs.

SEMESTER 2 | 2018 DESIGN WITH A COMPLEX PROGRAM

The project is situated within 15th Avenue Precinct in the Western Sydney Parklands. The brief required designing a complex system of programs for the precinct. Through the analysis, the undulating landforms, the canal and farm dams are critical characters that is suggested to be retained and to be integrated with future proposals.

Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

MASTERPLAN 1:4000@A1

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DESIGN KEY MOVES Enhance the Landform

Collect and Store Water

Reconnect Spaces With Neighborhoods

Re-establishing Existing Vegetation

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

DETAIL DESIGN 1:500@A1 WATER TOWER LOOKOUT MEANDER SURFACE FLOW WATER TANK RESTAURANT TERRACED LAWN VIEWING PLATFORM WATER CASCADE AMPHITHEATRE WATER CASCADE STEPPING STONES WATERSIDE CAFE WATER TANK POOL SWIMMING HOLE STEPPING STONES PICNIC & BBQ MULTI-EVENT SPACE CANAL WALK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ROOFTOP MEADOW WASTEWATER POCKET PARK PARKING

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Ruilu Yu

Infrastructural gathering space

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landscape architecture

Naturalised water channel

Integrating infrastructural building

Water programming

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R E S 0 R T

By exploring extraction, as the mining process, the project aims to exhibit the unique character of mining within the landscape. The pits with dramatic landform changes are retained and renovated. To allow people to fully experience the landform, the proposal establishes a new landscape transitioning from rough mining high walls to soft vegetated edge across each pit.

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PROGRAM EXPERIMENTS

The project is located in the Hunter Valley, near Newcastle, NSW. The site is Rix’s Creek Mine, which is currently a operating coal mine. Extraction was chosen to be the theme for the design. The learning outcome of the project is to explore design through changing scales.

Developing future plans for next 70 years were required as part of the strategy proposed for the site.

SEMESTER 1 | 2018 SITE PLANNING: LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS AND PERFORMANCES

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

AS PRODUCT:

- reusing overburden to reshape the land - provision of experience and activities - buffer zones during the mining operation

AS METHOD:

- implementation of surrounding information - blur of the boundary - funding for future development

AS OPPORTUNITIES: - stablisation of the land - contract of soft and rough landscape

PROPOSED LANDFORM

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

DESIGN ITERATIONS

THE CLIFF WALK - RETAINED HIGHWALL One of the main concept that guides the whole design is the to use the landscape as the method to expose the post-mining characters, responding to the “extraction� process during the mining. Embracing the highwall, as the product of the extraction process, the introduction of the cliff walk allows people to experience the drastic landform change with different landscape characters, transitioning from a rough to a soft landscape.

TIMELINE As the complex mining process is constantly changing, the design emphasises phases of the development.

The first stage proposes to open Camberwell Pit by 2023, as it will be the first pit that stops mining. The highwall will be partially retained as the cliff edge, while the landform on the east side will be reshaped by using overburden. New housing development will be introduced simultaneously to provide economic value to the site to sustain the future developments.

The second stage will focus on opening the Falbrook Pit to the public. Former CHPP areas will be renovated into an industrial park as welcoming zones for the site.

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The final stage of the site will be a resort in West Pit. The concept of "escaping from the hustle city life" leads to the introduction of the resort, which provides accommodation facing the retained rough landscape and soft vegetation.

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Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

DETAIL PLAN 1:2000@A1

The detail area at 1:2000 focuses on the landform, creating a transition from soft to rough landscape. To encourage closer experience of the post-mining site, a cliff walk is proposed to allow people walking along the highwall. A viewing platform is proposed on the vegetated mound, which brings people up to the ground level, establishing a visual connection to the unique elements of a mining pit.

Using model showing the landform of the mining pit with the design approach aims to demonstrate the contrast of soft and hard landscapes, responding to the overall idea, exhibiting the “extraction� processes representing the post-mining characteristics.

LANDFORM MODEL AS EXPERIMENT

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EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS

Shades hWindsd

Noise N iBusyThreshold Quiet Shades

R E S T

Calm

Winds

Noise

Primary schoolers (5 to 11) Secondary schoolers (12 to 17) Tertiary education and independence (18 to 24) Young wo workforce (25 to 34) Parent rents ents and homebuilders (35 to 49) Older w workers and pre-retirees (50 to 59) Empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69) Emp

The site is located on Meeks Street, Kingsford, Sydney.

Along with the light rail development, the site as a node, will be transformed into an urban plaza targeting local residents as well as other potential users.

The brief required resolution of the site to the scale of 1:20 with set-out, grading and level and planting plans.

To understand the spatial quality of the site, a detailed 3D sketchup model is required, including designing landscape furniture that gives the site a unique identity.

SEMESTER 2 | 2017 DETAIL DESIGN

Seniors (70 to 84) Elderly aged (85 and over)

Q U A R T E R

Babies and pre-schoolers (0 to 4)

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Potential Users

Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

WEST-E LONG SECTION 1:100@A1

RENDERED MASTERPLAN 1:100@A1

DETAILED DESIGN: ICONIC LANDSCAPE ELEMENT

500mm Seating Area H4 Hardwood

Trench Lighting

400mm White Concrete

300mm Base H5 Hardwood

GRADING AND LEVEL PLAN

White Concrete Bricks

1:100@A1

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GRADUATION PROJECT MODEL

M O D E L S

Model exhibited in PARRAdigm, UNSW Landscape Architecture Graduation Exhibition 2019.

Ruilu Yu

landscape architecture

THIRD-YEAR MODEL

SECOND-YEAR MODEL

Model exhibited in Luminocity 2019, UNSW Faculty of Built Environment annul exhibition showcasing undergraduate works of all disciplines in the faculty.

Model exhibited in Luminocity 2018, UNSW Faculty of Built Environment annul exhibition showcasing undergraduate works of all disciplines in the faculty.

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ture Waste Water sing Main ture Waste Water

KEMPS CREEK AND BONDS CREEK CATCHMENT

Farm Dams