2021-2025
Skill Set
Hard Skills:
• AutoCAD
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• Adobe Acrobat
• SketchUp
• Lumion
• Twin Motion
• Excel
• Word
• Sketching/Drawing
Soft Skills:
• Communication
• Leadership
• Time Management
• Works Well With Others
• Goal Oriented
Email: rjr38941@uga.edu
Phone: 706-347-3971
Landscape architecture is important because it connects people to their environment in an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable way. I have always been fascinated with how the appearance of a designed space can make a person feel and how it can positively affect them. My motivations for becoming a landscape architect are to create beautiful spaces that people want to be in, encourage sustainable design methods to help local wildlife, and create spaces that will bring communities together for generations. I am interested in residential,urban, and community design because they offer design challenges that can influence how people see and interact with their local environment. I like residential design because you get to work in a more intimate setting, that focuses on making a client’s private residence a beautiful space that they will cherish. I like urban/community design because it has a larger and broader scope that allows you to design a space, or spaces, that will positively influence a community of people. There is also more room for creating more sustainable features, like green roofs, sustainable pavement choices, and larger areas for native planting. I love landscape architecture because it creates spaces for people to enjoy, as well as help to influence the local environment.
Education
• University of Georgia 2021-2025
• Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
• Booth Design Group May 2024-August 2024
• State Botanical Garden of Georgia June 2023- January 2024
• Publix May 2022- August 2022
• Chick-Fil-A January 2021- August 2021
The existing site conditions features an asphalt basketball court and no outdoor seating areas. I wanted to improve the area by incorporating seating areas and to create a central gathering space. I decided to include a turf field area with benches that allows for people to do recreational activities and relax. A shade structure is also proposed above the field due to the site being hot the majority of the year. The site features an upper and lower seating area for the residence and guests of this residential hall. The site also feature a plaque wall with the names of the alumni, proposed deciduous and evergreen plants,and tile courtyard with a pergola. The details were all drawn from scratch with the exception of the pergola detail, which was used based on an existing pergola detail. Each detail shows precise measurements for how to construct each element.
The site furniture plan features 4-seat tables, benches, trash/recycling receptacles, and bike racks. Each site furnishing adds to the comfort and convenience to all who use the space. The lighting plan features three light types including: pedestrian lights, tree up-lights, and wall sconce lights. These lights are in place to help guests/residents see at night, as well as to feel safe while walking to their next destination. The planting plan features a mix of deciduous and evergreen planting for seasonal interest. This planting plan features many native plants to Georgia and will help to provide shelter and food for local wildlife. The grading plan shows how site drainage will flow into various drains throughout the site as well as retaining walls/stairs to hold back grade and flatten the land for the seating areas on site, turf field, and tile courtyard area.
The final renderings for the Russell & Brumby site were created using Lumion and Photoshop. Each view highlights the various improvements to the site including various seating areas, an interactive turf field to encourage exercise and community, and a plaque wall that creates an interactive feature for guests and residents. Seasonal deciduous and evergreen plants are included throughout the site to have seasonal interest. This model was first created using SketchUp to build everything from scratch. The buildings shown are the actual BIM model used from the original project that I modified and placed into the SketchUp model. I finalized the model in Lumion to create a professional looking render. I proceeded to finish the project by exporting several Lumion images. and combing everything together in Photoshop.
Seating Area w/ Plaque Wall
Lower Seating Area
Seating Area w/ Pergola
Turf Field w/ Shade Structure
Group Project With Ash May Fall 2022
The site analysis for Atlanta Dairies looked at gathering/seating areas, circulation, planting, sun and shaded areas, and the micro-climate. The circulation diagram shows pedestrian traffic as well as vehicular traffic on site. The most desirable spaces to be at on site were towards the shaded and seating area. The sun/shade diagram shows the direction of sunlight on the site and which areas are most impacted by direct sunlight. The micro-climate diagram shows the warmer to cooler areas. The axon view shows mostly native evergreen plants found in the piedmont, which we wanted our design to expand on.
Plants On Site Axon View
Group Project With Ash May Fall 2022
We wanted our redesign to focus on native plants of Georgia showing the main regions: piedmont, mountains, coastal plains, grasslands, and wetlands. The designs feature areas of the site broken up into zones for each region. Sculptural features were also included to celebrate various state symbols of Georgia including the state insect, state flower/ wild flower, state bird, and state mammal. Section A cuts through the grasslands, wetlands, piedmont, and coastal plains regions. Section B cuts through the piedmont region to the coastal plains region. Both sections feature native plants and sculptural elements from these regions along with gravel paths, hardscapes, and light features.
Section Elevation A
Section Elevation B
Group Project With Ash May Fall 2022
Design Process
The bloom schedule features a variety of deciduous plants from various regions in Georgia including grasslands, piedmont, mountainous, coastal plains, and wetlands. This diagram shows the various colors of these plants throughout the year. The plants chosen have a range of colors from green,red, pink, purple, white, and browns. The wetland graphic shows one of the more popular areas of the site with bald cypress trees,wax myrtles, swamp roses, and royal ferns. The graphic also shows a sculptural feature of an azalea, which is Georgia’s state wildflower. The bottom graphic shows sculptural features of Georgia’s state insect, mammal, bird, flower, and wildflower and the region where they’re found.
Red Maple
Serviceberry
Bald Cypress
River Birch
Amer. Beauty Berry
Big Leaf Hydrangea
Plumleaf Azalea
Flame Azalea
Scarlett Sage
Black-Eyed Susan
Virginia Sweetspire
Swamp Rose
Swamp Milweed
Butterfly Weed
Spiderwort
Coneflower
Cardinal Flower
GA. Umbrosa
The initial layout of the design was geared towards creating a rural residential community with five 100 acre sized lots. For this design, I placed the lots close to the pond, as it was a central feature that tied the community together. I designed the road layout to be on the lower side of where the residences would be to allow for water to drain away from the homes and to allow the residences to have beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. The initial concepts were all drawn in AutoCAD. The final master plan shows the graded site with each lot having an individual house floor plan. The final design features an outdoor park at the highest elevation of the site along with a trail system that connects each home to the park. The plan also features native deciduous trees to Georgia.
A rural landscape for me is one that is self-sufficient, has lots of land and is surrounded by nature. For the individual lot, I created a home that has views of the pond and surrounding landscape. The residence also has a vegetable garden, a garden shed, and an outdoor fireplace/ seating area. The lot has been graded to allow water to be directed into drains that are hidden by plants. There is also a retaining wall that allows the backyard to be flat enough for a seating area and a lawn for kids to play on. The residence, garage, and garden shed all have an FFE. I created this design in SketchUp, creating the fireplace/ retaining wall, back of residence, vegetable garden, and pond myself and used elements in SketchUp to fill in any other detail to save time. I used Lumion for the renderings and created the final views using Photoshop.
Individual Project Fall 2024
The client for Herschend wanted a design that featured a backyard for their kids, a pool, and a guest parking area. The initial design concepts for Herschend featured a variety of solutions to the client’s desires. Each concept is graded to allow for a pool to be in the backyard and to allow for water to drain away from the buildings. The floor plan was chosen by me and resembles an English cottage style home. The final design features two outdoor seating areas, garden areas, fountain features, a pool, a spillover spa w/pergola, backyard for kids to play, a covered walkway from the garage to the residence and a guest parking area. The planting palette features a mix of deciduous and evergreen plants to keep the garden space in season at all times of the year. The residence was graded to allow for a flat backyard for the pool and lawn area and a retaining wall was implemented to allow for these additions. It also drains water away from the residence and garage towards drains that are covered by plants. The front of the house features a garden space with a fountain to create a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere for the residents and their guests.
Herschend Rendered Master Plan Legend
1.Ridgewood Road
2.Flagstone Paver Entry Walk
3.Entrance Garden + Fountain
4.Tile Stepping Stones
5.Guest Parking Area
6.Harringbone Grey Brick Entry Drive
7.(3) 4” Risers, 1.5’ Tread Stone Steps w/ Cheek Wall
8.Covered Walkway w/ Flagstone Pavers
15.Spillover Spa w/ Pergola
16.(8) 6” Risers, 1’ Tread Stone Steps w/ Cheek Wall
17.Outdoor Stone Tile Seating Area w/ Garden + Fountain
18.Retaining Wall
19.Backyard Entry Gate
20.Lawn
The planting plan features the total quantity, caliper, and gallon size of each plant used on site. The line work for each section elevation was drafted in AutoCAD and each final render was completed in Photoshop using realistic plants. Section A shows the front of the residence, garden area, garage, covered walkway, and side planting. Section B shows the backyard from the lower seating area with the surrounding garden through the pool, to the wall. This view highlights the lush plants of the backyard by the pool. Section C shows the retaining wall by the pool. The wall stands at six feet in height with a 3.5 ‘ tall fence to prevent people from falling over. The top of the wall is level with the base of the pool. Section D shows the retaining wall from the side of the house to the garden seating area. The wall starts at two feet in height and ends at a height of four feet, as the elevation drops two feet in height.
Lagerstroemia Indica
Liriodendron Tulipifera
Thuja Occidentalis Arborvitae
Shrubs/Grasses
Camellia Japonica
Cephalotaxus Harringtonia 'Prostrata'
Hosta 'Etched Glass' Plantain
Hydrangea Macrophylla
Liriope Muscari Liriope
Loropetelum Chinense 'Rubrum'
Muhlenbergia Capillaris Muhly
Nandina Domestica 'Firepower' Nandina
Rhododendron Yakushimanum Ken Janeck'Ken Janeck Dwarf Azalea
Ruellia Simplex
Thelypteris Kunthii
Thuja Occidentalis 'Rheingold' Rheingold
Individual Project Fall 2022
Design Process
The client wanted a lively design full of colorful plants and a large backyard for their children to play on. In the initial concept sketches, I wanted the space to have a variety of colors, textures, and sizes, to make the space feel alive and full of character. I came up with a variety of ways for one to move through the space and decided to use stepping stones as a paved material that is cost effective and visually appealing. The details of the plan are shown by the type of plant as well as the quantity. The mulch line and square footage of the ground cover is also noted on the CAD plan to indicate the separation of various spaces on the site.
Sketch #1
The final design features various flowering shrubs, deciduous trees, and ground cover to achieve a harmonious landscape, and creates a vibrant experience for the viewer. There are also elements of texture,such as grass and lawn, to contrast the vibrant colors of the plants and to keep the space pleasing to the eye all year long. Another element included in the design is an edible garden, which adds an interactive element to the space.
This residential design was created for an elderly couple and features an ADA access walk, a rain garden, a vegetable garden, a pollinator garden, water features, a retaining wall along the driveway, and a connected garage. The site was graded to allow for a swale to run into a rain garden and directed away from the existing site trees, to preserve the trees .The rendered master plans shows the swale in the site and details of the various gardens, fire pit area, and planting along the house and retaining wall. A SketchUp model was made for the site, which shows the overall view of the site, as well a close up view of the gardens and fountains.
CAD Plan Legend:
1.Lawn Space
2.ADA Walk
3.Planting Area
4.Vegetable Garden
5.Rain Garden/Water Feature
6.Existing Site Trees
7.Residence
8.Pollinator Garden/Water Feature
9.Driveway
10.Garage
11.Fire Pit/Seating Area
12.Reading Nook
13.Retaining Wall
Hand Rendered Master Plan
Birds -Eye View Of Rain/Pollinator Garden
The initial design concepts for the pocket neighborhood looked at road layout and how many parcels that could be fit into the space. The orange and yellow areas were good for development due to slope, good soils, and vegetative cover. There were also pocket neighborhood designs that featured parcels, a central green space, roads, sidewalks, and parking areas. The final plan implemented various road layouts and maximized the amount of parcels that could fit in the space, while making the neighborhood have a community feel with a variety of amenities and green spaces.
The road layout depicted shows the angle tangents at which the proposed road needs to be at in order to meet back the existing roads (Old Jefferson Rd and Moss Side Dr.) This was a challenge to figure out but I was able to figure out a mathematical solution in order to get the proposed road layout to work.
Group Project with Ben Miller/ Ayden Griswold Spring, 2023 Design Process
The initial designs were meant to divide the space into retail space/ low rise apartments, town homes, parking areas, green spaces, roads, and a civic space. The final CAD plan was made as a group project that is a mixed use radial design. The final design features a central pavilion space with shopping centers that surround it. The site also has residential areas towards the top of the site with a retention pond to collect storm water runoff. There is also native planting, sidewalks for pedestrians, parking areas, a natural history museum, alleyways of trees, and green space.
AutoCAD Plan
The master plan was drawn by myself and Ben Miller and rendered by Ben Miller. We decided to use a mix of evergreen and deciduous planting to create an interesting landscape throughout the year. We wanted to incorporate a lot of green space and a central gathering space to encourage various communities to interact with each other. The section elevation was drawn and rendered by me in Photoshop. The section elevation is of the natural history museum and features native planting, a parking area, dinosaur sculptures, and a water feature.
3D GRAPHICS
Individual Project Fall 2024
Renderings
This site was designed by me from scratch initially in SketchUp and then brought into Lumion. I exported several renders from Lumion and combined them together in Photoshop. The design features a stucco exterior to help cool the building and protect against tropical storms. There is textured wood panels to add an earthy texture and look to the site as well as stained glass windows. The architecture was inspired by the St. Chapelle cathedral and other tropical resorts. The top of the resort feature green roofs, tropical gardens, and seating areas. The pool features tropical planting nooks to help guests relax and get away. The pool features a sun-shelf, planting islands and tiki bars to serve guests. There is a rolling wave water feature that flows into a marble pool of water. It is flanked by two planters. The plants chosen were tropical plants including Date palms, Royal palms, Bismarck palms, bromeliads, agaves, yaupon hollys, alocasias, several species of grasses, annuals, and perennials.
Individual Project Spring 2024
For the desert abode, I was given this site and had to create it within the context of a desert setting. I wanted the architecture to have an old west feel and used stucco for the building exterior and terra cotta for the roofing. I also used a stone exterior for the lower portion of the building to create an earthy appearance. I decided to create a sculpture garden surrounded by annuals/perennials to create a point of interest at the entrance of the site. An outdoor area/ bar area was added onto the upper parking area. This location gives guests a great view of the surrounding landscape. The planting palette features a lot of drought tolerant plants including cacti, various grasses, agave, annuals, and perennials.
For the mall interior, I was given a model of a mall and had to recreate the interior of one section of the mall. I chose to add in a waterfall feature that was surrounded by a pool of water with indoor plants. The water feature has a central light in the ceiling that emits a golden yellow light to create a peaceful setting. The rock pool features jets and is surrounded by a variety of indoor plants to create a lush jungle aesthetic.
Individual Drawings
Summer 2023 Drawings
These study sketches/ drawings are of plants that I like or worked with at the Botanical Gardens of Georgia.The purpose of these drawings is to show the form and texture of the plant, along with the height,width,light conditions,and bloom season to use when I’m designing spaces. The left page features annuals, perennials, and evergreen plants. The right page features a variety of trees with a character sketch of a leaf. Each one of these drawings is graphite on paper.
Plant Study Drawings #1
Plant Study Drawings #3
Plant Study Drawings #4
Individual Drawings
Spring of 2021
Section Elevations
The additional drawings feature three section elevations and one perspective drawing. All of the section elevations are of various sites on the University of Georgia’s campus. These sections also have three distinct styles. The first section elevation is of the North Quad and it is an ink drawing. The second section elevation is of the Founder’s Memorial Garden and is drawn in ink and rendered by colored pencil. The third section is of the Lustrat House on north campus and it is an ink drawing that is rendered in Photoshop. The final drawing is a perspective drawing of south campus of UGA, and features Deodar Cedar trees with sculptural features as a redesign of the campus. This drawing has a rendering combination of colored pencil and markers.
