Portfolio 2025

Sarah Kenney Master of Landscape Architecture Master of Architecture Bachelor of Natural Science

POR T FOL I O

SARAH KENNEY SELECTED WORKS

Contents: Interdisciplinary Portfolio 01

Shanghai International School | Shanghai, China Historic Renovation and International School

02

Shunde Yunlu Wetland Museum | Fo Shan, China Ecological Gallery and Development Showroom

03

Tanjong Pagar Railway Redevelopment | Central Singapore Gallery and Recreation Center

04

Taipei Residential Tower | Taipei, Taiwan Residential Tower

05

Beitou Mountain Villa | Beitou, Taiwan Residential Complex

References

06

Delaware Botanical Garden at Pepper Creek | Delaware, United States Botanical Garden

Zeynep Ugur | Studio Link-Arc nazlizeynepugur@gmail.com (215) 802-1498

07

Private Residences, Various | Pennsylvania, United States High End Residential

08

Liminal Spaces | Tennessee, United States Transitional Landscape

09

Conflict Bloom | Naivasha, Kenya Graduate Thesis Project

10

Community Organizing, Various | Domestic and International Various Experiences as Participant and Leader

Luis Ausin | Populus (New York Office) lasgz@hotmail.com (929) 823-1927 Danny Rose | SCAPE Studio danny@scapestudio.org (865) 414-9882 Allan Summers | RAS Landscape Architects asummers@raslainc.com (610) 329-1513

STUDIO LINK ARC Shanghai International School Nature in the City Director: PM:

Yichen Liu, Principal Luis Ausin, Design Director

Design: The design for the international school focuses on integrating old and new, exposing the contrast between the site’s historic Shikumen houses and modern architectural elements. These Shikumen houses, a unique vernacular style from the colonial era in Shanghai, are integrated into the overall layout, preserving their cultural significance while introducing contemporary spaces for education. The project also aims to serve as a “green archipelago,” connecting two major green spaces in Shanghai and offering ecological benefits. The design incorporates sustainable features that complement both the urban context and the ecological network surrounding the site.

Dynamic: The project was a collaborative effort across two offices—New York and Shanghai— comprising a team of 15 members, led by principal Yichen Liu and managed by Luis Ausin. My role was centered around form development and conceptual design.

Additionally, I played a significant part in drafting the competition proposal, a 100-150 page document that outlined the design strategy and vision. Over the course of four months, the team worked closely, exchanging ideas and refining the proposal to meet the competition’s ambitious goals.

Shanghai International School Competition Private International School Hongkou, Shanghai, China

Shanghai International School Competition Simple Form Finding Complex Spatial Consequence

Shanghai International School Competition Integration Of Historical Shikumen Houses And New International School

Upper Floors Use White Cladding To Connect With The Surrounding Modern Buildings

Lower Floors Use Brick To Create A Seamless Street-Scape With The Historical Vernacular

Shanghai International School Competition Two Tone Material Merges Old And New

Shanghai International School Competition Landscape strategies vary with building height

STUDIO LINK ARC Shunde Yunlu Wetland Museum Director: PM:

Yichen Liu, Principal Luis Ausin

Design: The Yunlu Wetland Museum is designed to create a series of windows that frame various aspects of the landscape and the interaction between birds and their environment. Located in Shunde’s Yunlu Wetland Park, the museum aims to raise awareness of the local ecosystem and provide a unique bird-watching experience.

The building consists of four vertically stacked concrete tubes, each rotated to optimize views of the wetland, trees, and birds. These tubes, connected by a central atrium, allow visitors to experience the scenery from different heights and perspectives, blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest through the use of natural materials like cast-in-place pine concrete and a lotus pond-covered roof.

Dynamic: The concept phase of the project was developed in New York, where I played a central role in shaping the design. Under the guidance of Yichen Liu and management of Luis Ausin, the initial concept and form were realized over two weeks. Afterward, the Shanghai team took over, refining the design until construction. The project was completed with a shared commitment to honoring the wetland’s ecological importance and offering an immersive experience for visitors.

Shunde Yunlu Wetland Museum: Conceptual Design Gallery and Showroom Fo Shan, China

STUDIO LINK ARC Tanjong Pagar Railway Competition Director: PM:

Shawlon Hseih Zeynep Ugur

Tanjong Pagar Station serves as a crosssection of Singapore’s history, where colonial architecture, modern infrastructure, and urban wilderness converge. The design proposes an urban hub connecting the historic city center with the rail corridor, organized into four key zones: the Civic Forecourt, Urban Living Room, Garden Market, and Resilient Rail Trail. Each zone interacts, promoting togetherness and wellness.

The Civic Forecourt acts as a gateway to the Singapore River Walk, transforming a former parking lot into a dynamic plaza with a sunken courtyard and an underground subway entry. It features a raised stage for outdoor performances and incorporates sustainable elements like rainwater harvesting. The Urban Living Room is a community space in the historical building’s lobby, with warm-toned paving, seating areas, and a café. It offers a place for relaxation and connection while respecting the building’s historical integrity. The Garden Market is a memory collage, with food vendors, market stalls, and a green landscape over old rail tracks. It integrates sustainable climate control features, such as misted breezes and green roofs. The Resilient Rail Trail preserves history while incorporating stormwater management and community engagement, ensuring sustainability with repurposed rail elements, native plants, and flood mitigation measures.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Competition: Conceptual Design Gallery and Recreational Center Central Business District, Singapore

STUDIO LINK ARC Zhuhai Yacht Terminal Director: PM:

Yichen Liu Zeynep Ugur

The Zhuhai Yacht Terminal project, located in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, was a competition between two firms for the project bid. The site is small, positioned between a mountain and a delta, bisected by a road. On the river side, the terminal serves as a hub for yachts and boat docking, while on the mountain side, it functions as a public exhibition space and part of a city park.

Our team of three developed two building designs and a range of strategic options for the client. Given the predefined relationships between the site, the river, and the mountain, our design approach focused on form exploration, while the landscape layout was outside of our control. We utilized sketches and Rhino for form generation, ultimately presenting three distinct schemes to the client for selection. The project aimed to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing space that harmonized with the natural surroundings while meeting the needs of the yacht terminal and public park.

Zuhai Yacht Terminal: Design Phase Boating Terminal Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

Zhuhai Yacht Terminal Three options developed under guiadance of principal Yichen Liu

STUDIO LINK ARC Taipei Residential Tower Director: PM:

Jiayur Hsu Zeynep Ugur

I collaborated with Jiayur Hsu and Zeynep Ugur on a residential site project in central Taipei. The project included a residential tower, commercial street, public plaza, and an entryway for the apartments. Our goal was to create a cohesive aesthetic that unified the varying relationships between the building and the city.

We selected a planting palette that featured native Taiwanese plants, including local varieties of commonly known species. The design utilized warm sherbert and hot jewel tones to complement the surrounding environment. The site was divided into three distinct zones: full sun on the south plot, partial sun on the west, and full shade in the north plot.

The final deliverables included the landscape site design, planting palette, and initial construction details, which provided the foundation for further development and implementation. This project required a balance of design creativity, technical precision, and collaboration across multiple disciplines to ensure the final result met both aesthetic and functional goals

Taipei Residential Tower: Design Phase Tower Residential and Public Plaza Taipei, Taiwan

STUDIO LINK ARC Beitou Mountain Villa High End Residential Complex Director: PM:

Jiayur Hsu Zeynep Ugur

I worked with Jiayur Hsu and Zeynep Ugur on the landscape design for a mountain villa project. The site featured two buildings with high-end apartments, connected by a private plaza designed exclusively for residents. The terrain was steeply sloped, and the design incorporated a terraced style to address the site’s topography.

The landscape design focused on creating a series of pathways that linked the two buildings and the elevated terrace at the rear. These paths were strategically placed to carve out a series of intimate, functional spaces, or “rooms,” where residents could relax and socialize in private outdoor settings. The design sought to balance accessibility with privacy, ensuring that each space within the landscape provided a unique experience for users. Unfortunately, the project was cut after the early concept phase and was never fully realized.

Beitou Mountain Villa: Design Phase Residential Complex Beitou, Taiwan

ROBINSON ANDERSON SUMMERS Delaware Botanical Garden at Pepper Creek Director:

Allan Summers, Principal

“Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek in southern Delaware opened to the public in 2019. An ecologically based design ethic guided the planning process for the 37-acre site. Partnering with architects Lake/Flato, and the renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf, RAS developed the site master plan and initial concepts for the entry and arrival sequence, parking, buildings, and meadow garden. The gardens showcase the rich diversity of plants that occur naturally or are well suited to growing conditions in the Delmarva Coastal region. The Visitor Parking lot features stormwater best management practices including permeable crushed shell paving and a central rain garden feature.”

Delaware Botanical Garden: Master Plan Stage Botanical Garden Delaware, United States

Delaware Botanical Garden at Pepper Creek Cascade Meadow at Pepper Creek I contributed to the Delaware Botanical Gardens project by creating 3D models from CAD drawings, assisting in fountain design, providing order of magnitude cost estimates, and producing supporting diagrams.

Cascade Fountains at the Great Meadow Water feature design refinement based on CAD drawings and principal sketch exercises.

ROBINSON ANDERSON SUMMERS Various Clients Delaware County Director: PM:

Allan Summers Annalisa Vapaa

During my internship at Robinson Anderson Summers, Inc. (RAS), I had the opportunity to contribute to a range of high-end residential projects. These included townhouse courtyards in Philadelphia, estates on the Main Line, and country retreats in the Berkshires. My role involved assisting in the concept phase and design development, focusing on enhancing the functionality and aesthetics of each landscape.

I was involved in creating planting plans, refining site layouts, and supporting the preparation of design presentations. The exposure to such high-end residential work provided me with a strong foundation in landscape architecture and the opportunity to learn how to balance beauty with functionality. Additionally, these projects supported the firm’s financial stability, enabling them to focus on larger public garden projects, a dynamic that allowed me to experience the firm’s holistic approach to both private and public landscape design.

Private Pensylvania Residence Eco-Estates + High-End Residential Eastern Pennsylvania

High-End Residential Landscapes Native Deciduous Forest Inspired The firm specializes in creating exceptional residential landscapes, from intimate townhouse courtyards to expansive country estates. With a deep respect for site history and ecology, designs blend artistry and environmental stewardship to enhance both beauty and functionality. Each project, whether a private garden or a secluded retreat, reflects a commitment to high-quality design and a personalized, hands-on approach. Homeowners are guaranteed thoughtful, detailed execution, ensuring every outdoor space is unique and tailored to its environment

Castleman Estate The Castleman Estate is a lush, forested landscape that seamlessly integrates natural woodland with curated outdoor spaces.

Harycki Pennsylvania Residence

Grumman Forest Residence

The Harycki Estate is a high-end contemporary residential design that fuses modern architecture with luxury outdoor spaces.

The Grumman Forest Residence is nestled within a dense woodland, embracing a deep woods vibe with natural materials.

High-End Residential Landscapes Native Deciduous Forest Inspired

Residential Planting Plan This design was mastered by principal Allan Summers, and Sarah refined, edited, and drafted the product.

Digital Fabrication Labratory The Degenerate Menagerie This project aims to honor and expand upon the legacy of Carlo Scarpa, a master of architectural craftsmanship and materiality.

Casa Veritti, one of Scarpa’s renowned works, is reimagined through the concept of architectural decay and transformation.

Central to the design is the metaphor of a strangler fig, symbolizing the passage of time, decay, and reinvention. The fig engulfs and frames the existing structure, signifying the cycle of life and death inherent in architecture. Rather than resisting decay, the project embraces it, suggesting that the disintegration of the building reveals a new, spectral interpretation of Scarpa’s work.

The intervention highlights the ephemeral nature of architecture, celebrating the transformation of the building’s materiality as it decays and returns to the earth in the form of a living plant. The project challenges conventional preservation techniques, advocating for a more philosophical approach to architectural “death.” It acknowledges that decay is not an end but part of the natural life cycle of a building.

In a poetic gesture, the design reinterprets Scarpa’s principles of materiality, light, and craftsmanship, culminating in the creation of a detailed wooden model that reflects his signature style. This model allows for a deeper understanding of Scarpa’s philosophy and its application to the temporal realm of architecture.

The Degenerate Menagerie: Model Making Model Degenerates According to Design Process Combined CNC Mill, Laser Cutter, and 3D Printer