Landscape Portfolio

TRACY NGAN selected works

How can landscape architecture improve the spaces for marginalized communities?

CONTENTS informality

04

landscape led

08

Beyond Order : Designing with Chaotic Informality Leading with Landscape

infrastructure

12

Passage Park

planting design

18

Butterfly Garden

relationship with land

20

Stories of the Land

healthy cities

24

Healthy Life, Happy Life

storytelling

28

Fluffle Island

imagination

30

Personal Works

Beyond Order: Designing with Chaotic Informality Thesis

Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong

Across many Asian cities, chaotic informality plays a vital role in fostering resilience and continuously shaping the unique character of dense urban landscapes through spontaneous adaptations and informal economies. Sham Shui Po District in Hong Kong exemplifies this dynamic through its street vendors, markets, back alley economies, and waste picker community.

While this informality is often romanticized, its underlying hardships are frequently overlooked. This thesis seeks to reimagine Sham Shui Po as a vibrant creative district that embraces this chaotic informality while addressing the challenges faced by senior waste pickers through surgical interventions.

4

5

PROPOSED TOOLKIT PERMANENT

TRENCH DRAINS

SEED INRFRASTRUCTURE

LIGHTING

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM VARIATIONS

6

SAFETY

PUBLIC WATER DISPENSERS

PUBLIC SHOWERS

RESOURCE HUB

BIRD’S NESTING AREAS

SEMI- PERMANENT

VERTICAL PLANTERS

POP- UPS

GREEN WALLS

PLANTER BOXES

VENDOR BOOTHS

TRELLIS WALLS

HYDROPONIC PLANTS

HANGING PLANTERS

7

Ecological Connectivity

Leading with Landscape Downsview Masterplan Integrated Urbanism Studio Collaboration with Evlyn Sun & Georgia Sa

How do we lead with landscape? How do we make greenspaces accessible ? Should all greenspaces be considered the same?

As the benefits of greenspaces are now increasingly evident, this project investigates what it means to design a new Downsview community by putting landscape first.

The proposed plan prioritizes ecological connectivity by concentrating density around transit stations and providing pedestrianoriented circulation throughout an extensive network of greenspaces. Rather than continuing a history of urban development fragmenting the landscape, this plan recognizes that resilient landscapes are integral to support community and urban infrastructure.

Pedestrian Oriented

Gradual Built Form

Mixed Use Districts Around Transit

Open Space Integration

Stormwater Infrastructure 8

4,395,000 square meters

2,883,151 m2 access to proposed green space

26.2 square meters / person

9

Prioritizing Connecting Existing Landscape

10

New Proposed Framework Plan

Green Network Strategy

Density Strategy

Open Space Strategy

Stormwater Strategy 11

Passage Park Resilient Stormwater Infrastructure Design for Symthe Park Design Studio II Collaboration with Seth Ramesra

Smythe Park, the studied site provides a unique opportunity for us to rethink our perception and engagement with public infrastructure and how we can leverage it to bring people together through unique program elements.

Passage Park, a rebranding of Smythe Park explores the possibilities and meanings behind what it means to be in an urban creek. The proposal represents how we can transform existing public infrastructure into welcoming spaces for the community.

Rather than continuing the history of hiding these urban features that are crucial to the way cities function, it embraces the monumentality of urban water systems and explores the question of what the experience is in an urban creek.

12

Play Area

Wetland Area

Active Area 13

Why Use a Channel

10-15 Olympic Swimming Pools Of Water

Existing Flood Depth WHY USE A CHANNEL

Existing Conditions Regional Event Floodwater Depth Across Smythe Park

47-71 Thousand Cubic Meters of Water: At 2-3m Depth Regional Storm Depths 1m Increments

Species of Concern 14

Proposed Programs

Water Treatment Flow

Planting Design 15

Skateboard Area

Amphitheatre

16

Pv Lc

Tp

Co

PT 1 BN 1

TD 1

0.5

SB 1

N

Po

Cd

Cm

Tp

Cm

Tl

Ca

Ca

Pv

Ai

1

AR 1

AC 1

2m

AC 1

Planting Plan

Scale 1:50

KEY

QTY

BOTANICAL NAME

COMMON NAME

HEIGHT

SPREAD

SPACING CONDITIONS

REMARKS

SB TD BN AR PT AC

1 1 1 1 1 2

Salix Babylonica Taxodium Districhum Betula Nigra Acer Rubrum Populus Tremuloides Amelanmchier Canadensis

Weeping Willow Bald Cypress River Birch Red Maple Trembling Aspen Service Berry

15M 15-25M 13-18M 12-15M 10-15M 4-7M

15-20M 7-10M 10-13M 10-12M 5-7M 4-7M

9-15M 2-4M 2-3M 4-5 M 3M 4-5M

Moist to Wet Moist to Wet, Well Drained Moist to Average, Well Drained Well Drained, Full Sun Moist, Well Drained Moist, Well Drained

High Ev. Rate, Mitigate Flood, Turtle Food HIgh Ev. Rate, Mitigate Flood High Ev. Rate,Mitigate Erosion, Turtle Food Deep Roots Deep Roots Deep Roots

Co Mf Em Lc Pv Tp Cm Ai Ca

16 24 9 64 30 26 3 25 8

Cephalanthus occidentalis Monarda fistulosa Eupatorium Maculatum Lobelia cardinalis Panicum Virgatum Thalictrum Pubescens Carex Muskingumensis Asclepias Incarnata Cornus Amomum

Buttonbush Wild Bergamot Joe Pye Weed Cardinal Flower Switchgrass Tall MeadowRue Palm Sedge Swamp Milkweed Silky Dogwood

175-200cm 75-90cm 60-90cm 45-60cm 50-60cm 50-60cm 45-60cm 60-90cm 200-250cm

175-200cm 90-110cm 90-120cm 50-70cm 60-90cm 150-180cm 60-75cm 100-125cm 200-250cm

100cm 45-60cm 30cm 30cm 31cm 60-90cm 90cm 30-60cm 200cm

Moist to Wet, Well Drained, Full Sun Moist to Average, Well Drained, Full Sun, Moist to Average, Well Drained, Full Sun Moist to Wet Moist to Average, Full Sun, Salt Tolerant Moist to Average, Partial Sun/Shade Moist to Average, Well Drained, Partial Sun Moist to Wet, Full Sun Moist to Wet, Full Sun

Attract pollinators, Shade for frogs Attract butterflies and humming birds Attract butteflies and birds Attract birds, insect food, frog food source High Biomass Production Attract butterflies Insect Shelter Attract butterflies, nectar source Deep Roots , Attract birds

Tl Cd N Po

4 90 46 210

Tphya Latifolia Ceratophyllum Demersum Nymphaeaceae Potamogeton Ogdenii

Common Cattail Common Coontail Water Lily Ogden’s Pondweed

120-150cm 120-150cm 200-400cm 30-60cm 30-60cm 30-45cm 1.2mm-2.9mm 5-7cm

As shown As shown As shown As shown

Moist to Wet, Full Sun Wetland plant Wetland plant, Full Sun Slow Moving Streams, Full Sun

Attract Birds Fish Habitat Fish habitat, Landing pad for bees and frogs Cover for Aquatic Invertebrates and Fish, Species at Risk in Ontario

Tp

Lc

Ai

Lc

Tp

Mf Ca

Em

Ai

Em

Lc

Mf

Ca

Co

Ai

Co Tp

Mf

Ai

Pv Lc

Tp

Co

PT 1

0.5

1

AR 1

AC 1

2m

AC 1

Planting Plan

Scale 1:50

KEY

QTY

BOTANICAL NAME

COMMON NAME

HEIGHT

SPREAD

SPACING CONDITIONS

REMARKS

SB TD BN AR PT AC

1 1 1 1 1 2

Salix Babylonica Taxodium Districhum Betula Nigra Acer Rubrum Populus Tremuloides Amelanmchier Canadensis

Weeping Willow Bald Cypress River Birch Red Maple Trembling Aspen Service Berry

15M 15-25M 13-18M 12-15M 10-15M 4-7M

15-20M 7-10M 10-13M 10-12M 5-7M 4-7M

9-15M 2-4M 2-3M 4-5 M 3M 4-5M

Moist to Wet Moist to Wet, Well Drained Moist to Average, Well Drained Well Drained, Full Sun Moist, Well Drained Moist, Well Drained

High Ev. Rate, Mitigate Flood, Turtle Food HIgh Ev. Rate, Mitigate Flood High Ev. Rate,Mitigate Erosion, Turtle Food Deep Roots Deep Roots Deep Roots

Co Mf Em Lc Pv Tp Cm Ai

16 24 9 64 30 26 3 25

Cephalanthus occidentalis Monarda fistulosa Eupatorium Maculatum Lobelia cardinalis Panicum Virgatum Thalictrum Pubescens Carex Muskingumensis Asclepias Incarnata

Buttonbush Wild Bergamot Joe Pye Weed Cardinal Flower Switchgrass Tall MeadowRue Palm Sedge Swamp Milkweed

175-200cm 75-90cm 60-90cm 45-60cm 50-60cm 50-60cm 45-60cm

175-200cm 90-110cm 90-120cm 50-70cm 60-90cm 150-180cm 60-75cm

100cm 45-60cm 30cm 30cm 31cm 60-90cm 90cm

Moist to Wet, Well Drained, Full Sun Moist to Average, Well Drained, Full Sun, Moist to Average, Well Drained, Full Sun Moist to Wet Moist to Average, Full Sun, Salt Tolerant Moist to Average, Partial Sun/Shade Moist to Average, Well Drained, Partial Sun Moist to Wet, Full Sun

Attract pollinators, Shade for frogs Attract butterflies and humming birds Attract butteflies and birds Attract birds, insect food, frog food source High Biomass Production Attract butterflies Insect Shelter Attract butterflies, nectar source

Planting Plan

Playwall Detail

17

Butterfly Garden Residential Planting Design Plants & Design Adobe Illustrator, Procreate

This project aims to brighten the mood of Torontonians through a visually bright planting palette for a residential front yard With carefully selected plants arranged in radial patterns from above and height considerations from the sidewalk, this butterfly garden creates a visually appealing view all summer long.

18

19

Stories of the Land Indigenous Learning Space on West Campus Design Studio Year I Collaboration with Georgia Sa

The land that we are on was someone’s home. It was a place where their stories unfolded, and where their rights and freedom were stripped away from them.

We all have a story to tell and everyone’s stories are equally important because it makes us who we are today. This design proposal on the West Campus at the University of Toronto strives to create a stronger landscape presence to build relationships that encourage learning from the landscape between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Within the proposed forest expansion, various outdoor spaces are designed to generate dialogue of lost stories.

These spaces honour and preserves the memory of the land through materiality.

20

In moments where buildings were demolished and new soil was brought in, we utilized elevated boardwalks to minimize further compaction. The boardwalks will not only function as a soil compaction strategy, but it will also foster a different user experience.

Gabion walls are created with demolished building materials on-site to minimize waste from the demolition process. These gabion walls bring classrooms outside by using exterior materials to retrace interior walls and the reasoning behind utilizing exterior materials is that the demolition process will save more external materials.

21

We understand that landscapes are flexible and have memories, and our design strives to reflect this. The series of classrooms are created for cohorts to have formal learning experiences and act as individual study spaces.

22

Proposed Demolition

Proposed Circulation

Existing Permeable vs Impermeable

The larger gathering space is intended for formal ceremonies/ family public events including dancing. Both of these spaces are governed by the previous building footprints and structures and utilize materials from the demolition process

Proposed Forest Types

23

Healthy Life, Happy Life Resilient Stormwater Infrastructure Design for Symthe Park Design Studio I

As we hit our almost 4-year mark of dealing with COVID-19, people have relied on open green spaces and parks to help cope with poor mental health, isolation, and the loss of indoor physical activity. However, the use of park space did not increase uniformly across all neighborhoods in Toronto. Marginalized communities have faced and continue to face barriers including physical access to green spaces.

The Dentonia Golf Course is bounded by fences and located in the middle of three low income neighborhoods, therefore it does not serve the local residents and it is a barrier between each neighborhood and Warden Woods resulting in the absence of proper use of Dentonia Park sports field located southwest of the golf course.

I propose a recreation park to promote healthy living by facilitating community interactions through implementing an intricate bike network, sports programming, and facilities that will help improve the health of the people, the environment, and the creek.

24

25

Park Size Comparison Study 26

Toronto Income Levels

Golf Course Catchment Area

Access to Green Spaces v.s. Income Levels

New Circulation connecting existing green spaces for both the environment and people

Proposed Active & Passive Areas 27

Fluffle Island Visual Storytelling Visual Communication Collaborated with Anh Luu

Castle Island, Boston In the year 3000, the spring season is the worst time of the year for all the islands on Earth. The moon’s gravitational pull has drastically increased the ocean tides causing many islands to be completely underwater for several months.

Castle Island, located in Boston, Massachusetts, was once an abandoned state prison infested with clovers attracting a large number of bunnies onto the island.

However, due to the shift in the moon’s gravitational pull, the drastic change of ocean tides has submerged the island and altered the ecosystem here. New corallike vegetation emerges that can survive both above and underwater. After two years after the change, only one bunny is left stranded on this island. The bunny has adapted to the new environment, with a better ability to swim, new found love for water vegetation, and has made friends with other water creatures.e During a full moon night, the gravitational force is the strongest, causing everything to submerge underwater except for the five towers of the fort. The new vegetation mutates creating a glowing aura under the moonlight, creating whimsical and magical nights on the island.

28

29

PERSONAL WORK

Tracealace Stationery Brand

Tracealace is a cute stationery and illustration brand that invites everyone to embrace the chaos of our inner child.

We believe that focusing on the chaotic things we believed as children can help us physically and mentally through life as we get older. Life can be hard sometimes. Although it is harder as we get older, we believe that as adults we can be in touch with our inner child chaos to help ignite our creativity. The goal is to create a community of creatives to help spread happiness, a sense of comfort and relief through design and illustrations.

31

Sticky Notes

32

Phone Charms

Greeting Cards

Waterproof Stickers

Wooden Stamp Woodcarving

33