PORTFOLIO XANTHE FITZGERALD
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | UNSW | 2024
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands, waters and skies across Australia, and recognise their ongoing connection to all landscapes. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge this always has, and always will be Aboriginal land
“Our stories are in the land... they are written in those sacred places.” Ngadjonji Elder, Murra Murra
Pg 4-5
Pg 6-13
01 02 03 04
Pg 14-17
ABOUT ME
Personal Statement
Resume
Pg 18-20
LANDSCAPE STUDIO PROJECTS
The Danube Re-Enchanted | Year 3, T3, LAND2333
Interwoven Landscapes | Year 3, T2, LAND2312
Cycleangelo | Year 2, T2, LAND2202
HAND DRAWING LANDSCAPE
To Dapple, Vegetation & Transition | Year 1, T3, LAND2102
Herbarium | Year 1, Term 3, LAND2152
DOCUMENTATION
Documentation Set | Year 2, T1, LAND2271
Detail Documentation | Year 2, T2, LAND2272
ABOUT ME
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I’m Xanthe, a third-year undergraduate student of landscape architecture at UNSW, moving into my final year of studies. I have always had a spark for creativity, through art classes, and painting and scrapbooking in my spare time. I found a passion for design in high school, completing my major work for wood tech. Initially planning to pursue industrial design at UNSW, a visit to an open day led me to the landscape architecture stall. After learning about the impact landscape architecture can have, I found my eyes lighting up. I was captivated by the idea of working with the environment, not only in Australia, but around the world. The next year I found myself exploring this newfound passion starting classes at UNSW in Landscape Architecture.
Throughout the degree, I have gained foundational skills in landscape architecture practice whilst discoverity areas where my passion lies. I have always enjoyed research and learning and have found myself drawn to learning about connecting with country respectfully through design. Working with local communities and cultures and researching correct practices in designing with country have become central to my design process. Additionally, research in coastal design strategies and the prevention of coastal erosion has been another passion of mine, especially as someone who grew up in close proximity to the beach. Although we have not had the opportunity to design coastal towns in studio, I hope to continue to develop this research and passion I have in future professional practice.
Outside of my studies, I am deeply involved in, and love playing sport. I play high level basketball in the NSW league, and am part of UNSW’s elite athlete program, playing and co-captaining the UNSW basketball team. I love being outdoors whether at the beach or walking coastal and bush trails, and when indoors, i enjoy reading, painting and scrapbooking. I also love to travel, and had the opportunity to live in Rome for 6 months on exchange in my second year of studies which was a life-changing experience and the best thing I have ever done.
My portfolio showcases my journey and passion as an aspiring landscape architect and the fundamental skills I have gained so far. I hope you enjoy this collection of work, and I look forward to hearing from you!
RESUME
EXPERIENCE
Nursery Work:
Watagan Nursery
May - August 2023
Student Ambassador:
ACHIEVEMENTS
PLAN2002: GIS & Urban Informatics
Relevance to City Strategy Award
UNSW Basketball Club 2024 & 2025 Club President
Arts, Design & Architecture UNSW
January - November 2024
Peer Mentoring:
PLAN2002: GIS & Urban Informatics UNSW
September - December 2024
Retail Work:
Foodworks Supermarket Springfield 2019 - Present
Sports Coach (Netball & Basketball):
Central Coast Grammar School
2020 - Present
EDUCATION
University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Hons)
2021-present
71.5 WAM
Sapienza University of Rome
UNSW Exchange Program
September 2022 - March 2023
Central Coast Grammar School
K-12, 2005-2019
High School Certificate 2019
92.95 ATAR
2022-2024 UniSport Nationals Team 2024 University Basketball League Team
Central Coast Grammar School 92.95 ATAR School Prefect
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Sports (Basketball and AFL)
University, Representative (NSW Waratah League) & Social Basketball Social team AFL
Travelling Travelled around Europe on Exchange Road trips around Australia Plants & Gardening
Reading Painting & Scrapbooking
z5312678@student.unsw.edu.au xfitzgerald5441@gmail.com
Phone 0488 009 770
The Danube Re-Enchanted
LAND2333 - Studio 7
Year 3 | Term 3
The Danube River in Hungary is a connector of culture, place and people, holding stories of the landscape and the past. The vision for this project is to revitalize the cycleway along the Danube, transforming it into a beautiful, flowing landscape that allows people to travel and create their own experiences and narratives with each journey.
While the primary goal of Danube Re-enchanted is to rejuvenate the existing cycleway, the addition of a green belt along the pathway will enhance the journey through framing the landscape and viewpoints. This green belt will connect fragmented vegetated areas, boosting biodiversity, and serve as a boundary around urban sprawl, curbing outward growth and preserving the heritage and character of key growth hubs.
The journey will connect Budapest to Esztergom, flowing through Szentendre and Vac, guiding people through vibrant areas rich in culture, art, history and landscape. Each town along the route holds its own unique charm and heritage, offering a deep connection to the past of the region, whilst creating a new present experience. Transitional spaces along the route will immerse users in lush landscapes, creating seamless connection to the Danube.
TO ENCHANT!
“Readers make stories their own, through experience, interpretation, memory & landscape” - Potteiger & Purinton (1998)
TO REPAIR... TO FLOW... TO WEAVE... TO ENCLOSE...
TO ROLL...
Exploring layers of history and landscape... shaping new experiences
Moving through landscape and time...
Flowing in harmony with the Danube...
Enclosing Urban Sprawl...
Interwoven Landscapes
LAND2312 - Studio 6
Year 3 | Term 2
This project envisions Austral as a place where all systems of landscape, wildlife, and human life exist in harmony, creating an interconnected community. The design focuses on enhancing sustainable housing and improving access to public transportation, all while fostering a strong connection between residents and the surrounding natural landscape.
A key component of the design is the restoration of Kemps Creek and public green spaces, facilitating connections to waterways and the broader environment. This approach aims to increase biodiversity throughout the site, ensuring a vibrant, thriving ecosystem.
‘Interwoven
Site Plan 1:10,000 @ A1
Streetscape Section 1:200 @ A3 Landscape Transition Section 1:500 @ A3
Perspective: Transportation Transitions
Cycleangelo
LAND2202 - Studio 4
Year 2 | Term 2
The vision for the re-design of Bradfield Park North seeks to reimagine cycling as an art form and transform the park into a vibrant work of art that draws visitors in. Inspired by the proposed Har-bour Bridge Cycleway, the question arose: how can we create an engaging and iconic space that welcomes people on and off such a monumental landmark?
Through introducing a sculpture garden inspired by the work of local artist Ken Done, Bradfield Park is transformed into a dynamic, colorful space that brightens the city, stimulates the senses, and sparks creativity. The park encourages users to view life as an artwork itself.
Sculptures based on Done’s ‘Sydney Harbour 1988’ invite performance cyclists to express them-selves on the artwork, while both slow and fast bike lanes from the bridge and adjoining cy-cleways encourage interaction and observation. Bright native plantings further enliven the park, lining the grassy areas and creating peaceful places of rest and refuge amid the energy of cyclists. ‘Ride, rest and explore in Sydney’s own Wonderland’
Section: Cycleangelo Transitions
03DRAWING
Herbarium Sketches
LAND2152 - Plants&Design
Year 1 | Term 3
Plants and design was my gateway course into plant identification and thoughtful selection of species that enhance spaces and engage people.
Creating a herbarium allowed me to explore a wide range of native plant species, gaining an understanding of their form, features, character and suitability for differing design contexts. Through hand-drawing these plants, I was able to visually express their unique qualities, from character, to color and texture and developed a love for native species through this process (my favorite plant is the kangaroo paw).
This knowledge and research have influenced all my designs since, where my planting choices have been carefully considered to be both native to the site and bring a vibrancy and energy into the space. My plant selections aim to bring life to spaces and invite visitors to interact with and appreciate the natural environment around them, along with its native flora.
To Dapple Vegetation & Transition
LAND2102 - Studio 3
Year 1 | Term 3
The vision for Wareamah, inspired by Richard Serra’s verb list, seeks to cast dappled light across the landscape through implementation vegetated art structures and abundant plantings. The aim of the vegetated arbors aim is twofold: to enhance the site’s greenery, reducing solar exposure and heat increases, and creating inviting spaces of refuge where people can gather and engage with the natural environment and site history.
These structures will honor the sites history of the site using Corten steel whilst integrating native plants and climbers to elevate the aesthetic value of the structures. The arbors’ curved form will reflect the connection between land and sea, symbolizing the essential role of water on site through design.
LAND2271 & 2272
Documentation 1 & 2
Year 2 | Term 1 & 2
Landscape documentation played an integral role in my development as a landscape architect, teaching me how to communicate conceptual designs with technical accuracy, both at the landscape plan level and in detailing individual site elements. It allowed me to refine my concepts into a professional suite of work.
Throughout two terms, I focused on key documentation areas such as landform, grading, planting and materiality, alongside design details, focused on ergonomics and considered materiality choices.
03ANALYSIS Documentation Sets & Details
The work presented in this two-page highlights a selection of my projects from the two terms, including a grading plan, planting plan, and detailed designs for various construction elements.
