Landscape Architect ( MLA )

MattDurning.

“I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.” Andy Warhol

Contents.

Personal Information

LincolnTownship [3rd year university]Masterplanning + Sustainable Design

TekapoTownship [4th year university]Small Township + Urban Design

ChristchurchCity [5th year university]Peak Oil + Urban Agriculture

Greening the Urban Environment [5th year university]Implementing greenery to the Central City

Meaning vs Non Meaning [5th year university]Memorial Design, Design theory

030510222832

Summary Contact Details

38

Personal Statement.

My main priority is to gain experience.I feel my strengths lie in creative problem solving and time management skills, I am proactive, dedicated and highly adaptable. I have a professional work ethic and the ability to manage multiple projects while remaining calm and focused. I am able to work on my own or as part of a team where I use initiative to develop effective solutions to problems. Furthermore, I am always seeking to learn and grow, all the while increasing my knowledge of the industry.

I feel my strengths also lie in the ability to sketch on command which I feel is a vital key when trying to communicate ideas while having an equally if not better compatibility using computer software which includes Photoshop, In-design, Vectorworks, AutoCAD , Sketch up and recently Revit.

Personal Info.Contact

17 O’Connell PlaceRedhillBrisbane 0410180787

Durning.Matthew @gmail.com 07January1988

Education NceaExcellence in DesignExcellence in Graphics

Bachelor of LandscapeArchitecture (hons)Undergraduate

Masters of Landscape ArchitecturePostgraduate

Interests

Drawing, Design, Photography,Music, Rugby,Cricket,Touch, Golf,

Awards

Vectorworks 2009

StudentAward

Leadership

2009 Student Rep for Sola. Students of Landscape Architecture

Employment.October 2008 – December 2008

G e h l A r c h i t e c t sUrban Design Strategies

The Study focused on the area bounded by Kilmore Street, St Asaph Street, Rolleston Avenue and Madras Street and considered how people used Christchurch’s Central City spaces, assessed the quality of these public spaces and how these could better sustain public life and create a better sense of community working along side Planners, Architects, Urban Designers and Landscape Architects.

September 2009 –November 2009

Christchurch City CouncilUrban Design Team

Worked on the Christchurch City Intensification Character study alongside the Design and Strategy Team where we analysed residential areas that held the potential or met the requirements of intensification. This involved mapping through the use of In-design and Photoshop and analysis skills regarding living zones 1,2 and 3.

February 2010 – June 2010

Di Lucas AssociatesLandscape Architects

Research strategy for Christchurch City, looking at how we can introduce greater greener into the urban environment. Looking specifically at elements such as green roofs, green walls, raingardens, permeable surfaces etc and how these green elements could be integrated into policy

Febuary 2010 –November 2010

Lincoln University School of Landscape Architecture

Teaching into numerous subjects which includes Lasc 108, Design Communications, an introduction to design on all levels and also Lasc 111 Computer Applications , in which my role was to teach the adobe software and also Sketchup and Vectorworks and how one can use these tools to better communicate their ideas. And I was privelleged enough to teach into Lasc 409 Major Design focussing on technique and technical aspects.

Febuary 2011 – Current

Gamble Mckinnon Green Landscape Architects

I joined Gamble Mckinnon Green at the start of 2011. I was immediatley thrown into large scale masterplanning design for the proposed westfield town centre in Coomera. Half way through the year RNA stage one was bought to life. This project was my main focus for the rest of the year, allowing me to see the design evolve from schematic design through to tender. One of my responsibilities at GMG was to help introduce new graphics into the office GMG has been an eye opener and a huge learning curve allowing me to work on 15+ projects throughout the year.

2011-2012 current projects with GMG

Coomera Town Centre MasterplanCoomera - Gold Coastmasterplanning

RNA Redevelopment Stage 1Fortitude Valley - Brisbanecommunity

ABC Studios SouthbankSouthbank - Brisbanecommercial

QUT Science and TechnologyGardens Point - Brisbaneinstitutional

Lincoln Township.

The project was designed in3 parts.

Part 1: Inventory and analysis which involved a group based project gather and analysis phase. This provided the base for subsequent design work and biophysical and cultural characteristics.

Part 2: Was also undertaken in groups which involved developing a sustainable landscape framework for the Lincoln Township.

Part 3: Was to be undertaken individually exploring a detailed development of a certain section of the township. My detailed area looked at the relationship between the major civic area, and also the major green/blue linkage that ran through the middle of the township known as the Liffey stream domain, and how the civic area could be developed in a sustainable manner while integrating the Liffey.

Lincoln Township Masterplan

Low income

Student high density

General high density

Elderly high density

Commercial residential high density

Mixed density

Medium density

Medium to low density

Community

Commercial

Schools

Daycare / early childhood

Neighbourhood

Community reserve

Wetlands

Drylands

Neighbourhood parks

Stormwater

Railtrail

Bus stops

Bus routes

Proposal.

School Proximity

Public Transport Systems

Pedestrian Networks

Bluewater Systems

Green Networks

Green Space Proximity

TekapoTownship.

The proposed design looks at celebrating Tekapo’s picturesque Landscape and recreational assets that currently lie uncelebrated. Tekapo’s landscape deserves more.

The idea behind the design is to create a consolidated village centre that acts as the heart of the township which acknowledges the night skies in a kind and interesting fashion and catering for a demographic of tourists through the likes of backpackers up to more luxury waterfront apartments.

TekapoTownship.

Contents

Introduction

Regional Context

Mackenzie Basin

Township Analysis

Village Centre Analysis

Geological

Climate

Night Skies

Ecological

Recreational

Landuse

Connectivity

Demographics

Cultural

Ephemeral

LandscapeCharacterisitcs

Benchmarking

Issues +Opportunities

Conceptual Proposal.

Major Interventions

Ephemeral Characteristics

Landscape Inspiration

Environmentally Responsive Connectivity Recreation Ecological connections Residential

Night Sky Abrasion Expansion Glacial Scars Synthesis Manipulation

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

The revitalisation of the town village

aims to bring people off State

Highway 8 and closer to the lakefront

to maximise the experience that Lake

Tekapo offers. Permeability of the

built form enables this while creating

a journey even more experimental

through small avenues and overhead

structures that complement and

contrast with the horizon of the

lake and the expansiveness of the

area. This is enhanced through small

transitional spaces that build attention

until you reach a transition zone of

awe. The incorporation of stormwater

management systems into the urban

area enhances the High Country feel.

Tussock scultpure,

night experience,

solar LEDs.

Framing the view,

views across the

lake

Footbridge, linking

Church of the good

shepperd to the

town village.

P e d e s t r i a n

underpath, star

gazing

Ephemeral

experience,

pedestrian axis

The urban detail design aims to produce

a number of spaces that will provide

personal enclosed areas alongside the

contrasting extensive and expansive areas

that express the vastness of the Mackenzie

Basin. The smaller personal courtyards

allow for more intimate experiences when

the climate is impacting on the more

expansive vulnerable spaces. The creation

of these smaller pockets allows for

enclosed sheltered areas that are accessed

through minor avenues that frame the

view of the landscape and horizon in the

distance. Small solar leds scattered around

the site create an exciting nighttime

experience that complements the night

sky above without detracting from the

sky’s clarity. Subtle changes in level create

a dynamic and interesting experience

down to the lake front, moving through

the climatic responsive tussock planting

which adds to the dynamic landscape

whilst contrasting with the azure lake.

Intimate Courtyard,

Outdoor Fire , winter

season

Urban high country

Stormwater system,

natural play area

Pedestrian friendly

main street. Slow

zone

Tussock lakeside

promenade.

dynamic movement

through wind and

vegetation

Cross section B:B

Cross section A:A

With Tekapo having such a rich and

outstanding landscape, the material

palette does not need to be complex.

A simplistic approach with a limited

palette will not detract from the beautiful

surrounding landscape. The materials

used such as Corten steel, glass, hardwood,

and local stone all articulate a certain

character that is dominant to the area such

as infrastructure, the lake and its power to

reflect, the ecology and introduction of

pine and the glacial abrasion character of

the Mackenzie Basin.

Local Stone.

Concrete, Abrasion.

Hardwood.

Corten Steel.

Glass.

Promenade Seat Detail

Light Detail.

Urban Street, Seating.

Street Scene, Cattle Stop.

Balustrade Detail.

Cultural Identity

Glacial Abrasion

Sustainability

Man vs LandscapeInfastructure

ReflectionLake Views.

Local Stone.

Corten Steel.

Light Detail.

Street Scene, Cattle Stop.

Solar Panel Lighting Detail

Lakeside Strategy. The lakefront planting strategy aims to emphasise the natural but complementary contrast of the azure blue of Lake Tekapo with the surrounding burnt orange of the Mackenzie Basin. The array of grasses selected will provide that burnt orange colouring, which is such a dominant characteristic of the area. The grasses also provide a dynamic feature as they move dramatically

in the wind to create an expansive and extensive space that reacts with the environment through movement and colour. Carex buchananii pale carex ,Carex comans brown tussock carex ,Carex coriacea rautahi ,Carex decurtata small stiff carex ,Carex flaviformis yellow carex ,Carex secta makura ,Chionochloa rigida stiff snowgrass ,Chionochloa rubra red tussock ,Chionochloa

rubra ssp. cuprea ,Chionochloa rubra x C. rigida hybrid snowgrass ,Festuca novae-zelandiae hard tussock ,Poa novae-zelandiae mountain poa

Urban Environment. The urban environment will portray the strong ephemeral qualities of Tekapo through the expressive bronze and gold colourings of autumn to the fresh green and purple colourings of spring. The mix of native and exotic species expresses the influence of man on the surrounding landscape. The mix of tussock running through the urban environment maintains the high country character while managing stormwater in an interesting and natural high country system. The exotic deciduous species provide the strong contrast while also being able to endure

the extreme temperatures of Tekapo. They allow shading in the summer and heat in the winter.

Carex buchananii pale carex Carex comans brown tussock carex Chionochloa rigida stiff snowgrass Chionochloa rubra red tussock Chionochloa rubra ssp. cuprea Leptospermum scoparium manuka Nothofagus menziesii Silver beech Nothofagus solan-

dri var. cliffortioides mountain beech Plagianthus regius ribbonwood Podocarpus nivalis snow totara Sophora microphylla kowhai

Residential Strategy. Vegetation plays a large role in reducing the impact of built form on the strong natural landscape of Tekapo, maintaining the untouched character of the region. The built form should appear to mould into the landscape in a natural way, which can be expressed through the use of vegetation. This is achieved through the use of grasses around the base of the structure to soften the hard materials and the use of native beeches and microphylas to buffer the views from surrounding areas. The use of beech forest will help link residential areas to the green belt, which connects the whole township.

Carex buchananii Carex comans Chionochloa rigida Chionochloa rubra Chionochloa rubra ssp. cuprea Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides Plagianthus regius Podocarpus nivalis Sophora microphylla Podocarpus nivalis

Greenbelt Strategy

The greenbelt strategy aims to connect the whole township and manage growth through the re introduction of native beech forest which will be integrated into the existing pine forest located to the east and west of the township. The green belt will integrate cycle and walking tracks that link into the proposed green and blue networks throughout the township.

Native beech species will enhance the alpine village feel adding to the amenity of the area.

Waterways Strategy. With Tekapo being situated in a natural amphitheatre, stormwater and snowmelt tend to run through residential and urban areas. The enhancement of these areas, in conjunction with green networks and pedestrian walkways, can be beautified through vegetation which will also slow runoff and reduce erosion and flooding. The planting is important in terms of manag-ing the stream channel, slowing water rates to decrease erosion, filter sediment to help clean the river which will in turn increase biodiversity.

Visual Representation Planting Plan 1:200. Pedestrian Promenade / Axis

Urban Agriculture.

Commuting by private vehicle has a life span of 10 to 30 years under the most optimistic assumptions, before rising energy costs make the practice unattainable for all but the wealthiest. New Zealand currently has enough oil to last for less than two years at current rates of use. These factors will require significant reordering of life in much of the developed world and Christchurch is no exception. While it will be a great challenge to remove the automobile from the city, it will also be a great opportunity.

The site is located for the Moorehouse, Colombo and Madras block which includes the old train station. The proposal looks at creating an urban agricultural site mixed with an urban civic space, which will not only become a hub for transport and agriculture but also civic life.

Urban Agriculture.

Overview.

The Christchurch City Plan aims to increase the city center’s population from the current 2000 to 30,000 by the year 2041, possibly jeopardising the Garden City character that Christchurch lives up to. The increase in population will create a livelier town centre, but will it be an attractive town centre? At present there is no strategy as to how we can green the city to make it more attractive for visitors and the people who dwell there.

This study aims to review the current City Plan regarding the greening component for the city. This study will review methods from around the world on urban greening and how we can incorporate greening methods into the city.

This research shows the potential methods of how the city can be greened. It emphasises the need for proposing holistic green interventions in order to achieve significant contributions towards improving existing urban environments. However, the research highlights the need for a more in-depth study of how Christchurch can incorporate greening methods into policy.

As a result, the research focuses directly on what existing methods are currently used in Christchurch and what potential methods could be incorporated into the city whilst giving insight into how other international cities have incorporated these elements into building regulations.

The research methodology is undertaken in 3 sections - policy analysis, critique and comparative case studies. By undertaking policy analysis first, it will allow me to gain an understanding of Christchurch’s current situation in regard to ‘greening’. This knowledge will allow me to go on and critique the current methods used in Christchurch. From here I will analyse a number of case studies from around the world, which in the end will allow me to make a number of recommendations for Christchurch.

Objective One.Identify the benefits of introducing green elements to the central city and how these green elements affect the city on a biophysical, physiological, social and economical scale.

Objective Two.Identify the existing elements that contribute to the green character of the central city. This includes an analysis of policies set in place by the Christchurch City Council under the City Plan and other city council documents such as the Open space Strategy, The Central City Revitilisation strategy and recently published Public life study produced by Gehl Architects.

Objective Three.Identify greening methods on an international scale; how they have been incorporated into the urban setting and policy and the benefits they have on their surroundings.

Objective Four.Using the methods learned from international cities and applying these examples to Christchurch Central City providing a number of recommendations.

Overview Importance of Green Christchurch Analysis Christchurch Policy Analysis

Unwieldy Process of Research

Greening Methods Implementing to Policy Recommendations for Christchurch

Future ResearchLandscape Management Plan that looks specifically at the maintenance and survival of the green elements introduced. This document would require each new development to maintain its green environment in a healthy manner and also to replace any damaged or dead green elements or otherwise face certain penalties.

The landscape is drenched in memory. Everywhere we turn there are memorials to people and events: informal and formal: grand and humble. Memories are recorded in place names, monuments, trees and park benches. Entire landscapes are dedicated to the need for remembrance. Landscapes of memory reveal much more about the culture that made them and their values and beliefs. For landscape Architects a heightened awareness of the role of memory in culture provides a significant opportunity for the creation of meaningful landscapes (Bowring 2000).

The proposed designs aim to create two memorials for the Columbia space shuttle disaster in which 7 astronauts died on their re-entry from space. One designs look at embedding meaning into the landscape, and the other trying to avoid meaning.

Meaning vs. Non Meaning

Embedding meaning in the landscape

The design aims to have layers of meaning, some

more explicit than others. Depending on the

individual, one may only understand certain

levels of meaning depending on their cultural

background.

The journey of the memorial starts through a

narrow, dark tunnel until one is confronted with

an opening, light and expansiveness, symbolic of

the journey from the darkness and uncertainty of

space through the re-entering of the atmosphere.

One is then confronted with the decision to

either walk out over the memorial to gain a

better perspective and faced with a floating like

sensation, the horizon and infinity. Or alternatively

to walk down to the 7 sculptures which symbolises

the 7 astronauts who died for a more personal

experience. At this point one can learn about the

7 astronauts and who they were in further more

literal detail.

Each sculpture is large in scale to symbolise their

respect and recognition from a social perspective.

The large objects are embedded in the landscape

as if they have dropped from the sky which is

emphasized by the rippling effect of the undulating

landforms around each sculpture.

Avoiding Meaning in the Landscape

The main idea draws from humankinds natural instinct

to be curious, and that sometimes to be curious we

have to step outside of our comfort zone to achieve the

impossible, for the 7 astronauts it was their curiosity

that lead them into space.

The abstract shape draws not from any symbolism but

from the form of curiosity, a number of interesting and

enticing corners. by becoming an enigma, it resists

being emptied of meaning. In abstract expression, the

meaning is smothered by personal expressionism. In

stead of meaning, we have meaningfulness. The very

name abstract expressionism suggests that something

be expressed, that some content has survived, (Robert

2000)

The shape itself is not visible from above the landscape,

only a small number of visual cues to entice curiosity.

The entrance to the object expresses a sense of

uncertainty, a sense of unknowing what’s around

the bend, a journey into the darkness, into the night.

Eugene Minkowski raises the idea that “Isn’t it necessary,

perchance, to turn our eyes toward this concept of the

night/darkness, “it covers me completely, it penetrates

my whole being, it touches me in a much more

intimate way than the clarity of visual space.” (Cataldi

1993) Reiterating that connection between darkness

and curiosity.

Contact

Address: 17 O’Connell Place RedhillBrisbane Australia Phone: Nz : 0410180787

Email: Durning.Matthew @Gmail.com

D.O.B 07January1988