updated design portfolio

designPORTFOLIORachel Watson

undergraduate and graduate selected work

Rachel WatsonUniversity of PennsylvaniaMaster of Landscape Architecture (second professional degree) expected May 2014

Syracuse UniversityBachelor of ArchitectureMinor in Art History

The following examples of work have been selected with the intention of displaying a variety of scales, locations and contexts of projects to date. I seek to constantly update this collection of work and expand upon my interests in mitigating ecological issues with design.

Selected Works

C O N T E N T S

Fog Harvesterdesign collaboration with T. Marboe and B. Williamsundergraduate

Liminal Groundrepurposed dredge material located in Biscayne Bay, Miami, FLgraduate

Aquatic Fitness and Therapy Complexarchitecture thesis project located in Bridgeport, CTundergraduate

03

17

35

Regional Rail Eco-Parklinear park located underneath the regional rail in Philadelphia, PAgraduate

29

Olympic Park Eco-Spinedesign collaborative city planning studiograduate

23

45Undergraduate Selected Images

47Resume

Las Vegas Re-Loadredesign of public space of the Venetian Hotel and Casino, project design to dategraduate

09

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Transcontinental access through maritime shipping routes creates an interconnected global network. But how can this accessibility effect smaller communities in need of basic necessities such as food, water and shelter?Currently, 4 out of 10 people worldwide have no access to clean water or must walk to retrieve it. Many of those whom retrieve the water are women and children.

PROJECT SOLUTION:Traditional fog collectors are tall,vertical structures with set dimensions and parameters. The proposed fog collector is a tent-like structure that engages the community through the stages of construction, water collection and growing of crop material. The density of the fabric pattern changes depending on the type of crop, amount of water and light needed.

PROGRAM:Fog collector, pavilion, agriculture

FOGHARVESTERp u c u s a n a , p e r u

03 fog harvesterr. watson

HARVESTER

04fog harvesterr. watson


variation of a hyperbolic paraboloid

Fog hits the mesh and the liquid droplets fall down the material. Open-ings allows fog to pass through structure but are eventually caught the material. The fog that passes through gap can be caught be crops/trees grown in the agricultural area.

Location MappingPucusana, Peru is a small fishing town located approximately 44 miles south of the capital city of Lima.

Fog hits the mesh and the liquid droplets fall down the hydrophobic material. The water is captured and falls down the material into a trough or falls directly onto vegetation.

MESH DESIGN

MESH DESIGN

MESH DESIGN

WIND VELOCITY STUDIES

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

SECTION 5

SECTION 6

SECTION 9

Unrolled Surface

Mesh Pattern

Fabrication Rendering

Mesh Density Wind Velocity over Mountain Range



CONFIGURATIONharvester


The interior perspective depicts how different plant types can grow inside the fog harvester. The harvester becomes a system for agriculture, infrastructure, culture and education.

LAS VEGASRE-LOADl a s v e g a s , n v

Spring 2014 / Jerry Van Eyck

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The Las Vegas Strip, an approximately 4.2 mile stretch, is striving to become a pedestrianized boulevard akin to Champs Elysees in Paris. But the strip was not designed for people, it was designed for vehicles. How can the scale of the Strip be reduced to accommodate to the 40million visitors that traverse the Strip every year?

PROJECT SOLUTION:The Venetian Hotel and Casino built in 1999 is part of the largest integrated casino resort in the world joined to the Palazzo Hotel and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Its full scale architectural replicas and details of iconic buildings from Venice . How can the Venetian public space be rebranded and recontextualized to adapt to changing trends in hotel-casino design?

PROGRAM:Plaza, pavilion, cafe, retail

venetian hotel

design work in progress09 las vegas reloadr. watson

RE-LOAD

RESEARCHinitial My initial research drew me to explore the presence of theme along the Las Vegas Strip to track the changing hotel casino trends. The mapping exercise revealed that theme was a major attraction for families in the late 90s but in the 2000s theme was no longer an attractor and now hotel-casino want to attract the upscale business traveler. This changing trend can be seen in the $2billion spent on new hotels and renovations in 2013. While the Venetian Hotel and Casino has not been renovated since 2003.

11 las vegas reloadr. watson

1955 - 1968 1989 - 1993 1996 - 1999 2003 - 2009

themeno themeremoving theme

Disparate Zones Circulation and Dead Zones Vehicular Circulation Main Promenade

Venetian Hotel Public Space Looking from Rialto Bridge

14las vegas reloadr. watson

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+


16las vegas reloadr. watson

Fall 2013 / Karen MCloskey

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The majority of Biscayne Bay in Miami consist of manufactured edges . How can manufactured edges respond to sea level rise, habitat loss and access to public space? Watson Island has the potential to become a liminal ground that adapts to current and future conditions.

PROJECT SOLUTION:The Deep Dredge Project for the Port of Miami looks to dredge the bay from -40 to -52 to accommodate for Super Post Panamax cargo ships. Currently the dredge is dumped offshore at an EPA designated site. Watson Island becomes a staging and demonstration ground for the beneficial usage of dredge spoils (limestone, gravel, sand and silt). And how these sediment types can create human activity and foster vegetation growth.

PROGRAM:urban park, dredge spoil island, boardwalk

LIMINALGROUNDm i a m i , f l o r i d a

restructuring the dredging process

17 olympic park eco-spiner. watson

GROUNDrestructuring the dredging process

18liminal groundr. watson

WET SEASON

DRY SEASON

SEDIMENT VARIATION

limestonegravelsandsilt

sun bathingbeach sports

palm tree alley

vehicle corridor

seaplane corridor

wetland creation

community vegetable gardenbrocoli,cucumbers, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes

water taxi stop

boat dock

heavy machinery corridor

inland beachswimmingwater sports

aquafarming

seagrass transplanting

LGSSL

SG

G

S

LSL

LSLS

G

SG

LL

SL

Sediment Encoding

6ft Sea Level RiseApproximately the year 2100, the majority of Miami Beach and many of the islands in Biscayne Bay are underwater.

Manufactured EdgesThe location of the manufactured edges have different conditions such as a connection to a non-flooded edge or the a possible dredge spoil island.

Post-Fill Site Plan


water taxi stop

21 liminal groundr. watson

Pre-Fill Construction Post-Fill

existing watson island edge

partially submerged tube

sediment distribution tube

sediment distribution tube

primary circulation loop

boardwalk

grasslanderodedlimestone

Sediment and Landscape Condition Section

tidal saltwater marsh


4ft Sea Level Rise 6ft Sea Level Rise

dredge spoil island for habitat creation

governors cut

vegetation growth

submerged condition

sand dune

OLYMPIC PARKECO-SPINEbeijing,china

Spring 2013 / Evan Rose + Stefan Al

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, ushered the developing megacity onto the world stage but five years later the site has become a shell of its former glory. The legacy plan for the park does not respond to the human scale and the public realm. And even though major investments were made in transportation expansion, the city today still faces unprecedented urban expansion and the environmental challenges that accompany that urbanization such as water scarcity, air pollution, lack of open space and food scarcity.

PROJECT SOLUTION:The revitalized canal becomes an eco-spine that is inspired by the traditional structure of the hutong. This eco-spine connects the existing Forest Park to the Olympic Green and transforms the park into a self-sustaining model for the rest of Beijing.

PROGRAM:Formal park, greenhouse, biome, productive landscape, museums, research park


OLYMPIC PARKECO-SPINE

24olympic park eco-spiner. watson

water

Groundwater Table Level

Proposed Peninsula Museum

ISSUE

existing canal at Olympic Park vacant lots adjacent to Science and Technology Museum

0m

12m

24m

2002

2012


SOLUTIONlandscape The landscape solution involves removing the concrete lining of the existing canal to allow groundwater to infiltrate into the groundwater table. All new development will be connected to the canal for a closed loop system. Along the canal there will be different conditions for activity and plant growth. Native trees that are drought and pollution tolerant are placed on the site.

Ecological Landscapes

Productive Landscapes

Blue + Green Infrastructures

Community Open Spaces

Transitional Landscapes

Landscapes that capture and treat stormwater + greywater

Detention PondsConstructed WetlandLiving MachineSwales

Landscapes that generate food and provide education

Urban FarmGreenhouseHydroponics

Provide a protected habitat for biodiverse species

Spaces that are used for recreation and social gatherings

Temporary landscapes that clean soil and allow for new lanscapes

Playing FieldsPlazasFormal ParkExhibition SpacePavilionRecreation and Fitness

Nature ParksDemonstration + Research

Remediation FieldsMulti-Functional Space

TYPE

PRO

GRAM

PERF

ORM

ANCE

wet meadow terraced terraced + boardwalk boardwalk

white poplar london planetree chinese juniper scholar tree goldenrain tree

Populus alba Plantanus x acerifolia Juniperus chinensis Sophora japonica Koelreuteria paniculata

Terraced lawn for excessive water catchment

Extended Boardwalk

Unchannelized existing canal with extended boardwalk


REGIONAL RAILECO-PARKphiladelphia,pa

Fall 2012 / Lucinda Sanders

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Girard Avenue is a perceived barrier between neighborhood identities and between North Philadelphia and Center City. The perception creates the notion of where Philadelphia ends. The active, elevated regional rail is an infrastructural barrier running north-south. While Girard Avenue itself is a strong commercial and transportation corridor, underneath and adjacent to the regional rail are vacant and underutilized parcels and buildings.

PROJECT SOLUTION:The Regional Rail Ecological Park utilizes different methods of collecting, treating and distributing water. A primary pedestrian pathway connects these different systems. The park becomes a lowline that eventually connects to development of the Reading Viaduct.

PROGRAM: Ecological park, agricultural fields, greenhouses, research centers and commercial development

REGIONAL RAILECO-PARK

30regional rail eco-parkr. watson

CENTERS

GREENHOUSES

AGRICULTURAL

RECREATION

research center 5000sf

distribution center 8000sf

visitor center 2000sf (3)

transit center 2500sf

nursery 6000sf

hydroponic 6500sf

conservatory 4000sf

orchard 500sf per tree commercial

community garden 400sfmultiple

soccer 5400sf

baseball 11430sf max.

basketball 3700sf

ice skating 5000sf max.

swimming 5000sf max.

rain garden

cistern

stormwater pond

living machine

constructed wetland

canal

Park Acreage_ approx. 121

orchard 100sf per tree backyard

PRO

GR

AM

SQU

AR

E FOO

TAG

ES

WATER

SYSTEMS_SIZES VA

RY

Actors

31 regional rail eco-parkr. watson

Collection/Irrigation

Plant Material

Growing Medium

Framework Wall

Living walls are basically hydroponic sys-tems. The water flows internally from panel to panel. Requires the most maintenance.

Plant selection depends on sunlight, space and water access.Many vegtables have grown successfully on lving walls such as tomatoes, peppers and lettuce.

Soil delivers moisture to plant material and contains nutrients.

Attaches to structural wall and supports growing medium and plantings

comprises of irrigation air filtration system and structure.

Lead

s to s

econ

dary

colle

ction

tank

ANALYSISprogram


COLLECTION

TREATMENT

DISTRIBUTION

PRIM

ARY

INFR

AST

RU

CTU

RE:

WAT

ER

PRO

GR

AM

TYP

OLO

GY

rainw

ater h

arvest

er

cister

nmic

ro hyd

ropow

er

green

roof

living

wall

renten

tion b

asin

green

street

s

constr

ucted

wetlan

d

canal

living

machi

ne

M=5,000ft2

S

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Fairmount Park and Rail

Girard College Girard College SEPTA rail

Broad Street Germantown Avenue

Market Frankford Line

I 95

Section AAgathering space community orchard

community garden

REGIONAL RAIL ECOLOGICAL PARK_infrastructure as catalyst

Existing Ground Figure

Existing Figure Ground

Proposed Ground Figure

Precedents

Delancey Underground,NYC

The Ecorium ProjectToronto Underpass Park

St. Louis Iron Horse Trestle

Vacancy Condition

Actors_Education and Community

Vacancy + Division Vacancy + Reactivation

Transportation_Corridors Water Flow

Poplar trees and low height plants for stormwater filtration and metal removal

Poplar trees and low height grasses for stormwater filtration

Submerged aquatic plants Aquatic reed plants Tertiary water catchment area, used for

aquaponics and new habitat for migratory birds

BARR

IERB

ARRI

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Fairmount Park and Rail

Girard College Girard College SEPTA rail

Broad Street Germantown Avenue

Market Frankford Line

I 95

Section AAgathering space community orchard

community garden

REGIONAL RAIL ECOLOGICAL PARK_infrastructure as catalyst

Existing Ground Figure

Existing Figure Ground

Proposed Ground Figure

Precedents

Delancey Underground,NYC

The Ecorium ProjectToronto Underpass Park

St. Louis Iron Horse Trestle

Vacancy Condition

Actors_Education and Community

Vacancy + Division Vacancy + Reactivation

Transportation_Corridors Water Flow

The collection, treatment and distribution of water both stormwater and wastewater are essential to the functioning of the ecological park. Each water system is connected by a canal that eventually culminates in an underground cistern.

Beginning with the northern section of the park, a terraced constructed wetland (pictured to the right) treats wastewater from the nearby residential neighborhood and hospital. In the middle of the park, a series of stormwater ponds and living machines treat stormwater and greywater.


undergraduateTHESISFall 2011 - Spring 2012 / Vasilena Vassilev + Anne Munly

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:Aging water infrastructure and dwindling water resources is major problem for many developing cities. But since the water infrastructure is buried underground, there is a out of sight, out of mind mentality. How can people be Confronted with the processes of water systems? And how can these processes be more evident in our daily lives?

PROJECT SOLUTION:Steel Pointe Harbor in Bridgeport,CT is a post industrial peninsula that was a former steel mill. Situated near major cities such as New York City and other major coastal cit-ies in Connecticut, Steel Pointe has the ability to reduce reliability on other water resources and utilize Long Island Sound, a saltwater water body. Passive desalination relies on natural systems since tradi-tional desalination is expensive and is not energy efficient. The complex embraces the process of passive desalina-tion while simultaneously generating a new space where people are confronted by water infrastructure and are allowed to interact with it.

PROGRAM: Aquatic fitness and therapy complex,passive desalination center, agricultural fields, park and beach front

35 aquatic therapy and fitness complexr. watson

AQUATIC FITNESSAND THERAPY b r i d g e p o r t , c t

[re]claiming water infrastructure through hybridization

36aquatic therapy and fitness complexr. watson

RESEARCHinitial My initial research drew me to explore options of how people interact with water infrastructure such as ancient aqueducts, modern aqueducts and wastewater treatment facilities. And looking at the historical context at which water infrastructure took on the quality of out of sight, out of mind. And I concluded that since there is a negative connotation of water infrastructure being unsanitary and ugly. But there are instances of more successful water infrastructure such as the stepwells in India and Pakistan (pictured below) had a strong role in the daily lives of people, being both a ritual, necessity and gathering space. Hybrid programming was essential to developing water infrastructure as an important part of daily life.


Site Photograph Hybrid and Genetic Coding Diagram

38aquatic therapy and fitness complexr. watson100 year floodProposed terracing to respond to flooding, buildable area in white

Wind Rose DiagramPrevailing winds from SW

Parks and Vacant Lots

Existing Site Proposed Site Bus hub, rail stop, and ferry stop

180

90

30

60

120

150

180

90

3060

120

150

1782.8111

Ramp up to entrance plaza

reverse osmosis desalination plant

locker room

cistern

locker room

thermal bath

ramp up to olympic pool and park

sauna

private float pool

thermal bath

Ground Floor Plan_ 1/32 = 1

Below Grade Plan_ 1/32 = 1

Desalination Wall Perspective

Cross Section

Systems Section

Long Section

mesh surface panel system

clear plastic pipes

double facade systemsraised floor system


A. thermal bath

B. desalination plant

C. cistern

D. greenhouse nursery

E. indoor water park

F. living wall

G. water wall

A.

B.C.

D.

E.

F. G.


Thermal Bath Sectional Perspective

Seawater Intake

Pretreatment

Pump

Membrane

Post-treatment

Delivery to the City

Brine DisposalOutlet back to Sea

desalination wall

SWSystems Section_ 1/4= 1

clear plastic pipes

vertical living wall

water wall reverse osmosis desalination

water cisternraised floor system

nursery_phytoremediation plants

porous concrete pavers

rainwater collection

water channel indoor water park double facade systemolympic size swimming poolhyperaccumulator zone_pine

market space_ brine re-usebus route

pipe to desalination plant pipe to water cistern + filter

DESALINATIONpassiveThe process of desalination conducted in large facilities require an enormous amount of energy and expense. While passive desalination, uses a natural process provided by the prevailing wind current and temperature to extract salt from saltwater. The primary structure for this separation is a membrane fabric, which also helps treat the saltwater. The Aquatic Fitness and Therapy Complex implements a membrane fabric on southwestern facade, which faces the prevailing winds and the eastern membrane fabric is used as a living wall.

Desalination Process


desalination wall

SWSystems Section_ 1/4= 1

clear plastic pipes

vertical living wall

water wall reverse osmosis desalination

water cisternraised floor system

nursery_phytoremediation plants

porous concrete pavers

rainwater collection

water channel indoor water park double facade systemolympic size swimming poolhyperaccumulator zone_pine

market space_ brine re-usebus route

pipe to desalination plant pipe to water cistern + filter

Membrane

Saline Water

Brine

DrawSolution

DrawSolution Recovery

ProductWater

POROUS

Dense Thin Film Composite

Symmetric Asymmetric

Movement of saltwater through membrane Membrane pattern configuration


Sunflower Field

Porous Concrete Pavers

Masonry Retaining Wall

Rapeseed Field

Landscape Detail_ 1/2= 1

Cross Section_ 1/8= 1

Long Section_ 1/8= 1

Summer

EquinoxWinter

Long Section_ 1/32 = 1

Bridgeport Train Terminal

Pequonnock River

Interstate 95

Existing oil drums Re-used for phytoremediation disposal

water channel to pond ritual foot washing station

water channel to foor washing station

cistern water storage for greenhouse

private float pool

therapy pool thermal bath

ferry route stop

wave energy bouys

water channel to outdoor thermal bath

Thermal Bath Perspective43 aquatic therapy and fitness complexr. watson

Sunflower Field

Porous Concrete Pavers

Masonry Retaining Wall

Rapeseed Field

Landscape Detail_ 1/2= 1

Cross Section_ 1/8= 1

Long Section_ 1/8= 1

Summer

EquinoxWinter

Long Section_ 1/32 = 1

Bridgeport Train Terminal

Pequonnock River

Interstate 95

Existing oil drums Re-used for phytoremediation disposal

water channel to pond ritual foot washing station

water channel to foor washing station

cistern water storage for greenhouse

private float pool

therapy pool thermal bath

ferry route stop

wave energy bouys

water channel to outdoor thermal bath

Thermal Bath Perspective44aquatic therapy and fitness complexr. watson

SELECTED IMAGESundergraduate The following examples of undergraduate work reveal just a glimpse into the five year educational experience at Syracuse University School of Architecture.

Ethiopian Consulate_SOHO, NYC Theater Complex_Thornden Park, Syracuse, NY Community Center_ Florence, Italy

Schine Student Center Addition_ Syracuse University45 undergraduate selected imagesr. watson

Virgin Solair Charter Airport_Brooklyn, NY 46undergraduate selected imagesr. watson

Education

Experience

Intern, Engineering Department for the City of New Haven, CT Collected data on New Haven sewer systems through on-site visits and previous researched filesAssessed conditions and provided reports on existing sewer system using ArcGISCollaborated with engineers and architects on field work assignments and meetingsCatalogued city maps into digital database and maintained map vault

Syracuse University School of Architecture Bachelor of Architecture Minor in Art HistoryThesis: [RE]claiming Water Infrastructure through Hybridization, extensive research and design on passive desalination and wastewater systemsInternational Study : Florence,Italy | London, England

Intern, City Plan Department for the City of New Haven, CT Redrew plans for model green home using AutoCADMontaged site photographs using Photoshop for Route 34 redevelopment reportsResponded to customer inquires about on-going projects

2012

Summer 2009

Summers 2006 - 2008

2010 - 2011

University of Pennsylvania School of DesignMasters of Landscape Architecture (Second Professional Degree)Deans Diversity ScholarshipRelevant Coursework: Wetland Ecology, Reclamation of Large Scale Sites, Urban Horticulture

Expected 2014

R E S U M E

47 resumer. watson

Graduate Student, UPENN School of Design Collaborated with city planning and architecture students on design for repurposing Olympic sites and venues, completed masterplan and landscape ecologyWrote reports on landscape ecology subjects such as post-industrial landscapes, human impact on agro-ecoystems and wetland restoration in various countriesParticipated in field ecology workshops to collect data on vegetation and topographical conditions

2012-present

Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven,CT Installed roofing, second floor frame, first floor windows and assisted electrical engineer in installing wires

Summer 2005

Volunteer

SkillsManual | Laser Cut, Plexiglass, Paper, Copper, Basswood, Watercolor, Oil, AcrylicDigital | Rhino,V-Ray, Grasshopper, AutoCAD, ArcGIS,Adobe Creative Suite; Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe AfterEffects

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT Collaborated with curators in display designsCurated and catalogued dried plants specimens in the herbarium at Yale UniversityTaught visitors about the live specimens and artifacts in the Discovery Room

Winter 2010, Summer 2011

Syracuse University Abroad Peer AdvisorPresented study abroad information to classes and organizations on campusOrganized information tables for prospected and admitted students

2011- 2012

Philadelphia Global Water InitiativeCompiled data on water and sanitation in developing countriesPrepared reports for the 2014 PGWI conference

2013-present

48resumer. watson

designPORTFOLIORachel Watson

undergraduate and graduate selected work

website http://watsonrachele.wix.com/designwork phone 203.668.3809

email [email protected]

updated design portfolio

Documents

watson05 fog

watson07 fog

proposed fog collector

traditional fog collectors

crop material

water collection

hydrophobic material

clean water