39 - Photography and Travels

Table of C ontents

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Table of C ontents

5 - Swamp Rabbit Park11 - Charleston Transportation Hub

17 - Greenville Recreation Plan

23 - Hendrix Student Center

27 - Golden Temple Plaza

31 - Construction Details and Hand Renderings

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Swamp Rabbit ParkGreenville County, South Carolina

2012

I began by investigating the relationship between the existing urban grid North and South of the site. Extending the grid over the site, I developed a hierarchy of circulation and used the resulting form to determine programmatic elements on the site. The largest challenge of the site is the degraded banks and location of the river, splitting the site in two. With little riparian activity, repairing and protecting the river ecosystem is vital. Wetlands were incorporated based on my original grid system and include boardwalks to allow park-goers to experience the river and observed the ever-changing ecosystem. Located on the Reedy River and part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville South Carolina, the site has potential to become a destination for fitness and outdoor recreation. Programmatic elements such as bike trails, various soccer and baseball fields, a climbing wall, and playground encourage group fitness. Furthermore, the conversion of industrial buildings into indoor fitness facilities can promote adult fitness through organized Zumba, Pilaties, and fitness classes.

community planning

Swamp Rabbit Park

grid concept site layers

clay study model site program

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Swamp Rabbit Park

site plan and adjacent aerial

amphitheater and river

land art and river

wetland and fitness north facility

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Swamp Rabbit Park

final topographic site model group site and context model

group site and context model

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Charleston Transportation HubCharleston, South Carolina

2012

Completed as a group-project during the semester cross-cultural studio, this project focused on both architecture and landscape architectural elements. Site analysis was completed in conjunction with Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. The North section of the peninsula was divided into regions and assigned various topics. My site, the southern-most section focused on transportation and a creating a node of development. With a proposed convention center to the East, it was essential to create a district which could combine housing, retail, transportation, and hospitality. The main goal was to interweave a linear park with the proposed infrastructure and use it as a destination for the nearby convention center. Communicating with students in Cairo posed problems, but having an architecture student view was a unique experience. While the project was done as a group, all graphics on the following pages were done in their entirety by myself.

urban planning

Charleston Transportation Hub

site plan

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C harleston Transportation Hub

main water feature

promenade and main water feature

adjacent pocket park

promenade to convention center

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C harleston Transportation Hub

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Greenvil le C ounty Recreation P lanGreenville County, South Carolina

2011

A semester-long group project focused on the use of GIS systems, photoshop, and Google Earth. My group’s focus was Universal Design, creating spaces to serve people of all ages. Throughout Greenville County we proposed cluster development to contrast the typical neighborhood. This proposition will create more open space for recreation and wildlife preservation. In the span of 50 years the open spaces will be linked throughout the county to create an environmental corridor. The development of an environmental corridor will also encourage ecotourism within the urban areas and surrounding preserved land. By implementing cluster development we will create a more sustainable community built for easier access to public services and cultural attractions. This dense development will preserve the rural character of the county and provide easier access to the historical sites within the county, goals of the Greenville County Recreational Department.

regional design

Greenvil le C ounty Recreation P lan

This map shows the ideal locations for cluster development. The ideal locations were found through comparing current housing occupancy, area demographics, property values, and crime rates. The ideal locations have a combination of: a high number of vacant or rented homes, a large number of families with children, low property value, and low crime rates. Proposed cluster 1 was chosen as a group lynchpin because of it’s high volume of traffic, proximity to downtown Greenville, and nearness to a public elementary school.

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Greenvil le C ounty Recreation Master P lan

Preserve

All Ages

Adults

Elderly

1

1.5”=1 mile

2 30

Park/ Open Space

LEGEND

Clusters

= about 17% of total county area

1- 3,020

POPULATION PER SQUARE MILE

2- 2,870 3- 2,047 4- 2,047 5- 4,200 6- 3,330 7- 1,510

POPULATION DENSITY MAPPEOPLE/SQ MILE YELLOW-RED= LEAST-MOST DENSE

POPULATION DENSITY MAP

YELLOW-RED= LEAST-MOST DENSE

Paris Mountain

1

2

3 4

56

7

45

11

2

3

4

5

6

2

6

3Single Family Homes

Townhouses

Central Cluster Park

Scenic River Trail

Small Cluster Park

Apartment Complex

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ChessTables

Recreation Fields

Playground

WoodedTrails

Community Garden

(Zhang, 2011)

(Zhang, 2011)

Greenvil le C ounty Recreation Master P lan

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Hendrix Student CenterClemson, South Carolina

2011

The Hendrix Student Center, located on the East side of campus, houses many offices for Student Life faculty, a food court, and the university bookstore. The large lawn behind, also known as “Lever Beach,” currently serves as a leisure field to students in the surrounding housing. The hilly terrain and cow-path makes the area difficult to use. The design aims to create usable active space while providing better connection to the rest campus. The area will also be able to better serve as a beautiful welcome to Clemson University.

site design

Hendrix Student Center

Design Process: Central point with radiating lines later became topography, stage layout, and walkways

Site Plan and topography

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Hendrix Student Center

Thematic Map showing complex topography of the site

amphitheater and outdoor sports fi eldsOutdoor patio and cafe area

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Golden Temple P lazaAmritsar, India

2010

Amritsar, India is home to one of the world’s most famous temples, the Golden Temple. Surrounded by a colonnade, religious shops, and beyond the walls low income housing, the area needs a space to connect the temple to the surrounding as well as a place to fit the thousands of visitors to the area. Extensive religious and cultural research were vital to creating a design to not only respect but also suit the Sikh and other religious pilgrims visiting the area.

site design

Golden Temple P laza

design concept focuses on the ten pillars which are the foundation of the Sikh faith

lights were incorporated to make the destination safe and unique during night

plaza and surrounding arcade mimics the architecture surrounding the existing pond and golden temple

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proposed plaza, golden temple, and surrounding infrastructure

plaza during night

Golden Temple P laza

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C onstruction Detailsand Hand Renderings

Construction details, completed during an internship with Belle Firma, Inc. were completed using AutoCAD and included in the construction documents sent to clients. Additional construction details were completed as part of a course, Design Implementation, focusing on the construction of a tree house. Handing drawings presented in black and white were completed as part of a hand-drawing focused class in the Fall of 2012. Broken into two focuses, the first half of the semester focused on ink drawings in both plan and section. The second half of the course focused on rending with a combination of both marker and colored pencil. Additional piece of work were completed outside of class and are presented on the following pages.

tanning ledge from modern apartment complex in downtown Dallas. construction detail completed during summer internship with Belle Firma, Inc.

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C onstruction Details

sidewalk ramp for proposed North Texas public school. construction detail completed during summer internship with Belle Firma, Inc.

Combination of photography and hand drawing. 2009. pencil. 2010

pen. 2012

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pen on 24” x 30” arches. final project 2012

Hand Rendering

pen, colored pencil, marker, and photoshop. 2012

colored pencil and marker. 2012colored pencil and marker. 2012

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Hand Renderings

colored pencil and marker. 2012

P hotography and TravelsCalifornia

Maymester 2011

The class spent two weeks traveling down the coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles making stops in Monterey, San Jose, Napa, Sonoma, Palo Alto, and many other smaller coastal towns.Travels in California included the Getty Museum and Villa; the Hearst Castle, Yosemite National Park, Pinnacle National Monument, and other sites in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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P hotography and Travels

Courtney SmithCLS2@Clemson.edu214-558-6555