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James Dinh Portfolio
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EDUCATION
2002 Master of Landscape Architecture University of California, Berkeley
1997 Master of Public Health in Epidemiology University of California, Los Angeles
1991 Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2/06-present Orange Street Studio Landscape Designer / Associate Los Angeles 11/02-12/05 R|H|A|A Landscape Designer Mill Valley & San Francisco
1/02-5/02 Hood Design Landscape Architect Intern Oakland
6/01-8/01 SWA Group Landscape Architect Intern Laguna Beach 6/00-11/00 Peter Walker and Partners Landscape Architecture Landscape Architect Intern Berkeley
10/98-7/99 PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) Consultant Writer Seattle 8/97-7/98 UCLA Department of Community Health Sciences Staff Research Associate Los Angeles
AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS
2002 Award of Honor - American Society of Landscape Architects 2002 First Prize - UC Berkeley Thomas Church Competition 2001 Runner-up - UNESCO International Federation of Land. Arch. Student Competition2001 Third Prize - San Francisco Garden Club Competition 2001 Third Prize - UC Berkeley Thomas Church Competition 2001 Finalist - Metropolis Magazine Sustainable Design Competition2001 University of California at Berkeley Graduate Division Fellowship 2001 University of California at Berkeley Beatrix Farrand Scholarship2001 Second Prize - UC Berkeley Sproul Plaza Redesign Competition2000 First Prize - UC Berkeley Thomas Church Competition 2000 Honorable Mention – UC Berkeley AIDS Memorial Competition1995 University of California at Los Angeles Graduate Division Fellowship
REFERENCES
Mr. Michael Schneider (Principal)Orange Street Studio1506 N. Gardner St. Los Angeles, CA 90046phone: 323-874-3378email: [email protected]
Contact: Mr. Aditya Advani (Principal) Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey323 Geary St., Suite 602 San Francisco, CA 94102phone: 415-861-7900email: [email protected]
Contact: Mr. Walter Hood (Principal) Hood Design 3016 Filbert St., Studio 2 Oakland, CA 94608phone: 510-595-0688email: [email protected]
Contact: Ms. Sarah Kuehl (Partner) Peter Walker and Partners 739 Allston Way Berkeley, CA 94710phone: 510-849-9494email: [email protected]
phone: 562 . 841 . 2512 email: [email protected]
JAMES T DINH
Born in Saigon, Vietnam, I make
it a point to search out pho
restaurants wherever I travel. In
my opinion, the best place for a
steaming bowl of this comforting
noodle dish is in the city of Dalat,
Vietnam. Served in the lobby of
a hotel that doubles as a “pho
bistro”, the steaming bowls
are sold for only a few hours in
the morning until the kettle of
broth run outs. Nothing beats
the subtle aroma of cinnamon,
anise, onions, and beef wafting
through the cool morning air of
the central highlands. Aside from
eating pho, my interest lies in
cultural-historical landscapes and
how vernacular elements can be
incorporated into the language
of contemporary landscapes. I
believe that landscapes can
have a social and emotional
impact in our everyday lives
and that ecological practices
should drive the design process.
My travels to Laos, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Tibet, China, Mexico,
and Europe have all informed
my ideas and designs.
A former landfill has been transformed into a public park with notable features such a constructed wetland, an outdoor classroom, a dog park, and a wind surfing / sea kayak launching area. The fact that the site was a landfill posed many challenges: planting was restricted to native grasses which don’t require irrigation and trees could not be planted on most of the site due to the geosynthetic clay liner that lies 18” below ground level. Existing eroding asphalt paths were replaced with stabalized and nonstabilized decomposed granite paths to accommodate for ground settling. As one of the project managers for the project, I was involved with making design decisions, coordinating various consultancy issues, preparing CDs up to the 100% phase, and rendering the final presentation drawing for the City of San Mateo.
With RHAA & 2M Landscape Architects
Shoreline and Seal Point Parks . San Mateo, CA
The landscape renovation of Canada College includes a new library quad and pedestrian entry. An old sunken amphitheater was filled with earth from the new library construction to create a generous lawn quad area defined by paths and rows of California pepper trees. An amphitheater forms the heart of the new quad. In addition to working on all graphic presentations, I was involved on the project from design development to completing 100% CDs.
With RHAA
Canada College Landscape Renovation . Redwood City, CA
Part of the Guadalupe River masterplan, the plaza is located adjacent to San Jose’s River Street Historic District, The plaza’s design employs cultural artifacts such as images, objects and words, and records them in the landscape so that visitors encounter a rich array of historical information. A “History Wall” presents the original Ohlone residents’ cultural evolution on one side and San Jose’s history since the European settlement on the other, with images etched onto stainless steel. Reflecting the theme of confluence expressed in the other public spaces of the masterplan, the plaza explores the confluence of technology and history, of the man-made and natural, and of peoples who represent the multi-cultural diversity of San Jose.
I was involved with conceptual design, design development, and graphic presentation.
With RHAA
San Jose Heritage Plaza . San Jose, CA
Located near San Francisco State University and middle school, the five-acre park contains a new children’s play ground where a dilapidated club house once stood, relocated tennis courts, and a renovated baseball field. A key design feature was the installation of a new ramp that not only marks a distinctive formal entry to the park but is also wheelchair accessible .
I was involved with design development, graphic presentation, and construction documentation.
With RHAA
Aptos Park . San Francisco, CA
Designed in 1960 by Lawrence Halprin, the plaza is a great civic space where thousands congregate and pass through each day. Heavily used as a pedestrian thoroughfare, for people watching, meeting, and holding protests, the plaza fell into disrepair. While staying true to the original design intent, the renovation involved upgrading the paving from asphalt to concrete pavers that can handle vehicular traffic (visually tied together with diagonal brick bands), replacing site furnishing and improving lighting. A major goal was to preserve the allee of pollarded London Plane trees that give the plaza its spatially articulated quality.
I was involved in simulation renderings and construction documentation.
With RHAA
Sproul Plaza Renovation . Berkeley, CA
The design was chosen as one of three finalist entries in an international competition to design a 1,200-acre Great Park on the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. The park will be ringed by 3,400 new homes and millions of square feet of office, retail, and institutional space. A thousand acres will be preserved as wildlife habitat. Not since the late 19th-early 20th century has an urban park of this magnitude been proposed in the U.S. The design concept is based on the layering of seven datums, which together would endow dynamism, complexity, and sustainability to a very large site. The memory of the 1-mile long runways is preserved by excavating them, leaving canyons which would become open meadows, forests, water bodies, and a range of other bioclimatic terrains. The soil from excavation would be used to form a great mound that would offer dramatic views of the landscape of Southern California. The canyons would act as the organizing parti for the park, around which would be located gardens, museums, sports fields, etc. The former airplane hangers would be converted to exhibitions spaces, wrapped in a luminous skin. As the design proposal aimed to be holistic, all design elements were addressed, from streetscape, to signage, to site furnishing. As Assistant Designer for the competition, I was responsible for overseeing the artistic production and articulating the concept graphically and in writing.
With R|H|A|A in collaboration with Latz + Partners (Germany) and Jean-Paul Vigiuer S.A. d’Architecture (France)
Orange County Great Park Competiton . Irvine, CA
Perched high on a ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains, a mid-century home is being renovated for a client with a keen appreciation for contemporary design. As much of the property consists of native mountain chaparral, the landscape design proposes to bring this native flora into the habitable spaces, creating a seamless connection between the natural and man-made. After walking through a grove of elms and oak trees, that also serve to delineate parking spaces, guests will ascend through natural rock outcroppings to the main house above. This sequential approach forces one to slow down and meditate on the subtle textures and colors of the native plantings, that otherwise often go unnoticed.
I have been involved in all phases of the design process, from conceptual design, to construction documentation, to site management.
With Orange Street Studio
Chough Residence . Los Angeles, CA
Sullivan Residence . Pacific Palisades, CA
This project presented the challenge of creating usable active spaces for a young couple and their children in both the front and back yards while maintaining privacy. In the front yard, a lawn play area is created by raising the topography and retaining it behind a low wall, in front of which are planted native California sycamore trees and groundcovers. This provides a safe, private play area while animating the private-public interface. Opposite a long wood bench, a water feature acts as a focal point at the main entrance to the house. In contrast to the more public feeling of the front yard, the back yard is focused inwards, with its lush plantings and screens of bamboo on three sides of the garden. Existing palm and dragon trees are incorporated into the new landscape, which evokes a resort atmosphere of seclusion and relaxation. An existing pool and spa were renovated, and a new soaring arbor creates a shaded outdoor living room for family gatherings. Unifying the backyard, strips of grass break up the plane of the concrete patio. An intimate deck on the side of the house provides a serene space for outdoor showers.
I was involved in all phases of the design process,.
With Orange Street Studio
Gardner Elementary . Hollywood, CA
This is a pro-bono design for an elementary school located in the heart of Hollywood, famous for it’s alumni Michael Jackson. Keeping in mind the limited resources, the design sought to do more with less. The playground is highlighted with colorful paint that creates a colorful tapestry reflecting the ethnic diversity of the school. Donations by Friends of Gardner Elementary School are recognized by colorful mural-like plaques. Taking advantage of the existing slope, an amphitheater is created, where teachers, parents, and children can sit under that shade of trees and watch performances held in the playground. A playful yet classical gateway invites people to enter the Pepper The garden and plant nursery adjacent to the reading garden allows urban youth to grow fresh, healthy organic food right in their own school.
I was involved in conceptual design and presentation to the school community.
With Orange Street Studio
Minter Court . Santa Ana, CA
As part of the revitalization of downtown Santa Ana, this multi-unit condominium complex is being developed with a sensitivity to the neighborhood in its scale and its incorporation of an existing structure. Likewise, the plantings surrounding the complex create a garden frontage that ties the development to the residential neighborhood. Within the complex, various defined courtyards offer spaces for both intimate and group gatherings. Even the parking court is envisioned as an active community space where outdoor movies can be shown. The project is in city design review presently.
I have been involved in conceptual design and putting together city submissions.
With Orange Street Studio
This streetscape improvement proposal was for the three to four block stretch of the West Washington Boulevard Commercial corridor. We proposed a streetscape that would help animate the street life by acting as a stage on which the theater of the urban environment will perform. We proposed to work closely with the Public �orks �epartment, the City�s TrafficPublic �orks �epartment, the City�s Traffic Engineer and the community to achieve consensus on a median and streetscape design that will not only be functional in terms of separating and directing traffic and maintaining safe sightlines for pedestrians and drivers but also be environmentally sound and pleasing to the eyes. With regard With regard to environmental sustainability, we proposed cut-outs in the median, which will allow the median to collect street runoff, thereby preventing water from wastefully going down the drain and into the ocean. Another way to promote sustainability is through the use of a native and/or climate-appropriate plant palette that will require little water and maintenance while offering habitat diversity and seasonal visual interest. The choice of plants and other materials and their arrangement will create a unique identity for this developing area of Culver City.
I was involved in concept development and putting together the proposal graphically.
With Orange Street Studio
Culver City Streetscape Proposal . Culver City, CA
Bayfair Mall . San Leandro, CA
A dying mall in San Leandro is transformed into a mixed-use community. A re-configured main street connects the mixed-use area with the subway station and the main boulevard 14th Street. Public green corridors slice through the private retail areas, connecting them with lower-density in-fill housing along the periphery. The cross-section illustrates the restored creek fronting proposed town houses that serves as a linear green corridor connecting the neighborhood to others.
Presidio Roads Sequence . San Francisco, CA
The design takes its cue from existing landscape traces, such as the sentinel rows of eucalyptus, and proposes a sequence of roads of various hierarchies and character that reintroduces a clarity to the historical military compound that is now designated as a national park. Engaging roads curve along the topography, sharply wrapping around slopes to highlight the terrain. The perspective shows a proposed road wrapping around the lower reaches of Tennessee Hollow, a naturalized grassland inundated with winter rains through which the historical pedestrian walk Lovers Lane crosses.
Aquatic Shellmound Park . Berkeley, CA
A sidewalk-boardwalk and signage are proposed to connect a unique neighborhood and train station to a renovated park that marks one of the few remaining coastlines before land fill was created for the construction of the 580 freeway.
Various Urban Design - Streetscape Studies
With its 51-miles of channels paved for the most part with concrete, the Los Angeles River is surprisingly “invisible” in the cultural and physical landscape of the city. To inquire about the reasons for this invisibility, various aspects of the river were examined, from its cultural and hydrologic history to its engineering. The initial results of this ongoing research were presented as ten posters that attempt to “market” the complexities of a hydrologic system that is inadequately defined by its namesake.
Independent ResearchW Hood - Advisor
Los Angeles River Posters
The perceived chaotic character of informal settlements, or squatters, belies underlying spatial patterns conditioned by pre-urban superstructures such as topography and rural roads. There is also a temporal dimension: houses begin as cardboard and tin shacks that metamorphosize over time into conventional structures of concrete and brick, developing from the financial and technical resources of the residents. The design strategy proposes a landscape framework to structure informal human settlement, comprising different “spatial-ordering” structures which have a time dimension that is consequently related to ownership and development. The most persistent structures - topography, water bodies - are the most static, expressing an intense relationship with the land. The less persistent structures - walls, trees, hedges - are more ephemeral and expendable, reflecting more immediate ideas and activities. The more persistence structures, such as topography, will condition the in-fill of less persistence structures, such as building foundations, and so on.
Thesis Design ProjectM Schjetnan - Instructor
Landscape Framework for Informal Settlement . Tlahuac, Mexico
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The vocabulary of spatial ordering structures will be used to organize the individual settlement units as well as the larger informal settlement urban fabric. Firstly, the site’s mountain slope will be manipulated to form terraces, which not only facilitate access and habitation, but also restricts settlement to specific areas. The twenty-foot high terraces allow for about 200-ft wide terraces that can accommodate two rows of housing units. Secondly, roads that further define the edge of the terraces and other basic infrastructure such as sewage lines will be installed. The natural drainage areas on the site will serve as public spaces around which houses, schools, churches, and markets will help to define spatially. Retention stepwells will hold water for filtration into the ground. Four dwelling units will be organized around a central courtyard, with two units sharing one service core. A fire wall is provided to delineate adjacent boundaries. Minimal structures such as foundations, walls, trees, and hedges are used to define space and delineate property lines and public thoroughfares, but enough room is left unbuilt so that the owners can build their own houses according to their own economic and creative resources.
Landscape Framework for Informal Settlement . Tlahuac, Mexico
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Decommissioned in 1999 and highly contaminated, the 422-acre Oakland Army Base waits to be developed or demolished. The design proposes a human-vegetal community that will evolve over time as the result of the simultaneous implementation of two staging strategies: phytoremediation and assisted vegetal succession. Each successive stage of “seeding”, informed by the physical location of the pollutants, will be different from that which ultimately develops, giving way to changing programs and populations of plants, animals, and humans. The top perspective shows the Seed 2 stage, during which nurse crops of mustard and alfalfa remediate the soil of chromium, lead, and petrol, while wind-powered pumps extract groundwater from areas contaminated with arsenic, chromium and lead and direct the water through filtering wetlands. Paths and boardwalks connect people to dynamic processes. The lower perspective shows the climax stage, during which a poplar woodland gives way to plantings of Scotch Pine, box elder, and birch with under-plantings of eden fern that rid the soil of arsenic.
Thomas Church Competition . Fall 01First Prize
A Million Trees . Oakland, CA
