Work Samples

patrickja n i a k ’ s

4957 Timbercrest DrCedarburg, WI [email protected]

2008 Graduate of University of Minnesota–Twin Cities B.E.D. Landscape Architecture and Planning Architecture Minor Business Management Minor

2009 - present: Principal Designer & Owner of Green Retention Group

While these work samples are not the entire body of work I have accumulated in my formal education or in my professional experiences, they do demonstrate the breadth of project types that I have experienced.

Community Garden DevelopmentEcotourism Design GuidelinesGarden Design GIS Analysis and Mapping Green Roof DesignIllustrative RenderingsInterpretive Landscape DesignStormwater ManagementStreetscape Design for Bikeability and WalkabilityVisual Analysis

Preface

1

Spring Floods: Noninvasive Stormwater Mgmt

Site & Context inveStigation

These residential properties share a topographically low point in their backyards. Throughout the soil profile there are various qualities creating difficulties for infil-tration for water. There is a lack of vegetation on the problem flood area, only creating more problems for infiltration. Neighbors up-slope have much impervi-ous surface and are on a slope: difficult to infiltrate much water and snow melt. Finally, the solar orienta-tion is such that the dense overhead tree canopy is al-most completely shading the site, making evaporation and plant growth difficult.

Corrugated plastic exten-sion tubing off downspouts, up slope from problem flood area.

Flood Area

Site ConditionS

2

Spring Floods: Noninvasive Stormwater Mgmt

Topographical Low Point

Recommendation: After double spading and organic material amendments, plant rain gardens. They will aid in the water infiltration process and will help develop a healthier soil profile.

O horizon is heavily covered in a thick silty seditment from the upslope sedimentation. This has created difficult conditions for vegetation to grow, which make for an almost nonexistent A hori-zon. Also, the soils are heavy clay with low infiltraion rates. These soils need more organic content and sore space to increase infil-tration rates.

Lack of vegetation in the problem flood area not only decreases evapotranspi-ration but decreases insect and micro-organisims in the soil, which leads to denser soils.

Vegetation Soil Conditions

Upslope berm creates collects water and slope of neighbors yard creates an increased degree of difficulty for water infiltration and more sedimentation.

3

Spring Floods: Noninvasive Stormwater Mgmt

Along with organic soil amendments and the installation of rain gar-dens, we need to start at the source of water.

Rain barrels need to be placed at the downspouts on both properties.

More sunlight needs to penetrate to the problem area, so pruning at various levels needs to occur.

For all water that cannot infiltrate the soil at the surface, it will be chan-neled through an infiltration trench to a seep bed (see above detail) where it will infiltrate at a lower depth in the soil away from flood area.

Materials and Method for Revitalization:

Flood Area

InfiltrationTrench

Seep Bed

Geographic Information Systems for Natural Resources

ArcGIS spatial analysis displaying acceptable camping areas considering various parameters given. Using these, buffers and overlays were developed to calculate areas of public and private lands that contain acceptable campingareas.

Using NWI (National Wetlands Inventory) data, the information was translated onto a UTM 15 (NAD 27) coordinate system. The various wetland types were then classified using data-table analysis.

Ideal Grouse Habit Measurement considering age, species, and edge conditions of vegetation present amongst the various patches and corridors in the matrix.

4

5

Stroebel Gardens

A public plaza and community garden development aimed to serve as a precident for open space development in suburban landscapes. In the wealthiest county in Wisconsin, there is a need for smarter development of open space for the denser and and transient neighborhoods. Not only does this development create a quality green space with progressive landscape design techniques that people are proud of, but through the design program and process, there is a quality of community activism that develops, strengthening community relationships.

Old Fenced Tennis cOurTs

Old BaskeTBall HalF-cOurT

Idealized vistas on property Additional vistas on property

Site Context and inveStigation

ProjeCt Statement

On the edge of the Woodmere Apartment property (in red), adjacent to Kemps Dairy (no color), Cedar Springs Retirement Community (NW corner), McKinley Condos, and a duplex and single family neighborhood (SW corner). In an affluent suburb of Milwaukee, a vast majority of Cedarburg residents live in single family homes. This is the largest neighborhood of multi-family unit housing in the county. About half of the almost one acre site is asphalt remnants from an old playground.

6

Stroebel Gardens

A green space designed for neighborhood public gathering with the intent of reducing environmental impacts on the site and water-shed, increasing property value, while developing and instilling a sense of pride and community in the neighborhood and city. Prima-ry users are neighborhood residents in apartments, condos, and duplexes as a through space and a relaxing destination. The com-munity garden aspect of the development creates more possibilities for using the park as a gathering space. Through cooperative gardening there is an ideology seen in dense urban environments that is almost non-existent in suburbia. This park will set a precid-ent for community gardens and green space development while demonstrating proper design of stormwater management landscape features.

deSign Program, deSign intent

environmental imPaCt-Reduces stormwater discharge from the site through grading so that a greater amount of rain water is absorbed through bioswales and rain gardens-Significantly increase and diversify habitat on site with increased and diversified vegetative species-Increased soil quality to support better plant (and tree) growth-Zero soil transport off site. Will strive to reclamate all soil, gravel, and asphalt to be used on site

Bioswale BioswaleInfiltration Plaza Basin

7Watercolor to set a vision for the Bell Museum as the gateway to the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus.

Urban minneaPoliS TO rUral St. PaUl

Prairie-sTyle arcHiTecTure wiTH landscaPe design

Bell Museum: Urban to Rural

A relocation of the University of Minnesota’s Natural History museum from a dense urban landscape (in Minneapolis) to an open agricultural landscape (in St. Paul). New site is a neglected open space with haphazard vegetation, two abandoned buildings, adjacent to farm fields.

Bell Museum:Urban to Rural

8After various site-analysis studies, including hydrology, topography, geology, micro climates, vegetation, visual characteristics, and circula-tion patterns in proximity, this master plan was conceived.

Design Program and Intent: the landscape is meant to be an outdoor classroom for University students and younger alike. The various biomes of Minnesota are all represented on site to explain the significance of Minnesota the natural biomes. This translates to the importance of the Twin Cities, also. The subtle, yet modern prairie fore-ground, to the museum, serves as an entry point to the Univeristy of Minnesota St. Paul Campus.

Five biome deSign ConCePt

Light and Rendering

“Bathe of Light” 7" X 9" Watercolor on 140 lb paper - above

“Midday Mosque Vacancy” 8" X 10" Watercolor on 140 lb paper - top

“Front Porch” 7" X 11" Watercolor on 140 lb paper - bottom 9

Drawings for Report and Analysis

Top:Drawing of furniture lay-outs to facilitate the move in process in the Hearst Tower on the Oprah Editorial Floor. Drawn in AutoCAD 2005 in the summer of 2006.

Bottom Two:One of the six floors I researched, with a report to explain what needed to be done to bring various Hearst Corporation office spaces up to code for the 2010 code requirements.

10

Green Space as Pedagogical Tool

11

Major landscape fea-tures: topography, exist-ing vegetation, and circulation patterns. (All drawings done with marker on 24" X 36" vellum.)

Park Site

Park Site

Mississippi River

West River Pkwy

Section drawings showing the variation in the ground plane elevations. These reinforce the viewshed’s dynamic qualities.

Photo courtesy of Jerry McInnis

Context

Vista from the Mississippi in Winter

Minneapolis

Lake Calhoun

Site inveStigation

Along the Mississippi River, south of downtown Min-neapolis, this park site is set in a residential neigh-borhood. Topography changes along both sides of the river give the site dramatic viewsheds, one being of the St. Paul Seminary across the river.

An exploration of how all of the landscape elements are integrated for a co-hesive master plan design. Begins to metaphorically describe the bloody past relationship between the Dakota and Ojibway tribes and eventually the peaceful harmony in which they live now.

Green Space as Pedagogical Tool

Showing various “rooms” and their unique spatial identities. Text describes the metaphor-ical reasoning behind the design concepts. The metaphors revolve around the idea of peace and unity between the two tribes.

12

deSign ConCePt

13

deSign Program, deSign intent

Prairie Landscape Creates Property Distiction

For a couple “empty-nesters” in Mequon, Wisconsin, that would like to create more usable backyard space. The design intent is to create differentiation be-tween adjacent backyard, but also to create spaces that are functional for vari-ous outdoor gatherings and activities. With a large family, they need to meet the needs of people aged 1 through 94 years old.

Site Context

A residential property resulting from the 90’s housing boom. As a topographi-cally unchanging neighborhood, the backyards all blend together, only to be interrupted by the occasional play set and a few trees near the houses. Backyard is spotted with various trees, but lacks cohesion of all vertical elements.

14

deSign ConCePt

The design concept is to create an intimate entry point into the backyard, with raised planter walls and many vertical elements to create a sense of security. Past the entry patio, the vista created is onto a a prairie of native grasses and flowering dogwoods, beneath a light prairie canopy. These grassy strips act as a vertical element buffer to define a central open space and create soft property lines.

Prairie Landscape Creates Property Distiction

15

Redtwig dogwood • Cornus cericeaPrairie Larkspur • Delphinium virescensVariegated Hostas • Hosta (variegated)Siberian Iris • Iris siberiaBlack-eyed Susan • Rhdbeckia flugidaPink Lights Azalea • Rhodadendron ‘pink lights’Poa sandbergii • Sandberg bluegrassSedum Stefo • Sedum stefco

Red Maple • Acer rubrumSugar Maple • Acer saccharumPaper Birch • Betula papyriferaNorway Spruce • Picea abiosScotch Pine • Pinus

Plant liStSgarden deSignA perrenial garden design that keeps your eye mov-ing at various depths of the viewsheds with complimen-tary colors throughout the seasons. Winter landscape even keeps your eyes mov-ing with the spotted and clumped redtwig dogwood’s complimenting the Sedum stefco dormant crimson color, at entry. The perrenial garden is chosen for its pas-toral qualities and its ease of maintenance.

Prairie Landscape Creates Property Distiction

Cedarburg’s Bikeability and Walkability Strategies

Walkability of Washington Avenue Corridor: Curb Extension and Raised Intersection Recommendations

ProjeCt Statement

Bike LoopThe aim of these projects be-gins with focusing on putting a priority on bikeability and walkability in the suburban landscape. This begins with the creation of traffic calming elements -like curb extensions and raised intersections- to control traffic enough so bike lanes are safe. Many existing street widths as pleanty wide as is (see photos on left). All schools in the city, parks, and other cultural amenities can be connected with every major neighborhood without major construction. This bike loop would then be connected to the interurban trail, which runs throughout Ozaukee County.

16

Real Fitness Green Roof Studio

17

Western Ave.

Washington Ave

Site & Context inveStigation

In the heart of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, The Wirth Building was constructed in 1856, with two significant additions. On the back half of the second addition there is a black rubber (built up) roof over over a single story. The total square footage of flat roof is aproximately 4,000 sq ft, with half proposed to be green roof and the other half paved for a fitness studio and seating space.

Roof space is designed primarily to make use of unused space and create a unique amenity for the gym in warm weather: an outdoor fitness studio and vegetables garden. This development would create free publicity and reduce stormwater peak flow on a city block, which is almost entirely impervious (see above aerial). Also, the row of planters along the north wall are sponsored by a local restaurant to grow fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices. This project is to be announced with the city of Cedarburg’s Sustain-ability Initiative, to create more hype and support for the entire movement.

deSign Program, deSign intent

18

Real Fitness Green Roof Studio

Materials and Installation MethodOnce the roof decking and live loads have been deemed suit-able, a series of polystyrene support pedistals will be set in place for the pavers. A series of stability footings are also needed for vertical elements, like railings and the cantilevered terellis along the south wall. All planters will be installed next on the pedistals, too. The easiest green roof system to install and remove for maintenance would be a extensive modular system (see photo). There is almost double the cost per square foot for a prevegetated modular system, so costs can be cut here . This is only to be installed on the flat roof.

Looking Forward

Photo Courtesy of LiveRoof

By using this green roof project to gain community in-terest and pride in Cedarburg’s Sustainability Initiative, we hope to gain more community activism and a greater sense of environmental awareness. There will hopefully be a ripple down effect, with more businesses wanting to join this movement, causing more economic develop-ment and stimulation. Secondarily, this sends a message to the community about the priority the city’s citizens have on fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

before

before

after

after

Ecotourism Design Guidelines

Village ofLlanrumney

Proposed EcotourismSite Property Lines

Robin’s Bay

Reservior

ProjeCt Statement

19

signiFicanT landscaPesRobin’s Bay, Jamaica, High Gate Organic Farm future ecotourism Site. Our team performed environmental assessments throughout the watershed to report suggestions for developing an ecotourism site. After assessing significant landscapes, land uses, and per-forming environmental assessments throughout the watershed,

environmental aSSeSSment

develoPment reCommendationS

we reported our findings and gave rec-ommendations as to best develop an ecotourism site. Our multidisciplined teams from the University of Minne-sota and University of West Indies, not only recommended the most appropri-ate locations for the developments, but where improvements are needed and how to ensure longevity of the project by working with all the villages in the watershed.

Llanrumney

High Gate Estate

Wind Mill Remains

Blue Hole Cove

High Gate Bay

High Gate Beach

Martin

Farm’s Irrigation Reservior

Organic Orchid Houses

Recommended Land for Development

Water quality and land use assessments were per-formed throughout the watershed. BMP’s in pasture landscapes, stream revital-ization techniques, as well as community education of environmental quality and maintenance were the criti-cal conclusions to begin an ecotourism development.

signiFicanT landscaPes

“As a lover of wildress, I am convinced that the solution to its preservation on land, on sea, and in the air is the design and planning of the city...If our cities were designed carefully to provide the kind of environment which we need, then we could, in our daily rounds, lead creative lives without quite the urgency to relate to the wilderness, except for the very special and unique qualities which only wilderness can bring.”

-Lawrence Halprin in Tomorrow’s Wildreness, edited by Francois Leyet and published by the Sierra Club 1963