Rebecca Robbins Landscape Planning + Design Portfolio
281 Garth Rd, Apt C2F
Scarsdale, NY 10583
robbins13@csld.edu
(802) 498-5830
issuu.com/beccarobbins
index of sheets
about me:
settling in: a landscape design for nancy and robert ............................. p. 3-4
I am a young professional looking for experience in firms specializing in landscape design, architecture and ecological urban planning. I have a background in community development and experience in administration. I recently received my Masters of Sciences in Ecological Design from the Conway School in western Massachusetts where I completed projects surrounding regenerative design and environmental planning.
open space and recreation plan update: 2013 .................................... p. 5-6 bringing people home: siting an ecological and agricultural housing community ............................... p. 7-8
Visit www.issuu.com/beccarobbins to view full project plan sets.
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settling in: a landscape design for nancy and robert south shelburne, massachusetts Nancy and Robert recently purchased property in South Shelburne and are completing renovations. The landscape is flat and primarily comprised of lawn. This six-member family has two households under the same roof, requiring two separate gathering spaces. The ultimate goal of the client was to feel tucked into their landscape, finally able to feel at home.
summary analysis This 11 acre property sits at the banks of the Great Brook, a perennial stream that serves as Core Habitat for many species, both common and endangered. Buffering the stream is a dense thicket of multiflora rose, keeping people away from the banks. The stream's presence requires delineation of a 100 year floodplain, shown in blue. This intermittent sediment deposition causes the soil to have high organic matter levels. Running along the north side of the property and through the middle are sets of unsightly overhead electric lines. Map made with AutoCAD and Photoshop. legend 100 year floodplain Core habitat for endangered species Overhead electric lines Thick vegetative cover, muliflora rose
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client goals - attract more wildlife - become more self-sufficient - conceal utility elements - access recreational water - site barn and pasture for horses a delicate ecosystem The prolific multiflora rose can produce up to a million seeds in a season causing its management to be costly and time consuming. Though labeled as invasive, the thicket made of its thorny canes is the perfect sanctuary for a chickadee or bluebird being chased by a predator. Tiny rose hips provide nourishment for small mammals during winter, nectar and pollen from the flowers in spring attract and feed local bees, and the shade it casts over the water creates valuable cool space for amphibians. The thicket also prevents trampling up and down the brook, avoiding habitat damage and erosion. The vigorous roots of this shrub hold together the stream bank. The northern redbelly dace (shown below), the wood turtle and the upland sandpiper are some of the endangered spacies found in the Great Brook and its parent watershed. All prefer cooler, slow-moving streams in marshy areas and like to find refuge from potential predators under brush-heavy vegetation, provided by the existing conditions of the site.
planting plan
design alternative: meadow walk This design alternative includes a 1/5 mile nature path, defined by a strip of meadow. Various wetland shrubs define the meadow's edge. It provides a quiet place for family members to retreat, observe and unwind. It also provides preferred habitat for endangered species. This area should be mowed once a year, and can be altered with each mowing, adding interest to the landscape. The barn and pasture are sited well outside of the floodplain, to avoid potential structural damage and contamination from manure. Bird boxes on posts are placed in the southern part of the meadow, softening the appearance of utility poles.
walking trail
meadow
wetland shubs
legend pasture
driveway
stone patio
house
pond
tea garden orchard
legend Azalea 'Karen'
Prunus cerasus
Meadow
Ceanothus americanus
Pyrus communis
Wetland shrubs
Magnolia virginiana
Sambucus canadensis
Malus domestica
Vaccinium corymbosum
Meadow Mix
Low-Grow Grass Mix
Tree cover Mowed edge Pasture
Fruit trees shield the view of the utility poles from the back yard, and help shade the south side of the house from scorching summer sun. A garden is placed just south of the orchard to take advantage of full sun.
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open space and recreation plan update: 2013 town of lenox, massachusetts
The protection of open spaces is an integral part of resilient, active, and connected communities. The 2013 Open Space and Recreation Plan Update gathers the desires of the community, examines the needs of the town's natural species, and offers tangible objectives for achieving identified goals.
lenox residents’ recreational activities
Do you love Kennedy Park? Lenox has a great opportunity to expand and enhance its public parks and we want to hear your ideas! Come tell us about your favorite places in town to hike, fish, breathe, and reflect. Please join us for a short public forum and a lively discussion on the future of our open spaces.
Lenox has the opportunity to use CPA funds for open space and recreation projects - how would you like to see this money used?
This map depicts popular types of recreation, frequency of mention, and the geographical location in which they take place. Through ruthless isolation, we notice three separate areas begin to form, with less activity in the south. This map was made in Photoshop.
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013 6:30pm - 7:30pm Town Hall Auditorium 6 Walker Street, Lenox Refreshments will be served. Event hosted by the Town of Lenox Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee.
For more information call 413-637-5500 X1203 or email malbertson@townoflenox.com.
what’s at risk? This build out map above (created with Community Viz) was exemplifies what is at risk if and when the town of Lenox expands. In this example, most development occurs along a main route, potentially damaging the rural character of the land. New development occurs in the forest, which may cause ecosystem fragmentation.
community meetings Two forums were held to examine the needs and desires of the community. Fliers made in InDesign.
lenox’s marble valley
action map The rare combination of limestone and marble bedrock beneath Lenox's valley floor yields what one expert described as "soil that makes botanists drool". This soil is suitable for many species and natural communities, which generates greater biodiversity. This map was made with ArcGIS and InDesign.
Legend laurel_lake
PITTSFIELD
EJ_POLY Protected Open Space
RICHMOND
WASHINGTON
Legend laurel_lake
STOCKBRIDGE
EJ_POLY
Protected Open Space
ecological education LEE
Education is a piece of the Laurel Lake improvement strategy. This diagram (medium: flair and cardstock) shows the relationship between baneful Zebra Mussels and Blue-Green Algae.
legend
The Lenox community desires to maintain its small-town feel, Improve water quality and pastoral views, and ecological infrastructure at Laurel Lake richness. Lenox's 2013 Open Permanently protect Space and Recreation Plan ecologically important habitats works to create a comprehensive Expand and improve recreational trail map connecting people to a variety of recreation spaces, opportunities and assets permanently protects core Connect neighborhoods, open habitat, and seeks to improve a spaces and recreational areas community place of the heart.
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bringing people home: siting an ecological and agricultural housing community the farm school: athol, massachusetts The Farm School in Athol, Massachusetts teaches principles of ecological stewardship, connectivity to nature, and practicality to both youngsters and adults. This organization sought a feasibility study to determine the potential for a small housing development on a nearby parcel of land. This new community should reflect the values of the organization.
suitability analysis:
legend hand drafted basemap with ArcGIS overlay
other design guidelines: Our team held charrets and public meetings to identify the components of a successful design:
Development prohibited - legal restrictions Development permitted w/ significant constraints: - north-facing slopes - slopes 15%+ - prime ag soils - soil unsuitable for development Development permitted but with constraints: - Prime forest Development permitted w/ considerations: - soil of statewide importance View to preserve
The Suitability Analysis depicts the parcel's developmental constraints, considering both legal and environmental restrictions. The least suitable areas are shown in the darkest shade and the most suitable in the lightest shade.
- Conserve land - Conserve valued vistas - Create a family friendly environment - Create a small housing footprint - Create both private and shared spaces - Accessibility to farmable land
Local bylaws require a minimum of: - 10,000 ft2 size (nearly a quarter acre). - 50' of frontage on an existing road - Two parking spaces per unit. - 35' setbacks from the road. - 20' setbacks from neighboring lots. - 35% total land conservation.
Looking east is an expansive view of open pasture land, orchard trees, and a mountain range in the distance. The Farm School loves this view, and wishes to see it preserved.
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final design: “on the road again� The final design places new homes along the road, keeping infrastructural and environmental impacts to a minimum, tucking this new community out of the favored vista. Houses in this area have been placed along the road since the late 1700s and the final design strives to maintain historical character. This design also protects natural resources, meets the needs of the community and conforms to local bylaws. The final design also takes into consideration tensions within the community, balancing the desire for both public and private space, sharing resources and developing around and with natural features both above and below the soil.
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2
1
2
1
Two parking lots serve four residences with two spots per house. Parked cars are visually buffered from the homes with vegetation.
2
The community common space features a seating area and cob oven where neighbors can gather.
3
Small homes are spaced 70' apart from each other, conserving land. This creates both privacy and a sense of community. Homes are oriented 15 degrees east of south to maximize solar gain and frame views to the southeast.
4
A vegetated swale follows the north-south contours, capturing storm runoff from the community. Storm water is filtered and slowed down before it reaches the wetland.
5
Common agricultural fields to the south allow residents to grow produce for market or consumption. Rows follow the contours of the land to prevent soil erosion.
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3
locations for development
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5
3 4
locations considered for development are numbered on the map above. the final design is placed at location number 5.
5
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